You Now have More Days and More Ways to Vote

This year with the Voter’s Choice Act (VCA) voters choose how, when, and where to cast their ballot for elections. Starting with the primary election on March 3, registered voters in the 15 participating counties who received a ballot before Election Day have three ways to return their ballot:

1. By mail
2. Drop-off in a secure county ballot drop box
3. Visit a vote center in their county

The most important change under this law is that it ends the use of neighborhood polling places in the participating counties, but increases the locations in which voters can drop-off or cast their ballot. Additionally, a limited number of voting centers will open 10 days before Election Day, with additional voting centers opening the weekend before Election Day. People can also register and vote on the same day once the voting centers are open. For a list of vote centers in your area, check your county registrar’s office.

In 2018, these counties piloted this new way of voting: Madera, Napa, Nevada, Sacramento, and San Mateo.

In 2020, 10 more counties will adopt and implement the VCA: Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Orange, Santa Clara, and Tuolumne.

For additional information visit: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/cavoter/

Vote Centers
Traditional polling places will be replaced by vote centers. Voters will have the freedom to cast a ballot in-person at any vote center in their county instead of being tied to a single polling location. Vote centers look and feel like polling places, but provide additional modern features to make voting easy and convenient.

At any vote center in a participating county, a voter may:

• Vote in-person
• Drop off their ballot
• Get a replacement ballot
• Vote using an accessible voting machine
• Get help and voting material in multiple languages
• Register to vote or update their voter registration

Ballot Drop-Off Locations
Ballot drop-off locations provide voters with an additional way to return their ballot postage free.

Drop-off locations are secure, accessible to voters with disabilities, and located as near as possible to public transportation routes.