About 96,000 people in Santa Barbara County already had returned their mail-in ballots as of Monday, eight days before the Nov. 3 election.
That total dwarfs the 53,000 pre-election ballots that had been received by the same date during the 2016 general election, said Joe Holland, the county Clerk-Recorder-Assessor and Registrar of Voters.
Nearly 235,200 county residents are registered to vote, Holland said Monday, which is about 80 percent of eligible voters.
According to the latest report from the California Secretary of State’s Office, when 227,774 voters were registered, 46.73% of county voters were registered as Democrats, 25.44% were registered as Republicans, 22.02% were registered with no party preference, and less than 3% of voters were affiliated with each other political party.
That roughly aligns with statewide voter registration.
More than 7 million Californians already had cast ballots as of Monday, according to Holland.
The U.S. Postal Service recommends California voters who decide to use the mail to return completed ballots mail them by Tuesday, one week before election day.
“Our general recommendation is, as a common-sense measure, to mail your completed ballot before election day, and at least one week prior to your state’s deadline,” Postal Service representatives said in a statement.
Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 to be counted, but they can arrive as late as Nov. 20.
For more information, read: Important Dates and Deadlines Ahead of Santa Barbara County’s Nov. 3 Election.
Voters also can turn in their ballots in drop boxes — at a county elections office, or a polling place — before 8 p.m. Nov. 3. The drop boxes are available 24 hours a day and are emptied daily by county elections staff.
It’s important to sign your name on the ballot envelope before mailing it or returning it in person, and remember that mail-in ballots do not require postage.
“Remember to sign your ballot envelope,” Holland said.
He said voters should make sure the signature on the official ballot return envelop matches the one on your California driver’s license or state identification card, or the signature provided on previous mail-in ballots. County election staff will compare the signature on the ballot to protect your vote.
County elections officials will notify the voter if the resident forgot to sign the back of the ballot envelope or if the signatures do not match.
For more information, read: Fill Out Your Ballot Correctly, Make Sure Your Vote Counts.
In-person polling places will be open across Santa Barbara County on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. All polling places will offer replacement ballots, same-day voter registration, accessible voting machines and language assistance, according to election officials.
Conditional voter registration is available every day through election day.
Voters can track and receive notifications on the status of their mail-in ballots on the California secretary of state’s website. Residents can see when the ballot is mailed, received and counted by election staff.
Click here for more information about the online tool.
If voters need additional assistance, contact the county Registrar of Voters office by calling 805.568.2200.
Click here to read more stories in the Noozhawk Election 2020 section, including coverage of state and federal races, mayoral and City Council seats, school boards, special districts, and measures.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
