How are Things Going?

• In spite of the recent and unfortunate passing of the Registrar of Voters Heather Ditty, San Joaquin County was fully prepared for today’s election
• This is a reflection of the excellent work she completed in advance of the election, and the resiliency of our election officials
• So far, we’re happy to report things are running smoothly
• Polls opened right on time at 7 a.m.
• There is an issue with a percentage of ballots where the printed bar code is blurry. These ballots cannot be counted by the County’s State-approved tabulating machines. ROV staff have identified each one of those ballots (just like they would a damaged ballot) and have taken actions approved by Elections Code to duplicate the defective ballots using a two-person integrity process while under camera surveillance to ensure the votes are cast
• We’ve seen a steady stream of voters coming in to vote in person – or to drop off a Vote by Mail ballot
• We have over 950 staff and volunteers in place at the 127 polling places
• And seeing how things are currently going - we don’t expect any major problems to occur especially if voters come prepared

What Recommendations does San Joaquin County have for Voters?

Basically, we ask that all voters:

• Read the information on their county voter information guide thoroughly, weighing the backgrounds of the candidates
• If possible, voters should mark their sample ballots with their choices before going to the polls
• This year’s ballot is 3 pages long, front and back. We’ve found that people who come to the polls unfamiliar with the ballot can contribute to delays and longer wait times, particularly during peak hours
• We strongly recommend that voters be patient and give themselves enough time to vote
• Know that all registered voters who are in line before 8 p.m. will be allowed to cast their ballots
• People can still register to vote and cast their ballot if there are standing in line by 8 p.m.
• Ballots postmarked through June 7, 2022 will be counted
• For any questions about voting or election results after 8 p.m., or any election-related information, visit the Registrar of Voters website at: www.sjcrov.org

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