California voters, in case you don't know, you need to take the ballot they sent you

[Canoe52]

to the poles to vote. I just talked to an old friend in northern CA and he thought the one they sent out was just for mail in voting, that you would be given a ballot at the polls.
They sent him away, no ballot, no voting.

He’s no space cadet which is why I’m posting this, math teacher, he’s also an official grand jury poll watcher this afternoon for his county.

Poor guy spent a few hours this morning going through “every goddamn” piece of paper in the house and finally found it in a box that used to have headphones under the cat litter.
As he said “I’d walk a mile bare footed through broken glass to vote that f&@ker out”.

[northlake9]

1. This is not correct

This is not correct Your friend was misled.
At the very least he should have voted with using a provisional ballot.

From the California Secretary of State Voter Guide:

The right to get a new ballot if you have made a mistake, if you have not already cast your ballot.
You can:

Ask an elections official at a polling place for a new ballot,

Exchange your vote-by-mail ballot for a new one at an elections office or at your polling place, or

Vote using a provisional ballot.

[link:https://vig.cdn.sos.ca.gov/2020/general/pdf/complete-vig.pdf|

[Canoe52]

3. Just talked with him again, and brought this up, he wanted his vote to count today,

not whenever they get to the provisional vote count. I think I mentioned the broken glass...

He also said many people 65 and up are confused, they were still expecting voting machines and are literally not sure about, and asking for help with, filling out the paper ballots.

[quaint]

2. Built in protection against double voting.

So I've been told.
As above "Exchange your vote-by-mail ballot for a new one at an elections office or at your polling place...".

[tavernier]

4. I brought in my ballot

At which point the lady called someone to verify and when that cleared, she stapled it and set it in a pile of others. Then I was allowed to go to the voting line. Only thing, she made the man ahead of me sign his after it was stapled, but never asked me to sign mine. That didn’t dawn on me until later. Just an oversight, I guess. I can’t imagine it matters, as I fed my vote into the machine and made the magic bell ring.