Early voting begins Monday: drop boxes open Oct. 5 across Monterey County

Monterey County voters can start casting ballots on Monday, Oct. 5, when the county opens its secure ballot drop boxes and begins in-person early voting at the Elections Office, ahead of the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election.

Vote-by-mail ballots began arriving in voters' mailboxes on Thursday, Oct. 1, and will continue arriving through Monday, Oct. 5. The county's official elections site lists drop box locations open Monday, Oct. 5 through Tuesday, Nov. 3, from Carmel Valley to King City; all boxes close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.

The Monterey County Courthouse in Salinas, seat of county government. Vote-by-mail ballots began arriving in voters' mailboxes on Oct. 1, and in-person early voting starts Monday, Oct. 5.

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Return postage is prepaid, so no stamp is needed. Officials recommend Oct. 27 as the last day to return a ballot by mail. Mailed ballots still count as long as they are postmarked on Nov. 3 and received by Nov. 10; anyone mailing late should take the ballot inside a post office and have a clerk postmark it rather than leaving it in a mailbox.

In-person early voting is available from Oct. 5 at the Monterey County Elections Office, 1441 Schilling Place, North Building, Salinas. Additional early voting locations will open across the county on select dates beginning Thursday, Oct. 15.

A pile of “I Voted” stickers. The deadline to register for the Nov. 3 general election is Monday, Oct. 19; Californians can register at registertovote.ca.gov.

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A temporary satellite voting location at the Embassy Suites, 1441 Canyon Del Rey Blvd. in Seaside, opens Friday, Oct. 30 and runs through Election Day. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30 and Monday, Nov. 2; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31 and Sunday, Nov. 1; and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Completed ballots can also be dropped off at any polling place by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Not registered? The deadline to register for the Nov. 3 election is Monday, Oct. 19, though provisional ballots will be available through Election Day. Voters can register online at registertovote.ca.gov, check their registration status at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov, and sign up for ballot tracking at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov, which sends email, text, or voice notifications when a ballot is received and tallied.