‘Super Vote Center’ to feature drive-thru option

in Community

You can vote by mail, at official ballot drop boxes, at both mobile and “pop up” centers, and there’s even a drive-thru option, “where Elections staff will bring a Vote by Mail Ballot to you,” officials said.

In San Mateo County, there are many ways to vote in the Nov. 3 Presidential Election.

Public health officials have been advising residents to vote by mail, which they say is the safest way to vote amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

But there are other safe options, such as dropping off your completed ballot in Ballot Drop Boxes located countywide.

Starting Saturday through Election Day, the San Mateo County Event Center will serve as a “Super Vote Center,” with 20 voting booths set up six feet apart inside Sequoia Hall. It’s the only Vote Center in the county that will offer drive-thru voting.

Since Oct. 5, three Vote Centers have been open where residents have been able to cast their ballots early, including at the Registration & Elections Division, County Center, and the South San Francisco Main Library. Starting Saturday, a total of 45 Vote Centers will be open throughout the County.

In addition, the County is deploying a Mobile Vote Center to target areas with low eligible voter registration. The Mobile Vote Center is located at Pescadero High until Oct. 29 and will then move to Hillsdale Shopping Center from Oct 30 through Election Day.

“Pop-Up” Vote Centers can also be found at East Palo Alto Academy on Nov. 2 and 3; La Honda Fire Brigade on Nov. 3; and La Honda Pescadero Unified School District on Nov. 3.

Did you miss the voter registration deadline? You can still cast a provisional ballot at a Vote Center by completing same-day registration and voting. The Vote Centers are also offering curbside ballot drop-off, in-person voting, replacement ballot pick-up, multilingual assistance and solving voting issues.

Vote Centers open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. Voters must wear masks and adhere to social distancing requirements.

Want to be sure your ballot ended up in the right place? Voters can go to www.smcvote.org and sign up for automated alerts at “Where’s my ballot?” or select “My Election Info” to track when the Registration & Elections Division received their voted ballot and if their ballot was accepted.