Politics

Vu On Voting: Registrar On Where, When and How

By Maureen Cavanaugh / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host, Pat Finn / Producer

Published October 2, 2020 at 11:40 AM PDT

This story was published more than 4 years ago.

A "vote here" sign hangs above the door at the San Diego County Registrar of Voters Office in Kearny Mesa on May 31, 2014.

San Diego County Registrar of Voters Michael Vu has got it covered. The 2020 Presidential Election may be unlike any other, but Vu and his staff seem to have prepared for all contingencies, from balloting to tabulating.

Nearly 75% of San Diego County voters vote by mail and have been doing so for years. But because of the coronavirus pandemic, all 1.9 million registered voters in the county will receive their ballot by mail for the general election. Registrar of Voters Michael Vu expressed confidence in the U.S. Postal Service being able to handle all those ballots, because, he told KPBS Midday Edition, it has not let the county down yet.

Vu detailed the voting timeline for the Nov. 3 election, including dates for requesting and receiving ballots, dates and polling places for in-person voting and when votes can begin to be tabulated. He noted that sample ballots and voter information pamphlets have already started to go out. All this information is on the SDROV website.

New this year:

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235 "super polls" replacing the smaller neighborhood precinct polls and open for four days. In-person voters will need to observe distancing, wear a mask and be prepared for a wait,
Dozens of mail ballot drop-off locations, available from Oct. 6 through Nov. 3,
Where's My Ballot?, a system that allows voters to track their mail-in ballot every step of the way.

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Politics Politics, Democracy and Elections News

Maureen Cavanaugh

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Maureen Cavanaugh has been a familiar voice for KPBS listeners for more than 15 years, serving in a variety of capacities including announcer, host, and producer. As host of KPBS Midday Edition, Maureen has interviewed a wide range of notables, such as comedienne Sandra Bernhardt, actor John Lequizamo, author Chuck Palahniuk, composer Marvin Hamlisch, artist Robert Irwin, and designer Zandra Rhodes. But of all the interviews Maureen has conducted, her most special was with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Before joining KPBS in 1997, she worked as a news anchor for KSDO and KOGO News Radio in San Diego. While working for commercial radio stations in San Diego and in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maureen reported on both hard news and lifestyle features. Maureen has received three "Golden Mike" awards from the Radio and TV News Association of Southern California for economic reporting and breaking news. She has also received a "Best of Show" and “Best Radio Newscast” awards from the San Diego Press Club and the "Flo" Award from Public Radio Program Directors Association for Best Public Radio Announcer in a large market. Maureen is a native of Queens, New York, but after more than 20 years in San Diego she feels she qualifies as a real Southern Californian.

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Pat Finn

Pat Finn previously served as a producer for KPBS Midday Edition and KPBS Evening Edition. Finn began her career in broadcasting at KTLA and KCET in Los Angeles. In 1979 she became KPBS’ Public Information Director, then Director of Advertising and Promotion, Program Director, and Director of Broadcasting. She oversaw the station’s local and national productions, including the one-hour documentary Los Romeros: The Royal Family of the Guitar, and Child Protective Services, a one-hour look inside the San Diego County agency responsible for the welfare of at risk children. Both programs also aired on public television stations nationwide. Finn has earned honors from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Pacific Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

See stories by Pat Finn