Early voting is underway in San Diego County and registered voters have several ways to vote in the California Primary Election on March 5, 2024.
Here's the breakdown of everything you need to know about voting in-person, dropping off your ballot and voting by mail:
How to vote early in San Diego County:
1. Fill out your ballot at home and drop it off
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- From Feb. 6 to March 4, simply drop your ballot off at any official ballot drop box location. Find your closest one here. Keep in mind, days and hours vary by location, so check before you go.
- You can also drop your ballot off on Election Day (March 5) at any drop box location from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Send your ballot off at U.S. Postal Service blue box. Your return envelope must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the Registrar’s office within seven days following Election Day. (No postage required). Find a USPS location near you here.
Find your closest drop box location here
Official Registrar of Voters drop boxes look like this:
County Registrar Cynthia Paes also wants to remind voters that mail-in ballots are safe and secure.
- Step 1: Follow your ballot's instructions at the top to fill it out.
- Step 2: Insert and seal your ballot inside your return envelope.
- Step 3: Date and sign your own name on the front of the envelope. DO NOT PRINT your name. You must sign your ballot for it to be accepted.
- Step 4: Mail your ballot as soon as possible, making sure it is postmarked by Election Day
Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Election Day on March 5, 2024, to be counted. That means that your ballot must be dropped off in a USPS mailbox before the last pickup time listed at that location, according to the USPS.
Decision 2024
If you are unsure if your ballot will be postmarked on time, consider dropping off your ballot to one of the secure ballot-drop-off locations in the county, all of which are even open on Election Day until 8 p.m.
2. Vote in person at a vote center
Vote centers across San Diego County will be open for early voting and on Election Day. Here's what to know:
- Starting Feb. 5, the Registrar's office at opened for early in-person voting Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Starting Saturday, Feb. 24, 39 vote centers (and the Registrar's office now, too) are extending hours to be open every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through March 4
- Starting March 2, all 200+ vote centers will be open every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- On Election Day, March 5, walk into a Vote Center or the Registrar's office (which is kind of like the voting headquarters) between the extended hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Voters can visit any vote center in the county and will vote on a ballot marking device using a touch screen. The ballot marking device does not store, tabulate or count any votes, according to the Registrar's office.
Find a vote center near you with this map
Vote center services include:
- ADA-accessible ballot marking devices
- Language assistance and voting materials in the county’s four federally covered languages: Spanish, Filipino (Tagalog), Vietnamese and Chinese
- Voter registration or registration updates with the ability to vote on the same day
- Voting in person if you made a mistake on or lost your mail ballot
Can I still register to vote in the 2024 California Primary Election?
Feb. 20 was the last day to register to vote for the March 5 election, but you may still be able to vote in the primary thanks to something called "same-day registration."
Same-day registration, also known as conditional voter registration, allows voters to register to vote after the registration deadline and cast a ballot that will be processed and counted when the county elections office has completed the voter registration verification process.
You will need to make a trip in person to the Registrar’s office in Kearny Mesa or visit a vote center starting Saturday, Feb. 24 to conditionally register and vote provisionally through March 5.
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