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With Election Day on the horizon, local residents have access to various resources like voting centers, ballot drop-off areas and voting guides – here’s how to access them ahead of Nov. 5.
This year, the Palo Alto Weekly provided comprehensive guides to elections for Palo Alto City Council, Palo Alto Measure D, Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Education, East Palo Alto City Council, Santa Clara County Office of Education, Santa Clara County Supervisor, Foothill-De Anza Community College Board of Trustees and Congressional District 16. Coverage on this year’s candidates, campaign funding and more can be found on Palo Alto Online under the 2024 Election Guide.
The Almanac provided further Election Day information for San Mateo County voters.
The Mountain View Voice published guides to elections for Mountain View City Council, Mountain View Los Altos High School Board, Mountain View Whisman School Board, Mountain View Whisman’s Measure AA, Los Altos Measure EE, Mountain View’s Measure G and El Camino Health Care District Board – these resources can also be found on the Voice’s website under the 2024 Election Guide.
How to vote
Voters should have received their mail-in ballots 29 days before Election Day – if placing a ballot into a mailbox, it must be postmarked on or before Nov. 5 in order to make it on time. To expedite the process, voters can also return ballots in person to a polling location or ballot drop-box before 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. If you can’t drop off your own ballot, anyone they appoint can do it for them.
On the ballot, ovals must be filled in completely with black or blue ink – Sharpies are okay, and the back of mail-in ballots must be signed before they’re sent off.
To track ballots placed in the mail, visit the County of Santa Clara Registrar of Voters website.
People can also fill out their ballots in person at county voting centers from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. any day of the week, and on Election Day, centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Where to vote
Santa Clara County voting centers, open now:
- Palo Alto Art Center auditorium: 1313 Newell Road, Palo Alto
- Ventura Community Center activity center: 3990 Ventura Court, Palo Alto
Santa Clara County voting centers, opening on Nov. 2:
- Mountain View Community Center Redwood Hall: 201 S Rengstorff Ave., Mountain View
- St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church Edwards Hall: 2094 Grant Road, Mountain View
- Mountain View Masonic Lodge auditorium: 890 Church St., Mountain View
- Church of Scientology Silicon Valley the chapel: 1066 Linda Vista Ave., Mountain View
- Mitchell Park Community Center El Palo Alto Room: 3700 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto
- Palo Alto Buddhist Temple Issei Hall: 2751 Louis Road, Palo Alto
- Barron Park Elementary School music room 19: 800 Barron Ave., Palo Alto
- Palo Alto Elks Lodge ballroom: 4249 El Camino Real, Palo Alto
Santa Clara County drop boxes, 24-hour:
- Registrar of Voters Office parking lot: 1555 Berger Drive, San Jose
- Mountain View City Hall, outside: 500 Castro St., Mountain View
- Mountain View Public Library, outside: 585 Franklin St., Mountain View
- Computer History Museum, outside: 1401 North Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View
- Mountain View Public Works, outside Sandbag Entrance: 234 North Whisman Road, Mountain View
- Palo Alto City Hall, outside: 250 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto
- Palo Alto High School, outside: 50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto
- Mitchell Park Library, outside: 3700 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto
- Rinconada Branch Library, outside: 1213 Newell Road, Palo Alto
This publication will post preliminary results to local elections on the evening of Nov. 5.
