SLO Elections Office Open for Early Voting Saturday, May 30 from 9am-3pm

Author: Erin Clausen
Date: 5/26/2026 11:40 AM

New to this election, SLO County voters have the option to vote early and in person while guaranteeing that their vote is included in Election Night results.

The office will be open on Saturday, May 30 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm for early, in-person voting. Voters can opt to have their signature verified on the spot, allowing them to vote and cast their ballot at the counter without a return envelope. This new process streamlines the steps that confirm a voter's eligibility and will help speed the process of counting ballots cast at the office.

In past elections, any ballot cast at the Elections Office needed to be returned in a sealed and signed return envelope. This system requires the envelopes to be scanned and every signature to be verified before the ballots could be extracted, processed, and tabulated.

"We're excited to be able to offer this new voting option," said Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano. "Importantly, ballots cast in person at our office will be counted on Election Night, just like the ballots cast at the polls. Voting this way means that your vote is included in those Election Night results, not added to the total in the days afterward."

This new efficiency will be particularly useful as a new law effective January 1, 2026, requires the vast majority of mail ballots to be processed and counted within 13 days of the election. In the past, the processing of mail ballots dropped off at a polling place on Election Day has created a bottleneck in the official canvass, which can be particularly challenging when more than 90 percent of local voters choose to use their mail ballot.

"Voters still have all of the same options as before, including putting a mail ballot in any official drop box, like our 24/7 box here. They can also drop it off at any polling location, or they can surrender it in exchange for a precinct ballot at their assigned location on Election Day," said Cano.

She hopes the Saturday hours and the ability to vote early in person will inspire many voters to check voting off the to-do list before Tuesday.

"It will mean more comprehensive Election Night results and a faster path to getting all of the ballots counted and reported."

Voters are encouraged to bring in their mail ballot if they want to vote at the Elections Office but it is not required; staff can void the mail ballot and issue them a replacement while they wait.