Two weeks before the mid-term election and ballots are steadily coming in
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calf. - It's two weeks until the mid-term election and even though the "official" voter registration deadline has passed, there are still ways to cast a ballot.
At the Santa Barbara County Elections office, voters are coming by regularly to drop off a ballot, or get answers to their questions.
At the drop box Tuesday, Melinda Chayra said, "we're already voted and we're happy, we're glad it's done."
After seeing election materials come in since early October and studying the ballot she said, "we just finally sat down Sunday and said let's get this thing and just clean off the table get all the little propaganda stuff all off ...out".
For those who are not registered, you can do so in person, at the Santa Barbara County election office, or on line with the Secretary of State's office.
Many people are automatically registered through the California Motor Voter program at the Department of Motor Vehicles when they get a drivers license or do a renewal.
Those new voters will be allowed to vote provisionally and after their registration is approved, their ballot will be accepted.
In Santa Barbara County, about 237,000 vote by mail ballots went out Oct. 7. With 14 days to go before election day the County Registrar of Voters Joe Holland said 10 percent of the ballots have come in.
Bob Mann said he was finished voting and didn't need any more time. He also wanted to drop it off when there wasn't a big surge of voters. "We just filled our ballots out and not get there when there is a line," he said.
One voter said he wanted to study the ballots and candidates before voting. "We had to look at all the things especially the propositions we had to look at and had to read about and that stuff and make up our minds. That took more time than anything else," said Richard Chayra.
Voting began as soon as the ballots were received and voters made their choices. After that they have a choice to mail their ballot at a blue U.S. Postal Service mailbox, a county election drop box, they can bring their ballot into the elections office in person, or hand it to an election worker on election day at a polling place.
Sue Fisher walked her ballot in to the elections workers in person. "I want to give it to the people who are going to count it,  it's too important not to," she said.
Several voters were asked if they had concerns about the process. After several conversations, there were no red flags. "Not at all, not at all . It was great the process was great," said Molly Marino.
In one household, voting took place together but it was secret.
Richard Chayra said, "we were at opposite ends of the table so we didn't know who was doing what."
Ballots received before election day will go through the signature verification process, and a computer will count them. No results will be released until after the polls close on Nov. 8, election day.
Among the closely watched races are city council seats in Carpinteria and Goleta, the 24th U.S. House of Representatives, and the 37th State Assembly seat.
Qualifications to Register to Vote
To register to vote in California, you must be:
- A United States citizen and a resident of California. There are provisions for Military and Overseas voters.  Â
- 18 years old or older on Election Day
- Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony
- Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a courtÂ
Qualifications to Pre-register to Vote
To pre-register in California, you must:
- Be 16 or 17 years old, and
- Meet all of the other eligibility requirements to vote.
You will automatically be registered to vote on your 18th birthday.
For more information go to:Â SBCvote.com
