SLO County expands early voting options
Elections Office says in-person ballots will count on Election Night
– The San Luis Obispo County Elections Office will open for early in-person voting on Saturday, May 30, ahead of the June 2 Statewide Direct Primary Election.
The Elections Office, located at the County Government Center, will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Voters can cast ballots in person and have their signatures verified on site, allowing them to vote without using a return envelope.
County officials said turnout in primary elections is typically low, and the June 2 election appears to be following that trend locally.
The new process allows ballots cast at the Elections Office to be counted on Election Night.
In previous elections, ballots cast at the Elections Office had to be submitted in sealed and signed return envelopes. Officials said those envelopes then had to be scanned and signatures verified before ballots could be processed and tabulated.
“We’re excited to be able to offer this new voting option,” said Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano. “Importantly, ballots cast in person at our office will be counted on Election Night, just like the ballots cast at the polls. Voting this way means that your vote is included in those Election Night results, not added to the total in the days afterward.”
County officials said the process change comes ahead of a new state law taking effect Jan. 1, requiring most mail ballots to be processed and counted within 13 days of an election.
Officials said mail ballots dropped off at polling places on Election Day have created delays during official canvassing in past elections, particularly because more than 90% of local voters use mail ballots.
“Voters still have all of the same options as before, including putting a mail ballot in any official drop box, like our 24/7 box here,” said Cano. “They can also drop it off at any polling location, or they can surrender it in exchange for a precinct ballot at their assigned location on Election Day.”
Cano said the Saturday voting hours and early in-person voting option could encourage more residents to vote before Election Day.
“It will mean more comprehensive Election Night results and a faster path to getting all of the ballots counted and reported,” she said.
Voters are encouraged to bring their mail ballot if they plan to vote at the Elections Office, though officials said it is not required. Staff can void a voter’s mail ballot and issue a replacement ballot at the office.
More information is available at slovote.gov.
