Here's how casting your ballot is changing this year in California
When it comes to where and how you vote, there are lots of changes to pay attention to this year.
One of the biggest is vote centers instead of traditional polling places. They open starting Saturday and will remain open for 11 days through Election Day.
"Here's the beauty of them - you can go to any vote center in Orange County. You don't have to go to one specifically tied to your home precinct," said Orange County Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley.
For more information, visit your county's registrar of voters website:
In the last major election there were about 900 polling places across the county. Now there are just about 200 vote centers.
"The difference is, a polling place and a garage can handle about 1,000 voters. A vote center can handle 10,000 voters, so it's a big difference in terms of the volume," said Kelley.
There are also four-day vote centers that open the Saturday before Election Day, so you've got to pay attention to specifics.
Counties across California are moving to this new vote center model.
For instance, Los Angeles County is doing vote centers this year, but they haven't started sending ballots to every voter just yet, as Orange County started doing this year. For specifics, go to your county registrar's website. Although it might take some getting used to, the goal is to make things easier and convenient.
"It gives people a little more freedom in terms of, they can show up on a weekend, they can show up later in the day in case their hours are impacting them. It's a big deal," said Michele Ryan of Anaheim Hills, who also volunteers with the registrar's office.
Mail-in ballots also continue to become more popular, with about 170,000 already sent in Orange County.
"I remember it being more stressful to vote, like huge lines at the voting stations. Nowadays I feel it's more convenient," said Santa Ana resident Oscar Franco.
You can also drop your ballot in one of 110 drop boxes across Orange County.
