The San Diego County Registrar of Voters and a group of local voting rights organizations called Thursday on “no party preference” voters to ensure that they are able to vote in the March 3 presidential primary.

NPP voters are able to vote in the Democratic Party, American Independent Party and Libertarian Party primaries if they request a crossover ballot by Jan. 6 while the Republican Party, Green Party and Peace and Freedom Party primaries are only open to voters registered with those parties, according to the Registrar of Voters’ office.

The Registrar of Voters’ office partnered with the Independent Voter Project, League of Women Voters San Diego and Alliance San Diego to conduct outreach to the county’s roughly 350,000 nonpartisan voters. The county has also sent postcards to NPP voters that they can fill out and return by Jan. 6 to receive a crossover ballot for the primary.

“Regardless of party affiliation, we need to make sure that more people participate in our civic process,” Alliance San Diego Executive Director Andrea Guerrero said. “That is how we build a strong and thriving democracy.”

NPP voters who don’t request a crossover ballot will receive a primary ballot without a presidential option, according to the Registrar of Voters’ office. Residents can find information on how to check their registration status and vote by mail at sdvote.com/content/rov/en.html.

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