Consultant: Newport Beach ballots will be mailed Oct. 19; city plans mail‑ballot election

Jessica Blair, the consultant retained to help the city run the accelerated election, told council members the city plans to mail city ballots on or by Oct. 19 and to use a distinguishable envelope and voter‑information mailer to reduce confusion with the county consolidated ballot.

"The scheduled, mailing of the Newport Beach ballots is October 19," Blair said, adding that the consultant would prepare an informational mailer to be sent in the week before county ballots and that the city will attempt to place informational tables at county vote centers if the County of Orange permits it. Blair said military and overseas ballots are planned to be mailed earlier (Sept. 18) to meet federal timelines and that translation of required materials can be turned around in one to two days.

Blair emphasized contingency planning: if the county will not allow city informational tables or provide signature‑verification data, the city would establish a city vote center (one location) and bring in former clerks to assist with signature verification and curing. She said city staff expects to run signature verification and curing with a small team and to scale up in the final week before counting.