Fresno County ballot returns continue to break records. Here’s where they stand
Registered voters in Fresno County have returned 166,478 ballots through Tuesday morning and the number of registered voters jumped in the past month in what has been a record-breaking year.
The last presidential election saw 87,279 returned absentee ballots a week before the election, and 132,760 through the entire election, according to records from the Fresno County Registrar of Voters.
The voting process this presidential election cycle has changed to an all-mail ballot system so there are many more people who have the opportunity to vote early. Every registered voter can vote early this year as compared to only those who requested absentee ballots in 2016.
About 55% of the ballots received have come through the mail as opposed to those dropped in boxes.
With 496,482 registered voters in Fresno County this year, 33.5% have already returned their ballots through Tuesday morning. The latest tally of registered voters from Oct. 19 — the last day to register — is about 15,000 more than the month before, records show.
A week before the 2016 election, mail-in ballots had come in from about 20% of the 437,423 voters registered then, records show.
The Fresno County voter returns so far track with the state, which has seen 34% returned, according to Political Data Inc. That is 7.4 million of the almost 22 million registered voters in the state.
How to vote
Every voter got a ballot in the mail this year. Voters are no longer assigned to a polling precinct. The ballots can be taken to any of 66 county drop boxes or placed in the mail.
Fifty-three election centers will be open Halloween through Election Day, Nov. 3, for in-person voting. The 2221 Kern St. Fresno County Registrar’s of Voters Office is open now on weekdays for in-person voting, too.
For a full list of drop boxes and voting centers, go to fresnovote.com.
Anyone can check the status of their ballot at the “Where’s My Ballot?” page for the California Secretary of State’s Office.
Elections staffers remind voters to sign the ballot before dropping it in a box or mail. Voting early gives elections officials a chance to correct any issues that come up related to a signature.
For any ballot troubleshooting, call the registrar’s office at 559-600-8683.
This story was originally published October 28, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
