With mail-in ballots already sent out by the Santa Cruz County Clerk, early voting for the Nov. 5 election has begun. Included in the mail-in voting kits are a sample ballot, an official ballot and a voter guide. There are 22 ballot drop box locations across the county where you can leave your ballot if you don’t want to mail it.
Aptos
Aptos Branch Library, 7695 Soquel Dr.
Polo Grounds near the dog park, 2255 Huntington Dr.
Cabrillo College Parking lot R by the stadium, 2372 Cabrillo College Dr.
Capitola
420 Capitola Ave., City Hall parking lot
Mall near the old Sears, 1855 41st Ave.
Public Library, 2005 Wharf Rd.
Corralitos
Corralitos Women’s Club, 33 Browns Valley Rd.
Davenport
Fire Station, 75 Marine View Ave.
Santa Cruz Mountains
Highlands Park, 8500 Highway 9, Ben Lomond
Boulder Creek Community Church, 12465 Highway 9, Boulder Creek
Covered Bridge Park, at Mt. Hermon and Graham Hill roads, Felton
Summit Store, 24197 Summit Rd., Los Gatos
Santa Cruz
701 Ocean St. in front of the County Government Center
Sheriff’s Crisis Center, 5300 Soquel Ave.
212 Church St. in the public parking lot
UCSC Quarry Plaza
Trescony Park, end of Trescony Street
Scotts Valley
1 Civic Center Dr. in the City Hall parking lot
Watsonville
316 Rodriguez St., municipal public parking lot 14
County Health Center, 1430 Freedom Blvd.
County Building at Westridge, 500 Westridge Dr.
Additionally, early voting centers are open 8am–5pm Mon.–Fri. at the following locations:
● Santa Cruz—Santa Cruz County Clerk/Elections, 701 Ocean St., Room 310
● Watsonville—Watsonville City Clerk’s Office, 275 Main St., 4th Floor
● Watsonville—Westridge County Building, 500 Westridge Dr.
Due to Santa Cruz’s status as a vote center county, you can cast your vote at any of the 24 locations open from Nov. 1–5 listed on the map at votescount.gov, meaning you don’t have to go to a specific site to cast your ballot.
Though online registration closed Oct. 21, you can register on or before election day at any of the previously listed polling sites by filling out a yellow same-day registration form.
If you are a student at UCSC and received a ballot from your home county anywhere across the state, you can drop it off at any Santa Cruz drop box and it will be safely transported to its county of origin.
As concerns over voter fraud have increased in recent years, the voter hotline remains open at 800-345-8683.
