Before the primary election, around 20% of Ventura County voters had cast their ballot.
As of May 31, election officials reported nearly 107,000 ballots had already been received from some of the county’s more than 525,000 registered voters. For those who have yet to cast their ballot and plan to vote in person, officials urged them to try to go early to avoid possible lines.
The last day to vote in person or return a ballot is June 2. Vote centers will open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Local voters were asked to choose from more than a dozen candidates vying to fill key Ventura County offices and a long list of state and federal posts, from a crowded governor’s race to congressional seats. Local seats include countywide races, from supervisor to superintendent of schools.
The top two vote-getters typically go onto a fall runoff for state and federal offices. Meanwhile, a candidate for county-level office could win the seat outright in June with more than 50% of the votes. If no candidate earns more than half of the votes, the top two finishers also advance to the general election.
Races could either be determined in June or the primary results will limit the options voters have in November, said Tim Allison, an adjunct political science professor at CSU Channel Islands.
So far, early turnout has been mixed. A wave of last-minute voters could still show up, as some put off casting ballots, including over concerns about late exits.
“A lot of voters, especially Democrats, have held on to their ballot for fear of casting a wasted vote,” Allison said.
Election officials began sending ballots to registered voters in early May. That’s also when early in-person voting began in the elections office in Ventura. As of May 30, the county had more than 50 vote centers open.
The county uses an election model that includes more in-person voting days but fewer voting locations. Voters also can cast their ballot at any center in the county, not just the one closest to them.
How to turn in ballots in the primary
A ballot can be dropped off at one of dozens of official drop-box locations or at one of the county’s vote centers. For a list of locations, go to vote.venturacounty.gov.
Ballots also can be returned by mail, but officials cautioned voters from doing so within a week of the election. Based on new procedures, the postal service may not postmark ballots until they reach a regional processing center, officials said.
To be counted, mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received by June 9. One of the most common reasons a ballot doesn’t get counted is that it arrives too late, officials said.
Voters can sign up to track their ballot at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov to find out when it is received and counted. For more information, visit vote.venturacounty.gov or contact the elections office at 805-654-2664.
Cheri Carlson covers the environment and county government for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Here’s how many local voters cast a ballot before Election Day
Reporting by Cheri Carlson, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
