Contra Costa voters whose ballot signatures got flagged are officially on the clock. County election officials are urging anyone who received a signature “cure” letter to respond so their vote gets counted, reminding residents that the last day to fix signature problems for this election is June 24. The county says voters can clear things up by text or by sending back a signed affidavit.
How to cure a flagged ballot
In a post on X, Contra Costa Elections explains that voters should text cocovote1 for a signature mismatch or cocovote2 for a missing signature to the short code 28683, then follow the prompts to sign the signature cure affidavit, according to Contra Costa Elections. The office is pitching the text option as a quick way to complete and return the affidavit without waiting for the mail or tracking down a drop box.
Did you receive a Cure letter from #CoCoVote? Please remember to get back to us. You can even use text to sign the cure letter. The last day for voters to cure their signature in this election is June 24th. #TrustedInfo2026 #Elections pic.twitter.com/6NZnOqYbye
— Contra Costa Elections (@cocoelections) June 11, 2026
Why ballots are flagged
Ballots get flagged when a voter forgets to sign the return envelope or when the signature on that envelope does not match the one on file. State law requires county elections officials to notify affected voters and give them a chance to verify their signature before results are certified, according to the California Secretary of State. The cure process is part of the official canvass that lets counties fix technical problems while still preserving valid votes.
Contra Costa's clerk-recorder told lawmakers in a state Senate hearing that the county has sent hundreds of cure notices in recent cycles and that voters who used the county's text-to-cure option overwhelmingly succeeded in fixing their signatures, according to the hearing transcript hosted by CalMatters/Digital Democracy. That track record is one reason the county is leaning on the text option during the current certification period.
What to do if you received a letter
If a cure notice landed in your mailbox, the county wants you to stick to the script on that letter: text the indicated code to 28683 and complete the affidavit, or return the signature cure statement by mail, email, fax or in person, methods that counties commonly accept. For example, Yolo County lists these return options and notes that the statement must be received by 5:00 p.m. on June 24, 2026. Voters can also check whether their county has recorded a signature issue or accepted a cure through the Secretary of State's ballot-status tool at the California Secretary of State.
Quick legal note
State guidance says voters must be given an opportunity to verify their signature until no later than two days before the county certifies its results, which is why cure deadlines can vary from county to county and contest to contest. Because each county runs on its own certification clock, officials and the state urge voters to respond to any cure notice as quickly as possible so the ballot can be counted during the official canvass.
If you are not sure what to do, or you did not receive a letter but think you should have, you can contact the Contra Costa Elections office at (925) 335-7800 or visit the county's elections website to find the cure form and available drop-off options. Acting fast on a cure notice is the safest way to make sure a simple signature hiccup does not keep your ballot out of the final tally.
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