180 locations open for 10 days prior to the election
Greeting from “behind the red curtain”. Actually, after the last election, it is really blue here. Our county election registrar (a Republican) just announced changes for the 2020 election, and they are big.
OCVote.com
This new way to run an election will start in March 2020, just in time for the California primary. Here are the changes:
Mail In Ballots:
Under the new plan, everyone gets a mail-in ballot. You can fill this in and:
- Mail it (with a stamp)
- Drop it off at secure drop boxes throughout the county (no stamp needed)
- Drop it off at one of 180 “vote center” up to 10 days before the election
- Vote in person at any of 180 “voter centers”.
It is also legal for family, political clubs, and even candidates to collect ballots and turn them in, provided they are sealed, and the group that hands them in signs them and does not tamper or discard them.
Registration:
Same day registration at any “vote center”.
Vote Centers:
180 location staffed by “employees” that can:
- Vote by machine (with voter verified paper trail)
- Check your mail ballot status
- Get replacement mail ballots
- General voter assistance
- No more provisional ballots if you are in the wrong location. All locations work for all county voters.
The vote centers are able to process any county voter regardless of their address or local ballot. You will get the correct ballot for your home address in San Clemente, even if you are at a vote center in Anaheim.
These centers are open for 10 days prior to the election, including weekends. No more rush on election day.
Vote by Mail Drop Off Boxes:
Secure boxes for mail in ballots. “These drop-off boxes are constructed of military-grade materials and provide security features such as motion-sensor cameras and multiple levels of locks.”
Making Voting Easier:
The goal is simple. Encourage all eligible voters to vote.
No more Neighborhood Polling Places and Volunteer Poll Workers:
I will personally miss this. But the new system is long overdue, and the old voting machines are ready for the junk yard. So, no more waiting at a garage in the rain or heat. Counting ballot envelopes at poll closing by flashlight. 14 hour days on “election day”. Cold Pizza.
