By Tony Hicks
With fewer than three weeks to go until Election Day, Bay Area counties have already counted hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots.
Some jurisdictions are already reporting receiving larger-than-normal quantities of returned ballots so early in election season.
In view of this year’s COVID-19 pandemic, which made in-person voting more problematic than in other years, California sent mail-in ballots to all its registered voters at least 29 days before the Nov. 3 election.
Contra Costa County Registrar of Voters Scott Konopasek estimated that his county was nearing 125,000 ballots received, which he said is almost 20 percent of the ballots sent out. He said only 148 came in unsigned, so far.
Election officials were trying to reach those voters to give them a chance to sign their ballots.
The department tweeted earlier, “For the March primary, we did not cross the 100,000 mark (of returned mail-in ballots) until 4 days before Election Day.”
San Francisco leads the charge among other reporting counties in the region, saying on its election data page that, as of Thursday evening, more than 82,000 ballots had been returned to its elections department. Of those, 237 were “challenged” — likely meaning they weren’t signed — and four were “under review.”
San Mateo County reported receiving 36,880 mail-in ballots by Wednesday morning. Marin County reported it received 30,800 ballots in the same time period.
Solano County reported Tuesday it had received 30,000 ballots, with only 40 missing signatures “and we’ve already contacted those voters,” said John Gardner, the assistant registrar of voters.
Napa County said by Tuesday, its office had received “approximately 4,000 ballots returned, which is way beyond the early vote quantity for any prior election,” according to Napa County Registrar of Voters John Tuteur.
Santa Clara County reported Wednesday it had received more than 38,000 ballots.
Wendy Hudson, the chief deputy registrar of voters in Sonoma County, said they had received 45,000 ballots as of Wednesday, 23,702 of which had been verified for signatures. She said only 47 weren’t signed so far.
Among Bay Area counties, only Alameda didn’t return requests for early vote tallies.
Ballots can be returned by mail (postage already paid); in person at a polling place or the county elections office; or to a designated drop-box, the locations of which are specified by each county. Ballots must be in by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3.
Mail-in ballots must be signed, dated and postmarked by Election Day, and they must be received by the county elections office no later than 17 days after Election Day.
29 comments
I sure hope none of our local registrars find themselves in compromising positions this election. The feds have sting operations underway across the country. Election tampering is a federal offense and comes with years of prison time and you are not shielded from personal lawsuits. Everyone caught will lose everything.
I’m curious about the drop boxes set up by the Republican Party at various locations? If they are not legal, why haven’t they been removed and the offending parties brought to justice.
I was able to drop off my ballot at the Library and will await notification that it was received.
Exactly Anne. Just one of many examples of what’s going on. I’ll be voting in person but I think that’s probably the next best way. As long as it’s an official box.
…. all for Joe Biden / Kamala Harris, because Californians NEVER learn 🙄
Never learn to vote for a huckster scam artist owing 100s of millions to foreign entities? I agree, Californians aren’t stupid.
And Californians never learn – that’s why this state is so deep in debt, highest taxes, highest poverty rate, etc….
Keep drinking your “5th largest economy “ kookaid. It’s obvious that no liberal has ever passed an economics or finance course at the college level.
That’s great still voting in person and will be happy to wait my turn at the polls.
Received up to 17 days AFTER Election Day?!
That’s crazy.
In Canada all absentee ballots are counted in the returning office of every district within hours of polls closing, tabulated and reported to Elections Canada. If your ballot is not in, it’s not in.
I don’t know why this state insists on having votes mysteriously appear for weeks after polls close.
Because if counting is made convoluted and laborious, it is easier to cheat or lie.
California law requires the counties to complete their tallies no later than 30 days after the election, and provide the state with a certified count no later than 31 days after the election. This is nothing new.
The 17 days ONLY applies to MAILED ballots, POSTMARKED on or prior to the election day. Even the IRS gives you a pass if your tax return is postmarked by filing day.
Since there is no legal requirement for the county to provide certified results for another (almost) two weeks, giving the post office time to deliver ballots seems reasonable to me… what problem do YOU have with this?
Nice to hear. Vote early and vote often.
I voted as soon as the ballot arrived in the mail. Signed it and mailed it. I then signed up for the voter notification text and my ballot was received within 2days in Martinez.
Dropped mine off yesterday at Ygnacio library. It’s kind of an empty feeling though. I will track it on line but I miss the voting process. That’s been taken away by Trump’s continuous lies. I can’t wait for that clown to be ejected from our political process. I can’t understand how one lier with money can destroy so much. Including the Post office. Do you Trumpies really think we will be better off without a functioning mail service. Please explain.
They don’t care as long as their football team, I mean their candidate wins. They literally wear shirts that say “I’d rather be Russian than a Democrat.”. They will literally die to support Trump (attending his rallies with no masks).
By all means, vote in the man who has dementia and his socialist sidekick. What a wonderful country we will have!
I enjoyed the town hall spectacle last night.
First question to Trump: “Hey Trump, how do you account for your failed Covid response that’s killed hundreds of thousands of people?”
First question to Joe Biden: “ Mr. Biden, how many wheels are on a tricycle?”
@Jojo Potato
People have voted Absentee, they have dropped off, they have mail in, and others will vote in person. Exactly which of these voting processes have been taken away by Trump?
See Silva’s comment below.
JoJo P, Curious where do you get your info? You really believe what your saying. Sometimes fact checking is a good ideal.
Ah Yes, because we all know that more people voting is very undemocratic. I see why Republicans wouldn’t want that.
I have always enjoyed my purposeful walk to the polls before too.
More people voting is great. A PR firm with a political axe to grind is not so great.
Our Governor is ethically challenged.
The mail in ballots is a huge mass, and I am willing to bit that there is a great deal of cheating taking place; including getting non-citizens, and undocumented people to vote in California and other places.
Much of Europe is in a 4 week lock down again with hundreds of thousands of dead, is that Donnie’s fault also. Put the COVID blame where it is due, CHINA, friends of Sleepy Joe and his idiot son. POTUS did not shut down the states and business, greasy Gavin and his fellow governors did.
Geez, Mike……all the overdue billions being paid by other countries (finally) coming into this country is just one example of what Bonespur Donnie has accomplished.
@ Fearless,
Ahhhhh that liberal language “Right to Choose”. Translator: “Right to Kill Your Unborn”. Aren’t those PR firms just grand?
Pray For US 🇺🇸
Anyone else notice that whoever prepared the voters’ guide couldn’t bring themselves to use the words “polling place”. It is described as the place to get “in person assistance” on Election Day. Also, there is a page in the booklet listing the “top three” ways to return your ballot. You guessed it. Going to your polling place was not one of them!
Pyrrhus, Russia the dems paid for hoax. The Dems knew only the truly gullible would fall for the Russia hoax. Only the gullible. Come on man your looking foolish and out of touch.
The Dems just want another vector to conduct voter fraud. It is a wet dream for anyone wanting to manipulate votes that votes should be done through mail. It adds another HUUUUuuuuuuGGGEEEeeeee middleman, representing hundreds of miles of travel, dozens of human beings being passed responsibility (HOPE THEY DON’T HAVE AN AXE TO GRIND, NONE OF THEM!), and potentially hundreds of opportunity for voter fraud, for every single ballot.
Put on you goddamn respirator (you have a real respirator, don’t you) and your gloves and your glasses and vote in person.
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