Official ballot drop boxes open for June gubernatorial primary

Starting Tuesday, May 5, registered voters could return their mail ballot for the June 2 Gubernatorial Primary Election to any of the more than 150 of­ficial ballot drop boxes around the county. Mail ballots for the County’s over 2 million regis­tered voters are expected to ar­rive this week.

WHAT DO OFFICIAL BAL­LOT DROP BOXES LOOK LIKE?

The Registrar of Voters has official ballot drop boxes that are red, white and blue and fea­ture the Registrar’s logo along with the County seal. All boxes are labeled “Official Ballot Drop Box” and are made from high grade, heavy gauge stainless steel.

Each official ballot drop box is designed to prevent physical damage and unauthorized ac­cess to mail ballots. The boxes feature double-locking access doors, anti-pry door jambs and other anti-theft construction measures. The Registrar’s bal­lot retrieval team is responsible for collecting ballots inside the box.

HOW TO RETURN BAL­LOTS BY MAIL

After marking their selec­tions, voters should:

• Seal the ballot in the post­age-paid return envelope.
• Date and sign the envelope. Voter signature is required for their vote to count.
• Return the ballot by mail or drop it off at any of the Regis­trar’s official ballot drop boxes around the county.

Mailed ballots must be post­marked on or before June 2 and received by the Registrar of Vot­ers no later than seven days to be counted. Ballots returned at official drop boxes or vote cen­ters must be dropped off by 8 p.m. on June 2.

Voters returning ballots by the U.S. Postal Service can sign up for ballot tracking.

HOW TO VOTE IN PERSON

In-person early voting is available at the Registrar of Voters office in Kearny Mesa at 5600 Overland Ave., San Diego. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon­day through Friday.

VOTE CENTERS OPEN

IN STAGES:

• May 23: Select vote centers open daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• May 30: All vote centers open daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

June 2, the final day of voting: All vote centers, official ballot drop boxes and the Registrar’s office are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Take advantage of early vot­ing to avoid long lines. If you plan to vote in per­son, prepare ahead of time by reviewing your voter informa­tion pamphlet and marking your selections on the sample ballot. When you enter the vot­ing booth at the vote center, you may refer to your marked sam­ple ballot to easily transfer your selections to the official ballot.

For more information, visit sdvote.com or call 858-565-5800 or toll-free 800-696-0136.

Reprinted courtesy San Diego County Office of Communications.