When Do Vote Centers Open in California?

California mails a ballot to all registered voters. However, this does not mean voters have to vote by mail. They can vote or drop off their ballot in person. And, they don’t have to wait until Election Day to do it. 

Many counties offer vote centers that make it easy for voters to participate in elections. These centers are offered under the Voter’s Choice Act (VCA), and for the June 2 primary, the first ones open starting on Saturday, May 23.

Times may vary from county to county, but these vote centers must be open at least 8 hours per day and on Election Day, they have to be open from 7 am to 8 pm.

This gives voters who live in VCA counties 10 days to vote in person, return a mail ballot, register or update their registration through the same day voter registration process, and get help if they need a replacement ballot. 

Yes, all of these things are offered at VCA vote centers.

All other in-person voting locations throughout California open on Saturday, May 30 — 3 days before the election.

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To Recap: For eligible voters who live in a vote center county, early in-person voting begins as early as May 23. If not, in-person early voting locations will be open by May 30.

What Is a Vote Center?

A vote center is not the same as a traditional neighborhood polling place. In counties that opt-in to the Voter’s Choice Act, voters can go to any vote center in their county instead of being assigned to one specific polling place. 

The VCA model also includes mailing every active registered voter a ballot, expanding early in-person voting, and providing secure ballot drop-off locations.

For voters, the practical difference is simple: They can vote near their home, work, school, or wherever is most convenient—as long as the vote center is in their county.

Notably, the Voter’s Choice Act is not mandatory for counties. They have choose to opt-in.

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How Many California Counties Use Vote Centers?

The secretary of state currently lists 30 Voter’s Choice Act counties: Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Humboldt, Imperial, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Merced, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Diego, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Ventura, and Yolo.

The system has grown quickly. Only 5 counties used the VCA model in 2018, 15 used it in 2020, 27 used it in 2022, and 30 are now listed as participating counties.

How Many Vote Centers Does a California County Have?

The answer depends on the number of registered voters. Under the VCA, counties must provide at least:

• One vote center for every 50,000 registered voters starting 10 days before Election Day, or at least two vote centers total; and
• One vote center for every 10,000 registered voters starting 3 days before Election Day, or at least two vote centers total.

In practice, this means large counties can have dozens of locations, while smaller counties may have only a handful. 

Los Angeles County says in-person voting for the June 2 primary begins May 23, with vote centers open from 10 am to 7 pm through June 1 and 7 am to 8 pm on Election Day. The county also lists more than 400 ballot drop box locations.

San Diego County says select vote centers open May 23, all locations open May 30, and all vote centers meet usable accessibility standards. Its vote centers are open 8 am to 5 pm from May 23 through June 1 and 7 am to 8 pm on Election Day.

How Many California Voters Use Vote Centers?

California has heavily emphasized vote-by-mail. But these vote centers still matter, especially in larger counties, because they give voters more options to turn in their ballot or vote in person.

A secretary of state summary report found that in the 2024 general election, Los Angeles County recorded more than 1 million in-person ballots cast at vote centers, equal to about 27.8% of the county’s total votes. 

Latinos Will Be the Most Powerful Voting Bloc, Once They Start Voting in Primaries

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In the 2024 primary, Los Angeles recorded 321,824 in-person vote center ballots, or about 19.6% of total votes.

Other large counties also saw substantial in-person use in 2024. San Diego County recorded 227,236 in-person vote center ballots in the 2024 general election, Alameda County recorded 86,786, and Ventura County recorded 62,412.

So, while many Californians return ballots by mail or drop box, vote centers are the safety valve for voters who want help, need to register late, need a replacement ballot, prefer accessible voting equipment, or simply want to vote in person.