With vote-by-mail ballots distributed to all registered voters in California and early voting locations now open across Santa Clarita, voters have begun to cast their ballots in the 2020 election.

As of Monday, Californians have returned 7,152,353 vote-by-mail ballots according to California Secretary of State (SOS) Alex Padilla’s office. 

Nearly 50,000 voters turned out for in-person voting in Los Angeles County in the first weekend of early voting, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office.

There are more than a dozen vote centers across the Santa Clarita Valley providing voters with access to early in-person voting, which began Saturday, Oct. 24, and also serve as secure ballot drop-off locations. 

In addition to the vote centers, there are a number of 24-hour secure ballot drop-off locations across Santa Clarita, providing voters with conveniently located secure drop boxes to submit in their vote-by-mail ballot.

Ballots returned at a secure ballot drop box must be deposited by 8 p.m., Nov. 3.

For those that are not registered to vote, there is still “Same Day Voter Registration” available at some vote centers, which allows residents to cast a ballot that is counted once the county election officials have completed the voter registration process.

To find a vote center or ballot drop off location nearest to you, use the locator tool provided by the California SOS office, here.

With discussion of the possibility mail-in-ballots not being counted a part of the nation’s political discourse this election cycle, the California SOS office has provided a tool to allow voters to track the status of their ballot.

Once a ballot has been submitted, voters can track its status with a tool the official tool located here.

The tool informs voters whether or not their ballot has been received by county officials and offers language preferences and a number of contact options, including email, text and voice.

Vote Centers conducting early voting are currently open and all Los Angeles County Vote Centers are scheduled to be open starting Friday, Oct. 30. 

Once open, Vote Centers are scheduled to be open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with expanded hours on Election Day, November 3, of 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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