Central Coast Comeback: How the pandemic will change voting in the November election
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION) Amid coronavirus concerns, voting by mail will likely see all-time turnout this November. Every registered voter in California will receive a vote-by-mail ballot for the first time.
Voting by mail already represents the majority of voters in Santa Cruz County. Of the 166,000 registered voters, 120,000 received mail-in ballots in the last election.
There will still be 17 in-person polling sites for the presidential election in 2020, but it will be spread out over four days.
Only large sites will be used this year, like spacious churches or high school gyms. A mobile trailer will also be used for pop up voting centers.
However, the Santa Cruz County registrar of voters Gail Pellerin says the county’s completely set up to process every ballot by mail.
“It's not rare. It's not unusual. We have the infrastructure set up to efficiently and effectively do this,” Pellerin said.
President Trump has claimed voting by mail will boost voter fraud. Pellerin says from her experience the chances are slim to none.
“I’ve been doing [this job] since 1993. I’ve had one case of voter fraud for a ballot that was mailed to a voter,” Pellerin said.
It is important to check that the ballot you receive is addressed to you. Whoever the ballot is addressed to has to sign the envelope. If it, or if it's not signed at all, you'll be flagged and will get three weeks to prove the ballot was yours.
“Human eyes check the signature of every ballot that comes into us,” Pellerin said.
Turning your vote-by-mail ballot of at drop off locations is another easy way to vote.
If you do send the ballot in by mail, just make sure it's post marked by election day and you’re guaranteed to be counted. Pellerin said it will still count even if it doesn’t arrive for another couple weeks.
Pellerin hosted a virtual forum for voters Thursday night, and said she will do several more leading up to the election.
All ballots will arrive in early October.
