Sacramento County is swinging its doors wide open for in-person voting, with residents already trickling into early vote centers this weekend ahead of Tuesday's primary. Community centers, libraries and even a mobile vote site were staffed to take ballots, answer questions and give voters another option besides dropping their envelope in the mail.
County election staff say the expanded schedule is meant to thin out Election Day crowds and give people more flexibility about when and how they cast a ballot.
More than 90 vote centers are set to be open starting May 30, following an initial wave of 19 locations that opened earlier, according to Capital Public Radio. At any of these sites, voters can cast a ballot in person, drop off a completed mail ballot, ask for a replacement ballot or get language assistance.
"Your vote really does count," Randi Weitzman told ABC10. Dan Weitzman added to the outlet that "California's values reflect things that go on in the rest of the states."
Vote centers act like mini elections offices
Inside, vote centers function a lot like compact elections offices. They can issue replacement ballots, provide accessible voting machines and offer language help for anyone who needs it, according to Sacramento County Voter Registration and Elections. To reach neighborhoods without a nearby site, the registrar also rolled out a mobile vote center over the weekend.
Deadlines, postmarks and polling hours
The California Secretary of State is reminding voters that mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and that hand-delivered ballots have to be turned in before polls close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, per the Secretary of State. The office also advises putting ballots in the mail several days early, and if you are cutting it close on Election Day, it suggests asking for a hand-stamped postmark at the post office.
Crowded ballot is shaping voter behavior
The certified roster for the governor's race features 61 names on the June ballot, a list so long it is convincing some voters to wait and watch late polling before they finally commit, according to CalMatters. Election officials warn that if too many people hold onto their ballots and all show up on Tuesday, it could slow ballot processing and stretch lines at vote centers.
For anyone still holding a ballot, Sacramento County's My Voter Portal and the Secretary of State's "Where's My Ballot?" tool can show ballot status, official drop box locations and current vote-center hours, according to the county and the SOS. County staff emphasize that all vote centers and official drop boxes will accept ballots until 8 p.m. on Tuesday.
