An “I Voted” sticker is held in front of the San Diego Registrar of Voters’s office.
Decision 2024: What to Know
- San Diego Voter's Guide: Everything you need to know about voting in the 2024 Presidential Election
- When is the deadline to vote? Election Day is Nov. 5, 2024. For more important dates, click here.
- Where to vote early: Early voting is underway now through Election Day. Starting Nov. 2, more than 200 locations opened for in-person early voting. Find a location here.
- How to vote by mail: Every San Diego County voter receives a ballot in the mail. Fill it out, sign it, and return it at hundreds of drop-off locations across the county.
- Who is on the ballot? Enter your address here to find candidates on the state and national level. Follow NBC 7's Decision 2024 for more on local measures and candidates.
- What propositions are on the ballot? Here are all 10 California ballot propositions for the 2024 election, explained
- Report a problem: Here's how to report incidents at the polls
Every San Diego County registered voter received a ballot by mail but for some there is an appeal to heading to the polls, filling out a ballot in person and getting that coveted "I Voted" sticker once the task is done.
Luckily, San Diego County provides hundreds of options to do just that, and voters don't have to wait until Election Day.
In-person early voting is already underway at the San Diego County Registrar of Voters Office and starting Nov. 2, dozens more polling places, now known as vote centers will open to meet the needs of local voters leading up to Election Day on Nov. 5.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
If voting in person is your preferred method, we have what you should know below (and, if it's not, click here).
Where to vote in person in San Diego County
Find a vote center near you with this map or this list
On Oct. 26, 39 vote centers opened daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On Nov. 2, more than 200 locations will open during the same hours through Nov. 4. On Election Day, voters can cast their ballots at any of those vote centers from 7 a.m to 8 p.m.
Voters can visit any vote center in the county to vote on a ballot marking device using a touch screen. They do not need to go to a designated site.
What is a Vote Center?
Vote centers have replaced polling places and provide multiple services, such as allowing for in-person voting or dropping off ballots, voting using an accessible ballot marking device, receiving assistance in multiple languages and registering to vote or updating voter registration to vote the same day.
Election materials are available in Spanish, Filipino, Vietnamese and Chinese.
County staff remind the public that campaigning or electioneering within 100 feet of a vote center or official ballot drop box is illegal.
The ballot marking device does not store, tabulate or count any votes, according to the registrar's office.
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
What if I want to use my mail-in ballot?
If you prefer to use your mail ballot, simply drop your completed ballot off at any official ballot drop box location between now and Election Day on Nov. 5. 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 (Nov. 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:
Officials at the county registrar of voters say to return your ballot by mail promptly so it is received well before the final day of voting, Nov. 5
- 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 Nov. 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.
If you are unsure if your ballot will be postmarked on time, consider dropping it off at one of the secure ballot-drop-off locations in the county, all of which are open on Election Day until 8 p.m.
Can I still register to vote in the 2024 election in California?
Oct. 21 is the last day for San Diego County residents to register to vote for the November Presidential Election to receive a ballot in the mail.
People who want to register after Oct. 21 will have to visit the San Diego County Registrar of Voters' office in Kearny Mesa or visit a vote center to provisionally register through Nov. 5.
Click here to see if you are registered to vote in the Nov. 5 election.
