Santa Barbara County election officials preparing for massive vote-by-mail turnout
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Final details are being worked out for what will be an expected challenging process to reach eligible voters for the Nov. 3 election.
Officials will have to educate voters on the process for the General Election and have them complete their ballots by the deadline.
Santa Barbara County is already working on a timeline to hire and train poll workers in the weeks ahead, and provide the public with information about precincts, especially if there are changes in their area.
There will be many opportunities to vote in person and by mail with an extended deadline.
Registrar of Voters Joe Holland says, "This election is going to be different than any other election. Instead of 86 polling places on election day we are going to have 25 to 30 in-person voting locations (in Santa Barbara County)."
Those will be open Saturday October 31 through Tuesday - Election day November 3.
The Santa Barbara County Elections office is getting ahead of the changes by asking the Board of Supervisors for more money to pay for the technical support it needs, additional polls workers and to find new spacious polling place sites to provide safe voting during the pandemic.
Holland says,  "that may cost up to a million dollars just to handle that, additionally now we are going to have poll workers instead of one day we are going to have poll workers Saturday through Tuesday."
The elections office is already looking at ways to make it convenient for you to mail your ballot when the time comes in addition to the U.S. Postal Service boxes they are going to be setting up specific ballot boxes strategically located throughout the county .
"33 ballot drop boxes , open 29 days before the election so you will be able to deliver your vote by mail ballot directly to the elections office," said Holland.
The elections office is also working closely with the US Postal Service to send out the vote by mail ballots as early as late September, and have systems in place to receive them without delay.
"i am confident that the United States Post Office in Santa Barbara County is going to handle all these ballots," said Holland. "We are going to have an unprecedented turnout, we are encouraging everyone to vote early."
