Staff Report
With several weeks until the Presidential General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, Santa Barbara County elections officials announced recently that more than 30 official ballot drop box locations will be available throughout the county for the upcoming vote.
“The ballot drop boxes provide a safe, secure and easy way to return a completed and signed ballot,” said Joe Holland, Santa Barbara County Registrar of Voters. “If voters are concerned about postal delivery delays, I encourage them to use an official drop box to return their ballot; the locations will be listed in their voter’s guide and on our website.”
All registered voters will receive their ballot in the mail in early October. Voters are encouraged to vote their ballot and return it early. Drop boxes will be available 24 hours a day, beginning Oct. 5 until 8 p.m. on Election Day. A list of all drop box locations in Santa Barbara County will be included with the vote ballot and posted on the website at SBCVote.com.
“Using the ballot drop box ensures that the ballot will arrive at the Elections Office in time to be processed and counted timely,” added Holland.
Due to the pandemic, all registered voters in California will automatically receive a ballot in the mail around the beginning of October. If a voter does not receive their ballot by Oct. 12, they should immediately contact the Santa Barbara County Registrar of Voters office at 805-568-2200.
Voters may mail their ballot with no postage required, postmarked by Election Day, Nov. 3. The Postal Service advises voters to mail their ballots no later than Oct. 27 to reach the elections office in time to be counted.
To make address and other updates to voter registration, or for eligible citizens to register to vote, go to www.registertovote.ca.gov. Voters can verify the accuracy of their voter registration at sos.ca.gov/elections/registration-status or sbcvote.com.
Santa Barbara County Elections is staffing approximately 35 in-person voting sites over four days for those who would like additional services including language assistance or a replacement ballot. These sites will be open Oct. 31 through Election Day. Facial coverings will be required and voters should expect a socially distanced waiting line.
Voters have been assigned to polling place locations that will be listed on the back cover of the voter’s County Voter Information Guide. Beginning Oct. 5, voters can also use the Sample Ballot and Polling Place Look-Up tool at SBCVote.com.
The three election offices in the county will be open for voting, voter registration and voter questions from Oct. 5 through Election Day.
Office locations and regular business hours:
Santa Barbara
4440-A Calle Real
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, except holidays
Lompoc
401 E. Cypress St., Room 102*
8 a.m. to noon, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, except holidays
*To better serve voters, the Lompoc Office will move to the Lompoc Veteran’s Memorial Building at 100 E. Locust Ave. starting Oct. 22.
Santa Maria
511 E. Lakeside Parkway, Suite 134
8 a.m. to noon, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, except holidays
