CA 2020 Election: Voting In Person; What To Know

CALIFORNIA — The COVID-19 pandemic continues to complicate and change everything these days, including the way we vote. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law in August that will limit the amount of in-person polling places open in each California county, but they'll be able to open as early as Oct. 31.

This, along with another law that Newsom signed back in June that requires counties to mail ballots to every active and registered voter by Oct. 3, ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

These changes are meant to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic by doing away with crammed and long spiraling lines to get into polling places on election day.

While everyone will get a ballot in the mail, some will inevitably need to visit a polling place for many reasons — for lost or damaged ballots or for language or disability assistance. Some will need to register last minute on Election Day, which state law allows at polling sites.

Another reason for fewer locations, the state met another roadblock when traditional polling places such as retirement homes, community centers and churches, became largely unavailable due to closures and restrictions in place due to the pandemic.

So, there will be fewer places to physically vote but counties across the state will open locations as early as Oct. 31 to relieve congestion.

Find your polling place by using this form on the California Secretary of State's website.

Register to vote or check if your registration status is active here.

How to prepare for in person voting this year

Voting in person this year will a bit of a new experience.

For starters, all voters should bring their mailed ballot with them to their nearest polling place. This is normal practice so that voters have proof that they didn't already mail their ballot and vote twice.

Since all voters were mailed a ballot this year, this is especially important. But, if you forget your ballot or it became lost in the mail, you may need to vote provisionally. This means that your vote may be subject to a screening. Officials may want to verify your registration status or confirm that it wasn't already mailed. With these extra steps, a vote may not be counted on Nov. 3, but it will eventually.

Also, voters should arrive with the proper COVID-19 protective gear.

Since the pandemic hit California in March, it has since become common practice not to leave the house without a mask, and polling places are no exception. Counties have been instructed to maintain a distance from voters, wear masks and provide face coverings to those who need them.

Results may take a little longer

During this year's Democratic primaries, it took an unordinary amount of time for all votes to be counted. This was in part due to new equipment that was implemented for voters to use at polling places. It was also due to the amount of people registering to vote on Election Day, not to mention a larger amount of mail-in ballots, which normally take longer to count.

For the primaries, it took California ten days to report results, according to data collected by The Washington Post.

Add in the changes prompted by the coronavirus pandemic and the the state could be in for one of the slowest race calls ever seen in November.

The pandemic prompted the California governor to expand absentee voting to every single active and registered voter and the state has had very little time to adjust to this.

See Also: Voter Registration Day 2020 In California: 5 Things To Know