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Millions of Californians have already cast their ballot by mail, but millions more are expected to show up to the polls for early voting this weekend and on Election Day.

They’ll do this amid concerns about voter intimidation, social unrest and a statewide spike in coronavirus cases.

To answer questions about how to vote this year, including how to stay safe while voting in-person and what you can and can’t do at the polls, PolitiFact California spoke with election officials and experts. 

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When Will California’s Election Results Be Available? 

Counties will release early, incomplete results shortly after 8 p.m. and throughout the night on Nov. 3. But full and final results won’t be known for many days or possibly weeks. That’s because counties must count mail ballots that arrive up to 17 days after Election Day as long as they are postmarked by Nov. 3. This is much longer than most states allow.

California Voter Foundation President Kim Alexander urged voters, campaigns and politicians to be patient as they wait for results in the days after Nov. 3. 

“There’s this ridiculous expectation that we can just have these instantaneous results,” Alexander said. “And it’s just not the way it works when you’re conducting an election where most of the ballots cast are vote-by-mail ballots. Even before COVID in the March primary, 72% of the ballots that were cast were cast as vote by mail ballots and they simply take longer to verify and to count.” 

Alexander offered one more piece of advice for those planning to vote in-person next week: Remember there’s a time change this weekend “and it will be much darker out Tuesday evening.”

So, if you want to avoid waiting in a long line, in the dark, in a pandemic, then vote early. (Full Story)