Polls are open until 8 p.m.: What you need to know before you vote
It’s Election Day in California and you still haven’t voted. Or even registered to vote. Here’s what to do if you live in Sacramento County.
I got this ballot in the mail. Now what?
Under a new voting system in use in five counties, including Sacramento, all registered voters should have gotten a ballot in the mail. If you did, fill it out, sign it and either drop it in one of 53 drop boxes located across cities and neighborhoods or one of 78 vote centers across the county.
The voting centers are open until 8 p.m. Tuesday. Many of the drop boxes will not be accessible after 5 p.m.
A lot of the county’s drop boxes locations are at libraries, community centers, city halls and apartment complexes. Some are open now, and most will be open by 9 a.m. or earlier in line with those spots’ normal operating hours, but a handful won’t open until as late as 1 p.m. A few others are closed noon to 1 p.m. The full hours of operation are listed on the county’s website.
You can also drop your completed and signed ballot in the mail. If it is postmarked by midnight, it will be counted if it arrives in the county election office up to 72 hours after Election Day.
The polling place you may have used in the past may not be open. Use a drop box, a voting center or the mail.
I don’t know if I’m registered
I’m not registered, but I want to vote!
California is one of 15 states (and the District of Columbia) that allow Election Day registration. If you head to one of the voting centers or the county office, you can register and vote provisionally.
Remember, you must be a citizen, at least 18 years old, live in California, not be on parole for a felony or found by a court to have been mentally incompetent.
Your vote will be counted after your registration has been verified.
For more information, call the Sacramento County Voter Registration and Elections Office at (916) 875-6451.
I’m registered to vote, but I didn’t get a ballot. Or I can’t find it.
They can help you at one of the voting centers or the county Office of Voter Registration and Elections at 7000 65th Street, Suite A, Sacramento.
What if I live in Placer County?
If you are registered to receive vote-by-mail ballots, you can send your ballot via mail, in person or at a 24-hour drop-off box located at the Placer County Office of Elections or at any polling place in Placer County from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
If you aren’t already registered to receive a mail ballot, you can head to the county’s elections office at 2956 Richardson Drive in Auburn and fill out a ballot there. The office is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
To find your polling place, go to https://www.placerelections.com/polling-place-locator/.
For more information, call the Placer County Office of Elections at (530) 886-5650.
What if I live in El Dorado County?
Residents can vote by mail if they registered to receive those ballots, or drop off ballots at the elections office at 2850 Fairlane Court Placerville.
To find your polling place, go to https://www.edcgov.us/Government/Elections/Pages/VoterGuide.aspx.
For more information, call the elections office in Placerville at (530) 621-7480 or, from El Dorado Hills, (916) 358-3555, ext. 7480. The South Lake Tahoe office can be reached at (530) 573-7955, ext. 7480.
What if I live in Yolo County?
Residents can vote by mail if they registered to receive those ballots, or drop off ballots at the elections office at 625 Court St. Room B-05 in Woodland, open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
To find your polling place, go to www.yoloelections.org/voting/polling_place.
For more information from Yolo County elections, call (530) 666-8133.
This story was originally published November 5, 2018 at 4:28 PM.