BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — With the midterm elections approaching, Kern County voters are weighing their options for casting a ballot and making sure they are registered in time.
FILE – An election worker reaches for an unopened ballot during sorting at the Clackamas County Elections office, Nov. 7, 2024, in Oregon City, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
“I definitely want to do as much research as I can for local candidates,” said Robert Machero, a Cal State Bakersfield student.
Kern County Elections is encouraging voters to return their ballots early. Early in-person voting options will be held at Kern County libraries throughout the county.
Mail-in ballots began going out Oct. 5, according to the Kern County Elections website. Voters can return completed ballots by mail, at the county’s elections office on Truxtun, at one of the county’s 20 official drop boxes — including one at Cal State Bakersfield’s campus — or at their designated polling site.
FILE: Kern County Election (KBAK//KBFX)
If a ballot is returned by mail, it must be postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days to be counted. Voters can also track their ballot through the Secretary of State’s free “Where’s My Ballot?” service.
For voters who have not received a ballot, Kern County Elections advises checking voter registration status.
“I’ll probably register sooner than later,” said Cole Roth, a Cal State Bakersfield student.
The Kern County Elections Office said Oct. 19 is the deadline to register and receive a ballot by mail. If that deadline is missed, conditional voter registration begins Oct. 20, allowing voters to register and vote at the elections office or at a polling site on Election Day.
“I think every person who has the ability to vote should vote. I think it adds up and I think it’s important,” said Vanna Quintana, a Cal State Bakersfield student.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, with Kern County polling sites open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.