Live Updates: SLO County sees ‘unprecedented’ number of same-day registration voters, clerk-recorder says
Election Day is finally here.
Dozens of polling places are open across San Luis Obispo County until 8 p.m., as well as official ballot boxes where people can drop off their votes.
As of late Tuesday morning, the San Luis Obispo County elections office had received about 89,500 ballots, according to the California Secretary of State’s office.
That’s more than 48% of the total number of ballots sent out to local registered voters.
This general election, voters can choose from candidates running for U.S. president, vice president, the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as SLO County politicians competing for local races.
Californians will also have to decide whether to support or oppose 10 statewide ballot measures.
Not registered to vote yet? Don’t worry, you can still submit a ballot in person.
Here’s the latest on voting in San Luis Obispo County on Election Day:
Update, 8 p.m.:
Polls have closed in San Luis Obispo County. The first release of election results is expected shortly.
For live results updates, go to our story here: Live Updates: Who is winning, losing in SLO County races? See early Election Night results
Update, 6:30 p.m.:
‘Unprecedented’ number of people registering to vote on Election Day in SLO County
San Luis Obispo County saw a huge increase in same-day registration voters and vote-by-mail ballots received this Election Day, Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano told The Tribune.
“We have been non-stop since 7 a.m. this morning,” the elections official said. “We have had to go and print and deliver additional provisional ballots to our precincts.”
Provisional ballots are cast by voters who register in San Luis Obispo County on Election Day.
Cano said the amount of people who have come in to register to vote on Election Day is “something we could never even imagine.”
“Usually we have a few hundred,” provisional voters, she said. “I’m sure we’re in the thousands at this point.”
She said at least one polling location had to activate their ImageCastX ballot marking devices, which produces and marks provisional ballots if they run out on site.
This was the case at the Cal Poly polls, where an unexpected number of students turned up to vote unregistered.
Cano said a record-breaking 88% of registered voters in the county turned out for the 2020 election — and all things considered the county might be close to doing it again.
“I think we’re going to come close to that record,” Cano said. “The turnout is just insane.”
There will likely not be another update on the number of vote-by-ballots received on Election Night because the county has been too busy collecting them from polling places and drop boxes to count how many there were, Cano said.
“We have had to go out and collect ballots from the drop boxes from the different locations all day long,” Cano said. Usually, collections only happen once a day, the elections official said.
Aside from a few complaints of electioneering from citizens and the Shandon location closing, Cano said she has heard of no other issues at the polls.
Polls are expected to close at 8 p.m.
The first round of county results can be expected by 8:15 p.m., Cano said. It will include all vote-by-mail ballots that were returned and counted by the county through Saturday.
The Clerk-Recorder’s Office will release results every two hours after that. Those will include only tallies for people who voted in person, not including ballots that were dropped off at the polls, Cano said.
The remainder of the vote-by-mail ballots will continue to be processed over the coming weeks, and provisional ballots will be counted last — which Cano said is the largest batch of votes.
Update, 3:05 p.m.:
Likely too late to mail ballot in SLO County
Still hanging on to your vote-by-mail ballot?
As of Tuesday afternoon, don’t put it in the mail, San Luis Obispo County Clerk Recorder Elaina Cano said.
“I wouldn’t recommend it, to be completely honest with you,” she said.
The county’s top elections official said it is likely too late for the U.S. Postal Service to collect your ballot in time for it to be counted as of midday Tuesday.
Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by a county elections office no later than seven days after Election Day — Nov. 12, according to the California Secretary of State.
Cano said people could still turn in their ballots at a local post office but urged voters to make sure their vote was postmarked by U.S. Postal Service staff by the end of day.
The safest option is for registered voters to submit their mail-in ballots at any SLO County polling site by 8 p.m., she said. Voters can also drop off their ballot at one of the county’s 20 ballot drop boxes.
However, some drop boxes close at 5 or 6 p.m. depending on the site’s business hours, the county said.
