LAKEPORT, Calif. – With the Lakeport Fire Protection District’s Measure M fire tax coming up next month, the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office reported that those who want to cast their ballot must be registered to vote by April 22.

Ballots have begun to go out this week for Measure M, the all-mail ballot set for May 7.

Interim Deputy Registrar of Voters Marcy Harrison reported that a completed voter registration form must be either personally delivered to the Registrar of Voters Office on or before April 22, or postmarked on or before April 22 and received by mail by the Registrar of Voters Office in order to receive an official ballot in the mail.

Eligible Lake County residents who miss the voter registration deadline still have the option to vote in this election, Harrison said.

To do so, Harrison said they must conditionally register to vote and cast a provisional ballot, which can only be done by personally visiting the Registrar of Voters Office, located on the second floor of the Lake County Courthouse in Lakeport, no later than the close of the polls at 8 p.m. on Election Day, May 7.

Residents may personally phone the registrar’s office to verify if their voter registration information is correct and up-to-date, Harrison said.

Harrison said residents may register to vote at the Lake County Registrar of Voters office, Room 209, Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport; phone staff at 707-263-2372 for a form to be mailed to you; or register to vote online by visiting http://registertovote.ca.gov/ .

Registration forms are also available at most local post offices, libraries, city offices, and chamber of commerce offices.

Pursuant to Section 2101 of the California Elections Code, “A person entitled to register to vote shall be a United States citizen, a resident of California, not imprisoned or on parole for the conviction of a felony, and at least 18 years of age at the time of the next election."

The Registrar of Voters Office advised new residents of Lake County, and registered voters who have moved to a new address, changed their mailing address within the county or changed their name that they need to register or reregister to vote no later than April 22.

If you are a registered voter and your mailing address has changed, official voting materials cannot be forwarded to another address and will be returned to the Registrar of Voters office by the U.S. Postal Service.

If you are a homeowner who lost your home in the fire but you are in the process of or plan on rebuilding your home on the same property in the near future, you may use your pre-fire residence address for this election.