SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) — The Bay Area is showing up to vote!
We’re less than one week from polls closing at 8 p.m. on November 3, and people are showing up well before then to make their voices heard through the ballot.
On Thursday, Governor Gavin Newsom said 8 million Californians had already cast their votes. In the Bay Area, the number was about 2 million.
The Bay Area has several ballot drop box locations, you can find an interactive map to find one near you here.
Our local sports stars are getting in on the enthusiasm. Starting Halloween, Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara County and the Chase Center in San Francisco are opening up as early voting centers. The Warrior’s Oakland facility is included in this as well.
Record early voting participation comes as people attempt to avoid long lines on Election Day. The pandemic has raised awareness of America’s voting options — you don’t need to squeeze in your civic duty between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Tuesday.
Some people opted to mail-in their ballots, and still some wanted to get to an early voting place to do it the traditional way.
“I think it’s just important to be here in person, I really do,” one early voter in San Mateo County said.
Election officials are saying they’ve received more than 2x the number of ballots compared to the 2016 presidential election.
Here’s the early voting numbers we have as of Thursday morning:
If you’re not yet registered to vote in California, it’s not too late! You can head to a polling place on Election Day, register and cast your ballot in one go.