Update, 2:14 p.m.:
Police issue warning after driver parks truck with political signs at SLO County polling place
Paso Robles Police Department responded to a potential electioneering incident that occurred at the polling place at the Paso Robles City Library on Monday.
A truck with political signs was parked at the library with a driver inside, Chief Damian Nord said. City and library staff reported the truck, and an officer asked the driver to leave. The driver complied and was not cited, Nord said, but was given a warning.
Electioneering, or campaigning for a political party, is prohibited within 100 feet of the entrance to a polling place under California state law.
Update, 1:20 p.m.:
SLO County polling place closes early due to staffing shortage
Voters who planned to cast their ballots at the polling site at 101 West Centre St. in Shandon should head to the county’s polling place in Creston instead, according to the SLO County elections office.
The county said the voting site was relocated due to a staffing shortage.
The Shandon polling location could not meet the minimum requirement of three poll workers to work the site, prompting the last-minute move.
“We apologize for the inconvenience,” the SLO County elections office wrote in a Facebook post.
People who were originally assigned to the Shandon polling place should vote at the Creston Community Center at 5110 Swayze St., the county said.
The Creston location will be open for in-person voting until 8 p.m. Tuesday, according to county elections officials.
Update, 12:40 p.m.:
SLO County sees ‘impressive’ voter turnout in SLO County
Election Day voting was going smoothly in San Luis Obispo County as of midday Tuesday, according to San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano.
The county’s top elections official said all polling sites across the county were up and running with no major issues.
“All in all, it’s going really well,” Cano said.
As of 11 a.m., the polls had been consistently busy with many Cal Poly students registering and voting for the first time, she said.
In addition, a steady stream of people was dropping off mail-in ballots at drop box locations and polling sites around the county.
Cano said the elections office received more than 5,000 ballots in the mail on Tuesday, in addition to the thousands already delivered by the U.S. Post Office.
The elections office could not say exactly how many ballots it had received in total for the general election.
“I’m absolutely super proud of everybody for coming out and voting and getting their voices heard,” Cano said, calling the turnout “absolutely impressive.”
As of midday Tuesday, voter turnout in SLO County had already far surpassed that of the March primary election, according to Cano.
She said the county had nearly doubled its turnout rate when compared to this time on March 5.
Update, 10:40 a.m.:
SLO voters line up to cast ballots on Election Day
Right before 9 a.m. Tuesday, Joy Altermatt dropped off her ballot at the Zion Lutheran Church polling site in San Luis Obispo. She took her 10-year-old daughter along with her to show her what voting on Election Day looks like.
“It’s a civic duty ... not only to vote but to make an informed decision,” Altermatt said.
The mother-daughter duo read through various voter guides together Monday night to make sense of the different races and propositions on the general election ballot, Altermatt said.
Altermatt said she preferred voting using a mail-in ballot so she wasn’t rushed in her decision making.
“You have to do your due diligence,” she said. “It’s important to understand our government.”
Over at San Luis Obispo County elections headquarters, dozens of people lined up Tuesday morning to register to vote and cast their provisional ballots.
San Luis Obispo resident London Barker, 18, said she and her siblings were voting in a general election for the first time. She was enthusiastic yet anxious about what results lay ahead.
“It’s exciting, but it’s also nerve-racking,” she said.
Update, 5 a.m.:
Where can I vote in SLO County on Election Day?
In-person voting is underway in San Luis Obispo County.
A total of 67 polling sites are open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for any last-minute voters planning to submit their ballots in person.
Here is where to find your nearest voting site in SLO County.
When do polls close in SLO County?
Polling places in San Luis Obispo County will be open until 8 p.m.
You can cast a ballot in person as long as you’re in line to vote before 8 p.m., the SLO County Clerk-Recorder’s Office said.
What local races are on the ballot?
Elections for state offices, city council, mayor, school district and the Port San Luis Obispo Harbor District board are on the ballot this November.
