Tomorrow around 7pm, the puck will drop on the San Jose Sharks’ regular season, as they face-off against the Vegas Golden Knights at home.
But earlier this week, the local NHL franchise was making news for a different reason—drawing fans’ attention to the fact they can drop off their ballot for the upcoming referendum on political redistricting, just outside SAP Center on the way to the game.
Santa Clara County voters were able to begin casting their ballots Oct. 6 for the Nov. 4 statewide special election. The County Registrar of Voters said in a release it had mailed more than a million Vote by Mail packets to registered voters.
According to the agency, voters will have secure and convenient options to make their voices heard, including access to more than 100 ballot drop boxes located throughout Santa Clara County, early in-person voting at the Registrar of Voters’ Office and Vote Centers (opening later this month).
“We want to make voting as convenient and accessible as possible,” said Matt Moreles, registrar of voters for Santa Clara County. “Whether you prefer voting in person, mailing back your ballot, or using one of our secure ballot drop boxes, you have multiple safe and reliable options to ensure your vote counts.”
Voters may cast their ballots in person at the Registrar of Voters’ Office (1555 Berger Drive, Building 2, San José, which opened Oct. 6). The office is open Monday through Friday from 8am-5pm (including holidays) and will also be open Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 25-26 and Nov. 1-2, from 9am to 5pm.
“Voting is one of the most important civic responsibilities we have as residents of this community,” said Santa Clara County Executive James R. Williams. “Our democracy depends on broad participation, and the County has made it as simple and accessible as possible for every eligible voter to cast a ballot.”
Election officials have been working around the clock to prepare ballots, staff Vote Centers and ensure secure collection of ballots from official drop boxes, a spokesperson for the Registrar of Voters said. Official ballot drop boxes are located in publicly accessible locations throughout the county, including two outside of the SAP Center, in San Jose, where County officials gathered for a press briefing on Monday to kick off early voting.
“As a good community partner, Sharks Sports & Entertainment is pleased to make SAP Center at San Jose available as a ballot drop-off location,” said Chris Shay, senior vice president, government affairs for Sharks Sports & Entertainment. “SAP Center is a fantastic community gathering place with thousands of residents attending events at the venue each week. I would like to encourage county residents attending concerts, family events, and Sharks games, including this Thursday’s home opener vs. the Vegas Golden Knights, to bring their completed ballot to SAP Center to make voting in this special election both easy and convenient.”
All ballot drop boxes are available 24 hours a day and are securely locked and regularly collected by trained Registrar of Voters staff. A full list of ballot drop box locations is available at: sccvote.org/dropbox.
