Workers at the San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder's Office spent Friday bringing in equipment from a warehouse to prepare for Tuesday's primary election.
Spokesperson Erin Clausen said the volume of materials required to run an election goes well beyond ballots.
"We have a giant warehouse because elections involve so many materials. We think of ballots and other supplies but there are mass amounts of equipment, accessibility, signage, all sorts of things that are stored and organized out there," Clausen said.
Voters who still have their mail-in ballots have two options at the Clerk-Recorder's Office: dropping the ballot in a secure drop box or bringing it to the counter inside.
Clausen said both options are available.
"We are also open across the lobby at the elections counter and people come in to drop off their mail ballot or to vote in person," Clausen said.
Voters who want their ballot included in election night totals need to bring it to the counter in person, where staff can verify the signature on the spot. Ballots deposited in the drop box, which carries a reminder reading "Don't drop naked ballots here," will still be counted once all ballots are tallied, but will not appear in the immediate results.
Pismo Beach voter Charmaine Petersen said she and her husband make a habit of delivering their ballots in person.
"My husband and I always like to walk our vote into the government center and it just feels like our vote is really getting counted," Petersen said.
Los Osos voter Katherine Corson said civic participation is a priority for her.
"It's a responsibility of a citizen of this country, of this state, and of this county, and whatever community you live in. It's important that your voice is heard," Corson said.
Voters planning to visit the office on Tuesday should also be aware that services unrelated to the election, including civil ceremonies, will not be available that day. A couple who married at the office on Friday noted the timing worked in their favor.
"Excellent idea to come in today rather than on June 2nd because it will be closed. That would have been really disappointing!" said Savana Brown, who had just tied the knot with Sean Sullivan. The couple currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, but they returned to San Luis Obispo, where they met as students at Cal Poly, to make it official. They have a larger wedding planned in the future in Napa.
“We had no idea it would be closed, and scheduled our whole trip around this," Sullivan said. “If it landed on June 2nd, it would have been absolutely ruined for us!”
Voters have until 8 p.m. on June 2 to vote at a polling location or drop off their ballot in a dropbox or at the Clerk-Recorder's Office.
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