Beginning this weekend, early voting is undertaken in multiple Bay Area counties as the state’s recall election nears, with elections officials noting the remarkable voter turnout.
The first weekend of the early voting has the San Francisco City Hall’s drive-thru lane opened for ballots.
“I’m here for the convenience of doing it on a Saturday and then just to get my vote in early, think it’s a waste of money we’re having to go through all this,” Pebbles Robinson, one of the voters, said. “I feel like it’s important for every vote. I think we’ve seen in the past couple of elections how every voter matters,” said voter Kim Knapp.
In-person early voting is also accepted at the city hall this weekend.
While fewer voters are appearing here, mail-in ballots are gaining a firm ground in terms of voter turnout, said San Francisco Elections chief John Arntz. Out of the about 500, 000 ballots sent to the city’s registered voters, 183, 000 ballots have so far been received.
“The turnout is two percentage points behind last November’s 2020 presidential election, that election was actually the biggest in the city’s history,” Arntz noted.
The voter turnout reflects the level of interest the public has in determining Governor Gavin Newsom’s fate in Sacramento.
Meanwhile, more voting centers were opened by San Mateo County beginning this weekend with several ways and time to cast the vote.
“There is a lot of activity in early voting, particularly on the vote by mail side of the equation,” according to San Mateo County Assistant Elections Chief Jim Irizarry.
Out of the 440, 000 registered voters, county elections officials recorded 167, 000 mail-in ballots received.
Others, however, still opt to cast their vote in person.
“I don’t know who at the post office receives it, I have more confidence with the elections division here,” Santos said, as reported by ABC7.
Each vote will be counted and additional voting centers will accommodate voting beginning next weekend, elections officials said.
