Voter turnout is expected to be huge Tuesday, and that could mean some long lines at the polls in California. There are also a lot of first-time voters, so registrars are reminding people about the do's and don'ts of voting. From Sacramento, Marianne Russ has more on what to expect.
Registrars also note if you have a vote by mail ballot and you haven't mailed it yet, drop it off at your polling place -- not at the post office. Ballots must be received by the close of polls on Election Day. A postmark doesn't count.
Secretary of State Debra Bowen says the interest in this election is so high that she even had to pitch in to help process voter registration cards. So she says a wait at the polls is a very real possibility:
Bowen: What I would say to voters is if you go at 7:30 in the morning or you go on your lunch hour or you go right after work, you are very likely to encounter a line just as you would at the grocery store or at Starbucks.
Bowen advises people to vote in off-peak times. And Sacramento County Registrar of Voters Jill Levine echoes that sentiment. She says late morning or early afternoon are optimal. But she says they do expect lines - and they're ready for them:
Levine: We staffed an extra person at each place so they will be able to kind of help work the line. Kind of walk through and make sure everybody's got everything in order make sure they're in the right place and hopefully that will help speed up the line and be able to answer their questions, so when they get to the table to sign in it can be faster and a little more efficient.
One other thing that could slow things down a bit: A lot of first-time voters. Secretary of State Debra Bowen:
Bowen: There's no question that we're seeing a greater interest in younger voters and certainly anecdotally, many people who've never voted before and who are in their 20's or 30's or even older, and who have not voted before, or who have not voted for many years.
Given that Bowen says many might not know the rules - and that could include unintended electioneering. Law prohibits campaigning of any sort within 100 feet of a polling place. And that includes wearing T-shirts or buttons bearing your favorite candidate's image when you go to vote. Sacramento's Jill Levine says poll workers are trained to respond creatively if such situations arise:
Levine: Put a piece of white paper and a tape over the top, you know, Just to cover it up. They could put a sweater over the top, if they could put their purse in front of it while they vote - that kind of thing. Or step into the gentleman's room or the ladies room and turn it inside out.
Secretary Bowen says some counties have ordered smocks for voters to wear if they are wearing a candidate T-shirt. Both she and Levine say their best advice is come prepared: Know where you're going and bring your sample ballot and plenty of patience.
