Don’t miss your opportunity to vote in the Nov. 7 election
Gilroy – County election officials have issued a reminder about a few key dates to ensure that voters don’t lose their chance to cast ballots in the Nov. 7 election.
Voters this season will be asked to make decisions on a range of local, county and state candidates and issues, including local school board, congressional and gubernatorial races; whether to restrict development on county land; and whether to place an additional $2.60 tax on each pack of cigarettes to finance health programs and hospitals.
This fall, the county expects nearly half of voters to cast ballots through the mail. Absentee voting starts Oct. 10, with Oct. 31 as the last day to request an absentee ballot by mail.
In the June primary election, roughly 44 percent of the 278,000 votes were absentee, according to County Registrar of Voters Jesse Durazo.
“We’ve seen that number continuously inch up every election,” he said. “We believe that as much as 50 percent could be absentee as early as November. People are noticing the convenience of absentee. A lot of people are workers and they can mail them in. Also, they want to discuss issues at home without the pressure of deciding at the polling place.”
Those who like voting at the polls but want to avoid election-day lines can vote on two Oct. 28 or Nov. 4 and 5 at the offices of the registrar of voters at 1555 Berger Dr., San Jose.
To participate in the election, county residents must register to vote by Oct. 23. Those who have changed their address, name or party affiliation must re-register by the same date.
Voter registration forms, absentee voter applications and other election information are available online at www.sccvote.org. Nonpartisan election information is available at www.smartvoter.org and www.easyvoter.org.
