New Safe and Secure Voting Options

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The November 3, 2020 Election will be unlike any other. With COVID-19 changing the way we live our daily lives, so too has the way we vote changed. Under Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-64-20, every Californian who is registered to vote will receive a vote-by-mail ballot. On October 5th, the Alameda County Registrar of Voters mailed out ballots to Berkeley voters. Expect to receive your ballot within 5-7 days. You can track your ballot through the California Secretary of State's Where's My Ballot? tool.

While the USPS remains a viable way to deliver your ballot, there are other options available to voters. In recent elections, the Registrar of Voters has installed ballot boxes in front of City Hall and on UC Berkeley's campus. The Registrar picks up the ballots directly on a regular basis. This year, due to this election being vote-by-mail, additional drop boxes have been installed throughout the city. Ballot drop boxes will be available 24/7 until 8pm on Election Day at the following locations in Berkeley:

  • Berkeley City Hall, 2180 Milvia St

  • Claremont Branch Library, 2940 Benvenue Ave

  • Frances Albrier Community Center, 2800 Park St

  • North Branch Library, 1170 The Alameda

  • UC Berkeley, Sproul Plaza between Sather Gate and Sproul Hall

  • West Branch Library, 1125 University Ave

Those who decide to vote in person should bring their mail-in ballots with them to a polling station on Election Day. While most polling locations will be closed, the Alameda County Registrar of Voters has confirmed that it will offer some Accessible Voting Locations (AVLs). AVLs will be at the following locations in Berkeley:

  • Berkeley High School, 1980 Allston Way

  • City of Berkeley Building (formerly Premier Cru), 1011 University Ave

  • Ed Roberts Campus, 3075 Adeline Ave

  • Epworth United Methodist Church, 1953 Hopkins St

  • Lawerence Hall of Science, 1 Centennial Dr

  • Longfellow Middle School, 1500 Derby St

  • MLK Student Union, Pauley Ballroom, 2455 Bancroft Way, 3rd Floor

  • Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda

  • Willard Middle School, 2425 Stuart St

AVLs will open beginning on Saturday, October 31. They will be open from 9am-5pm on Saturday 10/31, Sunday 11/1, and Monday 11/2, and 7am-8pm on Election Day, 11/3.

Recent statements by President Trump have raised concerns about possible voter intimidation efforts occurring at polling places. We urge anyone experiencing voter intimidation or who is denied their right to vote to call the national Election Protection Hotline at (866) 687-8683.

For additional information about voting, visit the Alameda County Registrar of Voters website. For additional information about Berkeley's election, visit the City Clerk's election webpage.

Jesse Arreguin