Santa Clara County begins counting ballots
Vote counting was underway in Santa Clara County on Tuesday, with some of the first ballots collected from a drop box outside the Registrar of Voters' Office.
"The polls are open. We're very excited. We're expecting a robust turnout Tuesday," said Matt Morales, the Santa Clara County registrar of voters.
Guye Brame of San Jose was among the first to vote in person.
"I just recently moved, so it's best to come here, knock it out, and get over with," Brame said.
But for Brame, participating in the election carried deeper meaning.
"For my kids, ancestors, you know, to be black in America today. It was important to make it the first thing in my day, before I get working and making a living," he said.
The Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters said the office has seen a steady stream of ballots since early voting began in May, with up to 20% of voters submitting ballots before polls opened on Election Day.
"There's been a lot of reports that voters are holding on to their ballots until the last minute as they're trying to choose who they're gonna vote for governor, so we are very excited to see a lot of turnout Tuesday," Morales said.
Officials allowed a behind-the-scenes look at how ballots are processed and counted. The work is expected to continue through the day and after polls close at 8 p.m.
"Right when the polls close at 8 p.m. we'll post our initial results, which are all the early votes, the early ballots that came back in, but and then throughout the night we'll be updating with the results are coming back from the vote centers," Morales said.
With hours remaining before polls close, Morales also urged voters to participate.
"It is important that voters get out there, advocate for their values, you know, make the choices that they want to see in their community, and that all starts at the ballot box," he said.
The registrar said workers will continue tallying votes through the weekend until every ballot is counted.
