Select in-person early vote centers now open across Central California

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Hundreds of voters cast their ballots early across Fresno and Clovis on Saturday. 10 vote centers are now open in Fresno County through Election Day.

"It's been a great start to our in-person voting experience at the vote centers," Fresno County Clerk and Registrar of Voters James Kus said.

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Turnout was higher than expected on Saturday. About 100,000 Fresno County voters have now weighed in by mail or in person, Kus said.

"We're going to be around 600 or 700 people in person," Kus said Saturday. "(It) doesn't sound like a gigantic number, but we're a solid 10 days before Election Day."

Some vote centers in Madera, Mariposa, Merced, and Kings counties are also open. Staff are on-site to answer questions about registration and vote-by-mail. Fresno County Workers printed a new ballot for Stacy Steinwand, who never got hers at home.

Fresno County voters who used a drop box in Southeast Fresno will want to double-check if their ballots are counted.

"I got my booklets in the mail, but I did not get the ballot, so I had to come down here to do the whole process of using the sleeve," Steinwand said.

For voters who received a ballot at home, you can return it at a center and run it through the tabulator yourself as part of a new process called live-vote-by-mail processing.

Kus says about half of the voters used the option at the vote center in Clovis.

"They have to wait in line and check-in, so it does take longer if you want to do it that way," Kus said.

The vote center openings come just days after officials confirmed a key was left inside a Southeast Fresno drop box for more than seven hours. Kus says the box has been replaced, and two people are now relieved of their duties.

On Saturday, no sign of any hiccups.

"People are processing pretty quickly," Steinwand said. "There are all kinds of booths. Totally open."

The 10 vote centers that opened Saturday will remain available through Election Day. Next weekend, Fresno County officials will open 43 more.

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