Bay Area polling location closed due to fire concerns
The Joaquin Miller Center Vote Center was closed on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Some voters were turned away at one Bay Area polling location, due to heightened fire concerns.
The vote center at Oakland's Joaquin Miller Park on Sanborn Drive was shut down on Tuesday amid a Red Flag warning.
SEE ALSO: Red flag warning issued for Tuesday through early Thursday throughout the region
"All voters will be directed to Vote Center #72 at Montera Middle School, located at 5555 Ascot Drive," the Alameda County Registrar of Voters said.
Those seeking to drop off their ballot were directed to a nearby drop box at Woodminster Market located at 5000 Woodminster Lane in Oakland.
The closure of the polling site came as PG&E notified 20,000 customers in 17 counties of possible power shut-offs because of expected high winds and dry conditions this week.
In the Bay Area, two polling places were in the affected outage area.
If the power is shut down during Election Day, PG&E said it wouldn't occur until 9:30 p.m., after the polls close.
The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for much of the Bay Area from 11:00 AM on Tuesday through Thursday morning at 7 a.m.
The agency said that "critical fire weather conditions are likely or imminent." Those conditions include powerful winds, low humidity, and dry brush.