As a result of COVID-19, every registered voter in California is receiving a ballot in the mail for the upcoming election, to vote from the safety of the home.
Ballots were mailed to all voters in Santa Barbara County on Sept. 28.
If a voter did not receive their ballot by Friday they should contact the Registrar of Voters office at 800-722-8683 or 800-SBC-VOTE.
Ballot drop box locations will be available throughout Santa Barbara County for the Nov. 3 general election.
Nearly 75% of registered voters in the county have already signed up to permanently receive their ballot by mail.
Voters must sign and seal the ballot in the postage paid envelope, and the ballot can then be dropped in the mail or returned to one of 32 ballot drop box locations in the county.
If voters choose the mailing route, the U.S. Post Office suggests doing so by Oct. 27 to ensure it will be postmarked and counted by Nov. 3, Election Day.
In addition to mail-in ballots, 35 polling places will be open Saturday, Oct. 31 through Election Day on Nov. 3. Face coverings are required and there will likely be socially distanced waiting lines.
This is provided for those who prefer in-person voting or need additional services such as language assistance or a replacement ballot.
To register, forms are available at www.sbcvote.com or www.RegisterToVote.ca.gov. Paper applications can also be found at most U.S. Post Offices, Registrar of Voters Offices or the DMV.
The deadline to register to vote in California for the upcoming Presidential Election is Oct. 19, and registering prior to that deadline is encouraged to ensure all the voter materials. If the deadline is missed, voters may use the conditional voter registration process through Election Day, and must go to the County Registrar of Voters office or a polling place to register and vote.
The three election offices in the county are now open for voting, voter registration and voter questions through Election Day: the Santa Barbara location, at 4440-A Calle Real from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except holidays; the Lompoc location, at 401 E. Cypress St., Room 102 from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday except holidays; and the Santa Maria location, at 511 E. Lakeside Parkway, Suite 134 from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday except holidays.
The Lompoc Office will be moving to the Lompoc Veteran’s Memorial Building at 100 E. Locust Ave., starting Oct. 22 to better serve voters.
For any questions or assistance, go to www.SBCvote.com or call 805-568-2200.
Ballot drop box locations were selected based on geographic distribution throughout the county, areas not covered by polling place locations where possible, and proximity to underserved voter populations and lower permanent Vote by Mail registered populations.
Each drop box is categorized as accessible, drive-up, walk-up or all three, and they’re open 24 hours a day through 8 p.m. on Election Day.
The location of the 32 drop boxes is as follows:
Buellton has one accessible, drive-up and walk-up drop box located at Buellton City Hall, 107 W. State Route 246.
Carpinteria has two drop boxes: an accessible, drive-up and walk-up drop box at Carpinteria City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave., and a walk-up drop box at Casa de las Flores, 4090 Via Real.
Goleta has four different drop box locations: an accessible and walk-up drop box at Goleta City Hall, 130 Cremona Drive; an accessible, drive-up and walk-up drop box at Goleta Valley Community Center, 5679 Hollister Ave.; an accessible and walk-up drop box at the Isla Vista Foot Patrol Sheriff Substation, 6504 Trigo Road; and an accessible and walk-up drop box at Southcoast Church, 5814 Cathedral Oaks Road.
Guadalupe has one walk-up drop box at Guadalupe City Hall, 918 Obispo St.
Lompoc has four drop box locations: an accessible, drive-up and walk-up drop box at Lompoc City Hall, 100 Civic Center Plaza; an accessible and walk-up drop box at Lompoc Public Library, 501 E. North Ave.; an accessible and walk-up drop box at Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services/Public Health, 1100 W. Laurel Ave.; and an accessible and walk-up drop box at Vandenberg Village Library, 3755 Constellation Road.
Los Olivos has one accessible and walk-up drop box at Los Olivos Branch Library, 2374 Alamo Pintado Ave.
Montecito has one accessible, drive-up and walk-up drop box at Manning Park (Lower Manning Park Area 9), 449 San Ysidro Road & Santa Rosa Lane.
New Cuyama has one accessible and walk-up drop box at Cuyama Valley Recreation District (Montgomery Hall Building), 4885 Primero St.
Orcutt has one accessible and walk-up location at Oak Knolls Shopping Center directly in front of the State Farm Office across the parking lot from Coast Hills Federal Credit Union, 1108 E. Clark Ave., Santa Maria.
Santa Barbara has six different drop box locations: an accessible and walk-up drop box at the County of Santa Barbara Administration Building, 105 E. Anapamu St. (Anacapa Street entrance); an accessible, drive-up and walk-up drop box at the County of Santa Barbara Elections Main Office, 4440-A Calle Real; an accessible and walk-up drop box at the Eastside Branch Library, 1102 E. Montecito St.; an accessible, drive-up and walk-up drop box at MacKenzie Park, 3111 State St. (corner of State and Las Positas); an accessible and walk-up drop box at San Andres Hardware, 635 W. Micheltorena St. (corner of San Andres and Micheltorena); and an accessible and drive-up drop box at Santa Barbara City College (West Campus Drop-Off), 721 Cliff Drive.
Santa Maria also has six drop box locations: an accessible and walk-up drop box at Atkinson Park, 1000 N. Railroad Ave.; an accessible, drive-up and walk-up drop box at Joe Centeno Betteravia Government Administration Building, 511 E. Lakeside Parkway (parking lot); an accessible and walk-up drop box at Minami Community Center, 600 W. Enos Drive; an accessible and walk-up drop box at the Santa Maria Animal Center, 548 W. Foster Road; an accessible and walk-up drop box at Santa Maria Elks, 1309 N. Bradley Road; and an accessible, drive-up and walk-up drop box at the Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St. (City Library Parking Garage).
The Santa Ynez Valley has one accessible and walk-up drop box at the Stuart C. Gildred Family YMCA, 900 N. Refugio Road.
Finally, Solvang has one accessible, drive-up and walk-up drop box at Solvang Veteran’s Memorial Hall, 1745 Mission Drive (parking lot near Library drop box).
email: gmccormick@newspress.com