You can find out who’s running for office in your community here:
Voters within the Atascadero, Lucia Mar and Templeton school districts will choose whether to approve more than $305 million in school bond measures.
Over in Morro Bay, residents will decide on Measure A-24, a controversial ballot initiative regarding the future of the Morro Bay Power Plant property and plans for a battery storage plant.
Can I register to vote on Election Day?
If you haven’t registered to vote yet — or you moved — you can still submit a ballot at a local polling site.
California offers same-day voter registration, a safety net for people who need to register to vote on Election Day.
Eligible residents can visit any county elections office or polling place to complete the registration process and immediately vote in person, according to the California Secretary of State’s office.
If you decide to register on Election Day, your vote will still be counted, but it may take a few days.
The county election’s office must first verify your voter registration application before your ballot is processed, the California Secretary of State’s office said.
Where can I drop off my mail-in ballot in SLO County?
If you are already registered to vote and received a mail-in ballot, you can drop it off at one of the county’s drop box locations.
In the North County:
- Atascadero Library, 6555 Capistrano Ave., Atascadero
- San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder’s Office, 6565 Capistrano Ave., Atascadero
- Paso Robles City Library, 1000 Spring St., Paso Robles
- San Miguel Community Services District, 1765 Bonita Place, San Miguel
- Santa Margarita Library, 9630 Murphy Ave., Santa Margarita
- Shandon Library, 195 North Second St., Shandon
- Templeton Community Services District, 420 Crocker St., Templeton
In the South County:
- Arroyo Grande Library, 800 West Branch St., Arroyo Grande
- Arroyo Grande City Hall, 300 East Branch St., Arroyo Grande
- Grover Beach City Hall, 154 South Eighth St., Arroyo Grande
- Nipomo Library, 918 West Tefft St., Nipomo
- Oceano Library, 1511 19th St., Nipomo
- Pismo Beach City Hall, 760 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach
On the North Coast:
- Cambria Library, 1043 Main St., Cambria
- Cayucos Library, 310 B St., Cayucos
- Los Osos Library, 2075 Palisades, Los Osos
- Morro Bay Library, 625 Harbor St., Morro Bay
In San Luis Obispo:
- Cal Poly, University Union, Second Floor, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo
- San Luis Obispo County Department of Social Services, 3433 South Higuera St., San Luis Obispo
- San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder’s Office, 1055 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo
Voters can also submit mail-in ballots at any of the county’s 67 polling sites.
How can I check if my vote was counted?
The California Secretary of State’s Office has created a way to let eligible registered voters know when their ballots have been mailed, received and counted.
Powered by BallotTrax, Where’s My Ballot? lets voters know “where their ballot is, and its status, every step of the way,” the California Secretary of State’s Office said.
You can choose whether to receive text messages, emails or calls about your ballot and its progress through the electoral system.
You’ll get alerts if there are any issues with your ballot.
Track the status of your mail-in ballot by signing up at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov.
When will election results start being released?
Election results will begin being released at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5, Cano said.
However, those results will not be certified until 28 days after the election, on Dec. 3.
According to California law, the SLO County Clerk-Recorder’s office must deliver ballot returns from polling places every two hours on election night.
She said the final results of the evening will be released between midnight on Tuesday and 2 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
This means that if you vote in person on Election Day, your vote will be counted that night.
If you already sent it in your mail-in ballot and it arrived at the SLO County Clerk-Recorder’s Office by 1 p.m. on Saturday, it will be tallied and counted among the first results released at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Cano said.
If someone drops off a mail-in ballot at a polling place on Election Day, Cano, it will not be counted immediately.
Instead, that ballot will be tallied in the days following the election.
How long will it take to count every vote?
SLO County must send presidential election results by Dec. 3, according to the California Secretary of State’s Office.
Cano said she plans to have every vote counted and every race certified by that date, even though county elections officials have until Dec. 5, to certify election results.
This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
