REDWOOD CITY, CA – San Mateo County Chief Elections Officer Warren Slocum urges voters to vote early. “This election has grabbed the public’s attention like few in recent memory. My advice to voters is to VOTE EARLY!” said Slocum.

For the Early Voter: The Elections Office has expanded its hours of operation to make voting more convenient. “Voters are welcome to come to one of the Elections Offices either at 40 Tower Road in San Mateo or 555 County Center in Redwood City on Saturday, Oct. 30 th between
10:00 am and 3:00 pm to vote,” said Slocum. “Some people may not realize it, but any voter can vote between now and Election Day at our Election Offices between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm. If that’s convenient for you, we urge you to vote early!”

For the Absentee Voter: “If you’re voting absentee, put it in the mail today. The ballots will require 60 cents in postage.” Voters can also drop off their voted absentee ballots at any City Hall, at the Elections Office in Redwood City (555 County Center) and the Elections Office at
40 Tower Road in San Mateo. “We’ve begun processing the returned ballots. We predict that we’ll receive up to 120,000 absentee ballots because of the growing popularity of absentee voting. We have a big job on our hands just to get those processed,” said Slocum.

For the Polling Place Voter: The length of the ballot and the complexity of some of the propositions and measures will guarantee that some voters will need more time to cast their ballot. Slocum encourages all voters to, “Come prepared—do your homework! Mark your sample ballot and bring it to the polls with you. It will save you time and shorten the wait for your fellow citizens.” He also encourages voters to, “Do yourself a favor and avoid the morning and afternoon rush hour traffic at the polls. Vote in the off hours and you won’t have to wait.”

First Time Voters: “First, please accept my warmest congratulations that you’ve begun voting!” said Slocum. “Under the new Help America Vote Act (HAVA) law, you may be required to show identification at the polls, especially if you mailed in your registration and did not include certain required information. Don’t be alarmed, just be prepared. Bring your driver’s license or a photo ID.”

General Advice for all Voters: “The Elections Office receives thousands of calls from voters who want to confirm that they are registered to vote and to find out where their polling place is,” said Slocum. He suggests using online resources that can answer those questions in seconds, “Simply go to www.shapethefuture.org and click on the link to these two questions. It’s on the homepage—you can’t miss it!” he said. “You will get the information in an instant.”

The website also contains all the sample ballot information and links to other resources that can help voters make up their minds on how to vote; this information is available in Spanish and Chinese as well. “We also have a phone bank to help voters, too. Voters can call the Election Line at 650.312-5222 for help,” said Slocum.