Excerpt:

It’s the final day to vote in the 2024 general election. While millions of Californians have already cast their ballots, many more will head to the polls Tuesday to vote on local measures, state propositions and our next president.

Kim Alexander, President of the California Voter Foundation, says if you haven’t voted yet, there’s still time. “Vote as early as you can. It could get busy. You are entitled under California law to take up to two hours off of work to vote. You needed to ask for that last Friday from your boss. So if you didn’t, they may not grant it, but it doesn’t hurt to ask,” Alexander said.

Excerpt:

Over 7.6 million ballots were cast in California before the final days of voting, but the counting process will take days if not weeks. The uncertainty, heightened by the state’s universal mail-in voting system, may fuel doubts and conspiracy theories about election integrity. In response, state and local officials are working to reassure the public that all ballots are secure and will be counted accurately.

To enhance transparency, the California Voter Foundation launched an initiative to monitor ballot counting in seven key congressional districts, providing updates on the count and candidate margins starting Tuesday until Dec. 5. 

“We have more competitive races and narrower margins in California today than we used to,” Kim Alexander, the foundation’s president, said in a statement. “In some contests, practically every single ballot must be counted before a winner can be determined.” 

Excerpt:

There are only two more days to vote in California, and more than 7.6 million Californians have cast their ballots. But the counting will last for days, if not weeks, before news outlets declare all the winners or candidates concede. 

The delays and uncertainty — which have grown since California started sending mail ballots to all voters — can sow doubts or even conspiracy theories. So state and local election officialsare trying to reassure voters that their ballots are safe against cyber and other attacks and will be counted.

To bring more transparency and build public trust in the count, the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation is launching a new project that, in seven swing congressional districts, will track how many ballots have been counted, how many ballots remain to be tallied and the margin between the two candidates. The updates will start Tuesday and end Dec. 5.

Exceprt:

If you want to vote in person before Election Day, you may wish you lived somewhere besides San Joaquin County.

That’s because you have only one in-person option — weekdays at the county registrar’s office in downtown Stockton.

Nearby counties give voters more places where they can cast a ballot.

Contra Costa opens five voting centers, starting Friday. Stanislaus County opened six this week, with more coming this weekend. Sacramento voters have their choice of 16.

To cast a ballot early in San Joaquin County, a voter must go to the registrar’s office at 44 N. San Joaquin St. during its normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. That means this Friday or Monday — not Saturday or Sunday.

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