Long Beach residents who didn’t already receive a ballot in the mail for the March 5 primary election should expect one soon if they’re registered to vote.

The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk began sending out vote-by-mail ballots to all registered voters in the county last week, spokesman Mike Sanchez said, and most people should have theirs in hand by the end of this week.

Contests on the March ballot include City Council seats in even-numbered districts (2, 4, 6 and 8); several state and federal legislative offices; the county district attorney and several judgeships; a local measure on hotel worker wages and a statewide bond to pay for mental health treatment; and a U.S. Senate seat. Voters registered with a political party will also get to choose their party’s presidential nominee.

Click here for the Long Beach Post’s coverage of local contests.

Completed ballots – don’t forget to sign the back of the envelope – can be mailed back (no postage required) or placed in any of more than 400 official drop boxes around the county, including 17 boxes in Long Beach. Local drop boxes are at selected parks, libraries and community centers as well as Long Beach City Hall; a list of locations countywide is at this link.

Who’s running. What’s at stake.

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For ballots that got damaged or never arrived, voters can request a replacement on the Registrar-Recorder’s website beginning Thursday, Feb. 8, or call 800-815-2666 and choose option 2. Sanchez suggested using the state’s tracking tool to see when your ballot should reach you.

In-person voting begins Feb. 24; find details on locations and hours here. Sanchez said the county has hired enough staff to run the election but is still recruiting bilingual poll workers who speak Khmer, Korean, Chinese, or several other languages; more information is available here.