Santa Cruz County voters don't have an assigned polling place for the Nov. 3 general election. Any voter can use any vote center in the county, according to the county elections office.

When centers open

  • 29-day centers opened Oct. 5: the County Clerk/Elections office at 701 Ocean St., Room 310, in Santa Cruz; the Watsonville City Clerk's Office at 275 Main St.; and the Westridge County Building at 500 Westridge Dr. in Watsonville.
  • 11-day centers opened Oct. 24, including Cabrillo College in Aptos, Simpkins Family Swim Center in Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley Public Library.
  • 4-day centers open Saturday, Oct. 31. Among them are sites in Boulder Creek, Capitola, Felton, Bonny Doon and Aptos.
  • Some centers open only on Election Day.

Hours

Most vote centers are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, all centers are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. A few sites have special hours, so check the county list before you go.

What is a 'naked ballot'?

County Clerk Tricia Webber told the Pajaronian that a "naked ballot" is a mail ballot you fill out at home and bring to a vote center without its return envelope. You check in with staff and put it straight into the ballot box. Ballots returned that way can be included in election-night results. Ballots returned in envelopes need signature checks and other processing that takes about 48 hours, she said.

Other options

At a vote center you can also vote in person, get a replacement ballot, use an accessible tablet or a Spanish-language ballot, or register and vote on the same day. Mail ballots can also go back by mail or into a county drop box. Some drop boxes are outdoors and open 24/7.

About 172,000 ballots went into the mail starting Oct. 2, the Pajaronian reported.