The Registrar of Voters will open four satellite voting locations this weekend to add to options for early voting and to help those who haven’t registered to vote but still want to take part in the March 3 Presidential Primary Election.
During the last election, voters could conditionally register and vote on Election Day but only at the Registrar’s office. Long lines wrapped around the building and those registering endured hours-long waits.
This election, voters can register and vote at the Registrar’s office and every polling place. That may result in long waits at polling places.
To offset an expected rush of late registrants this year, Registrar of Voters Michael Vu announced the availability of four satellite voting locations Tuesday.
“The satellite voting locations will give voters the opportunity to register and vote before Election Day,” said Vu. “The earlier you register and vote, the less likely you will run into long delays. Waiting until Election Day almost guarantees you’ll run into long lines.”
The satellite locations will act as an arm of the Registrar’s office and Registrar personnel will have access to the status of all registered voters in the county. Staff can help with the registration process and give voters the ballot specific to their residence address.
The ballots will be provisional, meaning voters will need a little extra time to fill out information on the provisional envelope and seal their ballot inside after voting. The Registrar’s office can’t count it until it checks to see if you’re eligible to vote and you have not voted elsewhere in the state.
Voters who visit the satellite locations will also have access to new ballot marking devices. The devices allow voters to mark their choices using a touch screen and print out their selections on a paper ballot. The touch screen is used only to generate the paper ballot, not record the vote electronically. The voter can review the paper ballot before putting it into an envelope, and then the ballot box.
The Registrar’s office is now open to serve voters each day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Then satellite voting locations and the Registrar’s office will be open Saturday, Feb. 29 through Monday, March 2 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. All will again be open on Election Day when the voting hours will change to 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. to reflect the hours at the polls.
The satellite voting locations and Registrar’s office are listed below:
- San Marcos Community Center
3 Civic Center Drive
San Marcos, CA 92069
- Carmel Mountain Ranch Community Park
10152 Rancho Carmel Drive
San Diego, CA 92128
- Spring Valley Community Center
8735 Jamacha Blvd.
Spring Valley, CA 91977
- South Region Live Well Center
690 Oxford Street
Chula Vista, CA 91911
- Registrar of Voters Office
5600 Overland Avenue
San Diego, CA, 92123
For more information, visit www.sdvote.com or call 858-565-5800.
