Bay Area counties will begin mailing ballots Monday for the Nov. 3 election, giving voters nearly a month to weigh races for governor and Congress alongside statewide and local measures.

In Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa and San Mateo counties, vote-by-mail ballot packets will be sent out Monday to registered voters, who already should have received voter information guides that many counties mailed out Sept. 24. Voters may return their filled-out ballots by mail, hand them in at the county registrar of voters office or slip them into ballot drop boxes located throughout the county.

The Secretary of State’s office urges voters to “return your ballot by mail as soon as you receive it,” as do local election officials, though it can also be returned at the voter’s county election office, or one of several secure ballot drop-off boxes that election officials will have in place starting this week. Hand-delivered ballots must be turned in by 8 p.m. Nov. 3. The Secretary of State advises that voters who mail their ballots do so at least seven days in advance, and if they mail their ballot on Election Day Nov. 3, they should get a manual postmark from a postal employee. Mailed ballots must be signed and sealed in their return envelope and received by Nov. 10 to be counted.

“We are encouraging all voters to vote early to avoid delays and to ensure their votes are counted,” said Steve Goltiao, a Santa Clara County communications officer. The county has a web page informing voters of the benefits of submitting their ballots early.

Those include avoiding long lines at election or post offices, unexpected weather or power outages that can complicate returning ballots at the last minute and ensuring they are postmarked on or before Election Day, Nov. 3, as required, to be counted.

Why the urge to return ballots early? It stems in part from concerns that President Donald Trump’s efforts through a March executive order to ensure mailed ballots come from registered citizen voters and are ready to count on Election Day rather than arriving in the mail days afterward, as California law allows for ballots postmarked by Election Day, which can delay results in close contests.

Critics argued that a rush to implement such a system for the midterms through the U.S. Postal Service by requiring states to adopt a uniform envelope style for mailed ballots and submit lists of eligible voters could disenfranchise millions of voters, and noted that investigations haven’t found significant numbers of fraudulent voters. The U.S. Supreme Court last month ruled such changes couldn’t be imposed for the midterms before the case is decided.

In California, 89% of voters cast vote-by-mail ballots in the June primary — though not necessarily through the post office — rather than filling them out in person at vote centers.

It’s unclear how enthusiastic voters will be about this year’s midterm election. While control of Congress is at issue, most Bay Area voters’ House districts aren’t expected to flip party representation.

Voters who are registered will automatically receive a ballot in the mail. Voters can check their registration online through the Secretary of State or local election offices in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa and San Mateo counties. The last day to register to vote and receive a vote-by-mail ballot is Oct. 19. After that date, voters may still register and cast a ballot, but must do so in person at their county election office or vote center. Voters who misplace their ballot can request a replacement through their local election office. Forms are available online through the Secretary of State.

Voters can register online through the Secretary of State or their local election offices in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa or San Mateo counties.

Vote-by-mail ballot drop-off locations can be found online through local election offices in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa and San Mateo counties.

Voters also may vote in person at their local election office and other locations starting Oct. 5. Information can be found online for election offices in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa and San Mateo counties. Election office locations and phones are listed below.

Election Offices

Santa Clara County1555 Berger Drive, Bldg. 2San Jose408-299-8683Hours: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Alameda County1225 Fallon Street, Room G-1Oakland510-272-6933Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Contra Costa County555 Escobar St.Martinez925-335-7800Hours: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

San Mateo40 Tower RoadSan Mateo650-312-5222Hours: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.