Voting in the 2020 presidential election officially got underway last week in San Mateo County as the Elections Division mailed ballots to all registered voters.
Voters have several options for returning their completed ballots. They can mail them back in the postage-paid envelope to the San Mateo County Registration & Elections Division. It must be postmarked on or before Nov. 3.
Voters can also bring their ballots to any of 39 drop box locations in the county, including three in East Palo Alto. Those ballot boxes are at University Circle, 1900 University Ave. (the inside box is accessible during regular business hours); Ravenswood City School District Office, 2120 Euclid Ave. (the inside box is accessible during regular business hours); and the Government Center, 2415 University Ave. (the outside box is accessible 24 hours a day).
In addition, voters can go now to any of three in-person vote centers throughout the county, which will be open through Oct. 30, weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. These vote centers are located at the Redwood City Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder, 555 County Center; San Mateo Registration & Elections Division, 40 Tower Road; and the South San Francisco Main Library, 840 W. Orange Ave.
Closer to Election Day, two in-person vote centers in East Palo Alto will be open from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. These will be located at the Lewis and Joan Platt Family YMCA, Half Gym, 550 Bell St., and Saint Francis of Assisi Church, 1425 Bay Road.
One pop-up vote center will open on Nov. 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the East Palo Alto Academy Multipurpose Room, 1050 Myrtle St.
At the vote centers, people will be able to get assistance with non-English language ballots, disability access and more.
Voters who are disabled or visually impaired can also use the county's Remote Accessible Vote by Mail System, in which voters can fill out a screen-readable ballot, print it out, and either mail or drop off the ballot at the San Mateo County Registration & Elections Division.
Anyone voting in person in San Mateo County will be asked to wear a face covering, maintain at least 6 feet of physical distance from others and use hand sanitizer before and after voting.
To track your ballot and find out when it has been counted, subscribe to "Where's My Ballot?" at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov.
For more information, visit smcacre.org/elections.
Comments