California Recall Election: Voting Centers Now Open in San Diego

California is one of 19 states that allows any elected official to be “recalled”. For the first time in nearly 20 years, California will hold an election that asks voters if they want to remove Gov. Gavin Newsom from office.

The ballot will ask two questions:

1) Do you want to recall the governor?

2) If recalled, who do you want to replace?

Voters can vote on either one or both parts of the recall ballot. If more than 50% of voters vote to recall Gov. Newsom, then the replacement candidate with the most votes would be elected.

A replacement for a recalled governor serves out the remainder of the governor’s term. Newsom’s current term ends in January 2023.

Election Day is scheduled for September 14, however, citizens can already cast their early votes. In a tweet, San Diego County officials confirmed that 221 centers were opened for early voting. 

According to reports, as of Saturday, already more than 773,000 voters in San Diego County have cast their ballots.

That’s nearly 40% of all registered voters here. Around 2,000 have voted in person at the registrar of voters and 104,000 have dropped off their ballots at one of the 131 drop off sites across the county.

The last day of voter registration was August 30, but Californians can still apply for Conditional Voter Registration which allows Californians who missed the deadline to register to vote or update their voter registration information for an election.

This means that your ballot will be processed and counted once the county elections office has completed the voter registration verification process.

Recommended Read: Apprehensions Rise Over Disinformation as California Recall Election Draws Near

Eligible voters for the election should be: 

• A United States citizen and a resident of California;
• 18 years old or older on Election Day;
• Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony;
• Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court

Because of the current coronavirus pandemic and the looming threat of the Delta surge, polls are also expected to follow standard health protocols by wearing face masks and providing face masks to the voters.

Hand sanitizers are available when entering and exiting the facilities, and regularly touched items and places are thoroughly disinfected.