In addition to pushing for voters to return their ballots early, the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters has expanded its Vote Center locations available for early voting and launched of a new election data dashboard for the public to track ballot return statistics.
On Oct. 31, the Registrar of Voters opened an additional 87 Vote Centers which, along with the 23 opened last weekend, brings the total number of voting locations available to 110 full-service Vote Center. There are also 111 Official Ballot Drop Boxes open throughout the county.
A spokesperson for the agency said this gives “voters a myriad of ways to make their voices heard in this election.”
The Registrar of Voters is strongly encouraging voters to use one of its 24-hour Official Ballot Drop Boxes, or to drop their ballots off at a Vote Center during its operating hours.
“While ballots postmarked by Election Day can be accepted for up to seven days after polls close, the USPS cannot guarantee same-day postmarking,” the spokesperson said.
“Voting early is the most secure and reliable way to ensure we receive your ballot on time,” said Matt Moreles, the registrar of voters for the County of Santa Clara. “This close to the election, we strongly recommend taking your ballot to a Drop Box or Vote Center. That ensures it goes straight into the election official’s custody the moment you turn it in. Your right to vote is too important to risk delays in postmarking or delivery.”
New election data dashboard
The Registrar of Voters also launched a new Elections Dashboard on its website, giving voters and the public an easy way to follow ballot returns and election activity throughout the Nov. 3 General Election.
The Election Dashboard is available at https://vote.santaclaracounty.gov/notices/elections-dashboard.
The Registrar of Voters’ says this is part of a transparency drive and keeping the public informed throughout the election process.
The interactive webpage allows the public to see how many ballots have been returned, when they were received and whether they were voted in person or returned by mail or drop box. It even provides breakdowns by political party registration, daily ballot return trends and other election statistics.
“Transparency is critical to ensuring that the public has full trust and confidence in the election process and the accuracy of our results,” said Moreles. “As we push for voters to get their ballots in early, this dashboard will help the public see the effectiveness of those efforts while also promoting a greater understanding of how our election process works.”
As of the morning update on October 30, the Election Dashboard showed voter turnout at 21.6%. By Monday morning, that number had increased to 28.18%. Based on current trends, the Registrar of Voters is projecting the final turnout for this election will likely be in the range of 55-65%, which is in line with comparable past general elections.
How to vote
Those wishing to vote in person can take advantage of the comprehensive voting services offered at all Vote Center locations, including voter registration, replacement ballots, language assistance, curbside voting, and accessible voting equipment. Business hours are 9am-5pm daily (except for the Milpitas Library location, which will be open from 10-6pm daily).
All locations will be open from 7-8pm on Election Day.
- Vote Center locations and hours of operation: sccvote.org/votecenter
- Official Ballot Drop Boxes locations: sccvote.org/dropbox
- Voters are encouraged to track their ballot status at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov. Status notifications are sent by text, email, or phone when the ballot is mailed, received, and counted.
- Election Dashboard: https://vote.santaclaracounty.gov/notices/elections-dashboard
For more information, call (866) 430-VOTE (8683), or visit sccvote.org.
