Election 2020: Elections office ready to welcome in-person voters on Tuesday
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – While thousands of Lake County residents already have returned their ballots early this year – a measure encouraged due to the pandemic – county elections officials plan to welcome thousands more to local polling places for Tuesday’s presidential election.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
There are 22 polling sites around the county, the same number as in past years, with Registrar of Voters Maria Valadez implementing COVID-19 safety guidelines to ensure voters can safely vote in-person.
The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office is using the Board of Supervisors’ chambers on Tuesday for voting activities in order to allow for social distancing for voters wanting to cast their ballot at the courthouse.
In addition, ballot drop boxes will be available until 8 p.m. Tuesday at the following locations:
– Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
– Lakeport Library, 1425 N High St., Lakeport.
– Middletown Library, 21267 Calistoga Road.
– Redbud Library, 14785 Burns Valley Road, Clearlake.
– Upper Lake Library, 310 Second St.
Ballots must be delivered to the drop boxes, the registrar’s office at the courthouse or to the polls by 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Any ballots being returned by mail must be postmarked on Tuesday to be accepted and counted; Valadez suggests people mailing their ballots request postal workers postmark them in their presence to ensure they meet the requirements.
This year, state law is allowing for ballots that are postmarked to be accepted up until 17 days after Election Day.
For those who missed the October deadline for voter registration, this year for the first time they may participate in “same day” – or conditional – voter registration. This registration process can take place at the county elections office, polling place or vote center. Those ballots will be processed and counted once the county elections office has completed the voter registration verification process.
The Registrar of Voters Office, located in Room 209 on the second floor of the Lake County Courthouse in Lakeport, will be the central counting place of the official ballots of all voting precincts for the General Election, Valadez said.
Processing of vote by mail, or absentee, ballots returned early began on Oct. 13, and scanning and adjudicating of the official ballots commenced on Monday, Oct. 26, the Registrar of Voters Office reported.
Valadez said tallying of the official ballots will begin after the close of the polls at 8 p.m. Tuesday, at which time her office will begin to release reports on results throughout the night, which will be posted on her website.
However, as has been the case in past elections, results are not expected to be complete on Tuesday night, and the election won’t be certified and considered final until the rigorous official canvass process is completed.
County elections offices have until Dec. 1 to report their final reports for the presidential race and Dec. 4 for other state and federal contests, the Secretary of State’s Office reported.
For more information, visit the Lake County Registrar of Voters website.
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