The countdown has begun to cast your ballot if you haven’t done so already.

Erik Chalhoub here. I suffered from an extreme case of procrastination during my school years, often writing papers the night before they were due. I slowly recovered from it through my college career, and nowadays, it only rears its ugly head every now and then. 

Some of my colleagues, though, may beg to differ.

Procrastination comes into play today, Election Day, where many voters will cast their ballot in the final moments, despite having the ability to do so for a month. For many others, it might not be procrastination, it just might be the preference to vote in person.

No matter whether you waited intentionally or not, the important thing is to vote now before the polls close at 8pm, if you haven’t done so already. At this late hour, don’t put your ballot in the mail, drop it in a drop box or visit your polling place.

The primary election has historically had a low turnout—31 percent of eligible voters in Monterey County during the previous primary in 2022—but that doesn’t mean it’s any less important.

Beyond the big ticket item of choosing who will be the top two candidates for California governor in November, the local races are plentiful.

For the North County District 2 representative on the Board of Supervisors, Ramon Gomez seeks to unseat incumbent Glenn Church. The auditor/controller’s race is contested this cycle, in a race between Enedina Garcia and Burcu Mousa.

Longtime Congressional representatives Zoe Lofgren and Jimmy Panetta are once again vying for another term in their respective districts, as will Robert Rivas and Dawn Addis on the State Assembly, which will be decided in November.

Voters will also get to choose the next county superintendent of schools between Dan Burns and Ralph Porras.

Chris Lopez, Marina Camacho and Jake Stroud face no challengers for District 3 supervisor, assessor-county clerk/recorder and treasurer/tax collector, respectively.

There’s also a slew of local measures across various cities, ranging from new taxes to a bump in pay for Pacific Grove City Council members.

The Weekly staff will spread throughout Monterey County tonight to speak with candidates and voters. Check montereycountynow.com shortly after the polls close at 8pm for the latest updates.