Early voting starts next week

Monday is the first day you can get a vote-by-mail ballot in California. But because Monday is a postal holiday, you’ll have wait an extra day.

Early voting – either by mail or in person – begins 29 days before an election. The Columbus Day holiday will delay mail by a day, but voters can still vote in person at county elections offices.

“We’ll be open for business,” said a staff member at the Monterey County Elections Office.

Santa Cruz County elections officials will begin mailing ballots to permanent vote-by-mail voters on Tuesday. Sample Ballots and Voter Information Guides will also be mailed during the week.

In Santa Cruz County, there are over 78,000 permanent vote-by-mail voters and just over 7,000 who reside in a mail ballot precinct.

Voters can request a vote-by-mail ballot from their county elections office in person, online, or by written application. The deadline to request a ballot by mail is Tuesday, November 1.