Early voting officially got underway in Santa Clara County as election officials began mailing out more than 1 million ballots to voters ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
The Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters also marked the milestone by hosting a media day in conjunction with the county sheriff to address election security and integrity.
The proactive messaging comes in response to repeated, unproven claims by President Trump accusing California of “rigging” elections.
At the registrar’s office on Berger Drive in San Jose, in-person voting is now open, complemented by about 100 drop boxes set up throughout the county.
While some voters remain unfazed by the rhetoric, others noted that the national conversation influenced how they chose to cast their ballots.
“I have complete trust in the election system,” said San Jose voter May Lee. “I don’t have any concerns about in-person versus mail-in voting. I personally always go in-person because I feel like I want to ‘engage’ actively in the process and go on the day to vote.”
Another San Jose voter, Marina Moreno, said political controversy motivated her to vote in person rather than risking mail-in options.
“Right now because of what Trump is going through… saying that he can push votes and stuff like that, I don’t want that to happen to my vote,” Moreno said. When asked if she feared presidential interference rather than a rigged election, she replied, “Yes.”
To combat potential disruptions and reassure the public, the registrar has coordinated closely with law enforcement. County officials outlined various safety measures, including low-key patrols by sheriff’s deputies at voting locations.
“It could be protesters, electioneering, anything like that, so we do work closely to have a variety of contingency plans in place,” said Matt Moreles of the Registrar of Voters. “We are doing everything we can here at the County to ensure that everybody has a safe and secure experience at the voting locations and that voters can cast their ballots free from any intimidation or interference.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta echoed those commitments, noting that the state is prepared to deploy election observers if needed, just as it did during previous elections when federal monitors were present, to ensure voters feel safe and laws are followed.
Registrar voting booths in San Jose on Berger Drive are open during normal business hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with additional in-person voting centers slated to open across the county on Oct. 24.