County Elections Office juggles displaced voters and Covid-19.

As if a pandemic wasn’t the least of the Monterey County Elections Department’s challenges, about three months before Election Day on Nov. 3, wildfires broke out that destroyed at least 63 homes, displacing a still unknown number of registered voters. There is a plan for multiple disaster and emergency scenarios, says Registrar of Voters Claudio Valenzuela, and his office is working to push past any obstacles that get in the way of peoples’ ability to vote.

One of the biggest developments this year is the establishment of an early voting location on the Monterey Peninsula at the Embassy Suites in Seaside, opening Oct. 5. It’s one of a few options available to voters displaced by fires. Those voters can also request the Elections Department mail a ballot to a different address, or pick up a vote-by-mail ballot from either the Salinas elections headquarters or at Embassy Suites.

The Seaside location will be open to all voters who want to register to vote, cast ballots or return ballots in a drive-thru service that will also be available at the Salinas office. All California voters are receiving vote-by-mail ballots due to the pandemic.

Vote-by-mail ballots are being sent to voters no later than Oct. 5. With concerns over the Trump administration’s attempted dismantling of the United States Postal Service, Valenzuela says they’ve been in contact with regional USPS officials who have assured him that they are “committed to the priority processing” of ballots. Just in case, voters should mail ballots as early as possible or return them to 23 dropboxes at locations throughout the county. (That number is up from 16 last year.)

The postage is already paid. Ballots must be postmarked no later than Nov. 3, or returned in person by that day.

For those who like it old-school, polling places are still happening by state mandate, but locations have changed. Covid-19 means many past poll workers in high-risk groups won’t be volunteering this year, so there is a big need for poll workers.

MONTEREY COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE is at 1441 Schilling Place, Salinas; 796-1499; montereycountyelections.us. Check your voter registration at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov. Sign up to track your ballot at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov.