On National Voter Registration Day, the City of Goleta Announces Ballot Drop Box Locations for November 3 General Election

Today, September 22, is National Voter Registration Day. Make sure you are registered to vote! You can check the status of your voter registration here. If you are not already registered, October 19, 2020, is the last day to register to vote and you can register online at registertovote.ca.gov. Paper applications may be available at most U.S. Post Offices, Santa Barbara County Registrar of Voters Offices or the Department of Motor Vehicles.  To verify voter registration status or update registration information, such as an address or party affiliation, go to www.sbcvote.com.

The upcoming election is only six weeks away, taking place on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. There will be over 30 secure Ballot Drop Boxes located throughout the County to safely return your ballot directly to the Registrar of Voters. Drop boxes will be available 24 hours a day from October 5 through 8:00 pm on Election Day, November 3. We are pleased to share that there will be three locations in Goleta:

• Goleta City Hall (130 Cremona Drive)
• Goleta Valley Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue)
• Southcoast Church (5814 Cathedral Oaks Road)

A list of all the Ballot Drop Box locations in the County is available here.

Deborah Lopez, City Clerk for the City of Goleta said, “We have been working with Santa Barbara County Elections Office to get the ballot drop boxes installed at locations within the City. I am so pleased to see them come to fruition and can’t wait for our residents to begin using them. I want to let everyone know that they are safe, secure, and ADA complaint.”

Locally, City of Goleta residents will be voting for a Mayor, two City Council seats, and Measure O2020 asking “Shall the term of office of the mayor be changed from two years to four years?” Information on candidates, the measure, and general election information is available at www.cityofgoleta.org/elections.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, every registered voter in California will receive a ballot in the mail for the upcoming election. If you are not already registered to vote by mail you DO NOT need to complete an application to receive your ballot by mail, it will automatically be sent. The first day ballots will be mailed is October 5, 2020. In-person voting will still be available, but on a limited basis.

More information is available on the Santa Barbara County Elections Division webpage. You can also learn more about voting on the Santa Barbara County Registrar of Voters Vote Safely, Santa Barbara County webpage.

What You Should Know:

• Nearly 75% of the county’s registered voters are already signed up to permanently receive their ballot by mail. This means the Santa Barbara County Registrar of Voters is well positioned to manage this increase.
• If you need to vote in-person, limited polling places will be available and lines may be long. Your polling location may have changed from previous years. The Polling Place and County Voter Information Guide Lookup will be available approximately 30 days before the Election at https://countyofsb.org/care/elections/voting/lookup.sbc.
• Take advantage of early in-person voting:
• At the Registrar’s office (4440-A Calle Real, Santa Barbara, CA 93110) beginning October 5, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday, October 31 to Sunday, November 1 from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• At your assigned polling place Saturday, October 31 through Sunday, November 1, 9:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m., and Monday, November 2, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• All will again be open on Election Day, November 3, when the voting hours change to 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Due to COVID-19, we are encouraging all voters to vote by mail avoiding lines and to ensure that voters can exercise their right to vote in a safe, secure and accessible manner.

The Santa Barbara County Registrar of Voters Office wants to help make the voting process as easy as possible. For questions or assistance, please call (805) 568-2200.

Pictured: Ballot drop box located outside of Goleta City Hall, one of three ballot drop box locations within the City of Goleta