SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — The San Luis Obispo County Elections Office is encouraging voters to plan ahead and return their ballots early ahead of the Nov. 3 General Election.
The Elections Office said ballots are on track to be mailed to all registered voters by Oct. 5. Voters who do not receive their ballot by Oct. 12 are encouraged to contact the office.
County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano said voters who choose to vote by mail should consider returning their ballots as soon as possible. The county will have 18 official ballot drop boxes available beginning Oct. 6, providing an option for voters who want to return their ballots directly to election officials.
California also allows voters to return completed vote-by-mail ballots to any polling place, vote center, ballot drop box or county elections office by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots mailed back must be postmarked by Election Day and received by the county elections office within seven days after the election.
Voters can also cast ballots in person before Election Day. The San Luis Obispo Elections Office will offer early voting beginning Oct. 5, while the Atascadero Elections Office will open for early voting Oct. 26.
A new option will be available this election for voters who prefer to complete their mail ballot at home but return it in person on Election Day. Voters may bring their voted mail ballot to their assigned polling place, check in with a poll clerk and place the ballot directly into the precinct ballot box without using the return envelope, according to the Elections Office.
As in previous elections, voters may also return a completed mail ballot in its signed envelope at any voting location in California. Ballots returned on Election Day will be processed after the election. State law requires counties to count and report most ballots by the 13th day following the election, although certain ballots requiring additional processing are exceptions.
The San Luis Obispo Elections Office, at 1055 Monterey St., Suite D120, will be open for early voting from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday beginning Oct. 5. It will also be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
The Atascadero Elections Office will be open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning Oct. 26, and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.
Voters can track their mail ballots through the California Secretary of State’s Where’s My Ballot service, which provides notifications when ballots are mailed, received and counted.
Additional election information is available at slovote.gov