Last-minute voting guide and advice from local election official
OAKLAND, Calif. - Still haven’t voted? The clock is ticking. Election Day has arrived in California and it has been more like election month—22 million registered voters were mailed their ballots starting in October. If you haven’t yet turned in your ballot, local election officials want you to know a few things. "My concern is it’s a five card ballot, it’s a lot of content to navigate," said John Arntz, San Francisco’s director of elections. "My concern is people haven’t engaged with the ballot because there’s so much there."
Every California ballot includes statewide races, like Governor Gavin Newsom running for re-election against Republican state senator Brian Dahle. Also on the ballot:
- Attorney general
- Secretary of State
- Lieutenant governor
- State controller
- Insurance commissioner
- State treasurer
- Superintendent of public instruction
- Board of equalization, district 2
You’ll vote twice on the U.S. senate race between Alex Padilla and Mark Meuser – one question to fill a partial term, another for a full term. Californians are also asked to weigh in on seven propositions including two ways to legalize sports betting in the state and an initiative to enshrine the right to abortion in the California constitution. Depending on what county you live in, you’ll see a mix of races and measures.
If you want to vote in-person, polling places and voting centers are open from 7AM to 8PM on Tuesday. You can also drop off your ballots at those polling places and voting centers or ballot drop boxes. And, if you want to mail your ballot, here’s some advice to make sure it’s postmarked on time. "The voters really have to make sure they look at the schedule of pick-ups on those blue boxes, to make sure that when they drop off the ballot, it’s before the pick-up time."
Arntz is also urging voters to pay special attention to how you sign your ballot. "We’re looking at that signature in comparison to how they sign the registration card, or how they registered at the DMV," said Arntz.
You can follow the path of your ballot by going to https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/. If you have not registered, you still can on Election Day and place a conditional vote.