Vote Centers and Ballot Drop Boxes

​Frequently Asked Questions
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Sacramento County adopted the Voter’s Choice Act to modernize elections to reflect the lives of today’s voters. The Voter’s Choice Act will make voting more convenient by providing voters with more options of how, when, and where they vote. 

Currently, 64% of Sacramento County voters permanently vote by mail.  With the Voter’s Choice Act, all voters will be mailed a Vote by Mail ballot.  

Instead of being limited to voting at one polling place on Election Day, you will now be able to vote in person at a universal Vote Center (as early as ten days before Election Day), by mail, or by dropping your voted ballot in a Ballot Drop Box​.

A “Vote Center” is a universal polling place where any registered voter in Sacramento County may vote. Simply stated, with Vote Centers, there is no wrong place to vote!

​The Voter’s Choice Act provides for Vote Centers which make voting more convenient. Voters are able to choose where and when they vote.

  • All registered voters receive a Vote by Mail ballot in the mail​
  • More days to vote, 10 days before an election, including weekends and holidays
  • More locations to register to vote
  • More locations to vote before Election Day
  • Drop your ballot at any Ballot Drop Box location or Vote Center
  • More locations to get a replacement ballot
  • More accessible voting machines
  • Language assistance at Vote Centers

Each Vote Center will be equipped with three (3) accessible ballot marking devices so all voters can cast a ballot independently and privately. Voters can still bring up to two people to assist them during the voting process, as long as they are not the voter’s employer or union representative.

Read more information about the accessible ballot marking device​, known as the ImageCastX (ICX) tablet. 

Vote Centers will also have bilingual assistance and all Vote Centers will have access to a language translation service. Please call our office at (916) 875-6100, to see what language assistance is available at a Vote Center near you.

Beginning 30 days before each election, you can find a list of Vote Centers and Ballot Drop Box locations:

  • Included in your County Voter Information Guide
  • On our website

No, only those that are registered or are eligible to register to vote in Sacramento County may vote at a Vote Center in Sacramento County.

Vote Centers will be open starting 10 days before Election Day.  This includes two weekends and holidays as they fall.

The State of California has implemented a statewide voter registration database. All counties will be able to determine if a voter has already voted anywhere in the State of California.

A Ballot Drop Box is a secure, accessible, and locked receptacle available for voters to drop-off Vote by Mail ballot envelopes beginning 28 days ​before the election. Drop Boxes will be available during the locations’ regular business hours. No postage will be needed when using a Drop Box​.

The number of Ballot Drop Boxes is determined by the number of registered voters in the County 88 days before Election Day. 

There will be approximately 58 Drop Boxes throughout Sacramento County which is about 1 for every 15,000 registered voters. This includes one drive-thru/walk-up Ballot Drop Box located in front of the Elections Office at 7000 65th Street, Suite A, Sacramento, CA 95823.

​Inside Ballot Drop Boxes are secured, locked, and in full view of a person. The County has two large 24 hour drive-thru/walk-up Ballot Drop Boxes that are metal, locked, and bolted to the ground located outside the Elections Office and another outside the Citrus Heights City Hall​.

Ballot Drop Boxes are made of durable material to withstand vandalism, removal and inclement weather. Ballots are retrieved on a regular schedule by election staff.

The County is working with the community to take suggestions and input on Vote Center and Ballot Drop Box locations. You can email PrecinctOperations@saccounty.gov​ with suggestions for possible locations. 

Before use, all locations will be surveyed by the Elections Office to ensure they are accessible to voters with disabilities. Once a location is surveyed, our office will work directly with the site to confirm availability for the required timeframe in Election Code 4005.

California Election Code 4005 refers to 14 different criteria that must be considered when selecting Vote Centers and Ballot Drop Box locations. These include:

  • Proximity to public transportation​
  • Communities with historically low vote by mail usage
  • Population centers
  • Language minority communities
  • Voters with disabilities
  • Communities with low rates of household vehicle ownership
  • Low-income communities
  • Communities of eligible voters who are not registered to vote and may need access to same day voter registration
  • Geographically isolated populations

In addition, we must consider:

  • Access to accessible and free parking at Vote Centers and Drop Box locations
  • The distance and time a voter must travel by car or public transportation to a Vote Center and Drop Box location
  • Ability for voters with disabilities to cast an independent private ballot
  • Traffic patterns near Vote Centers and Drop Box locations
  • The need for mobile Vote Centers in addition to the number of Vote Centers established. The need for additional Vote Centers open for a shorter period of time
  • Facility availability and commitment to serve the voters​
  • Public input and suggestions​

We are always looking for potential Vote Center or Ballot Drop Box locations to serve the community! All potential locations must be surveyed by the Elections Office to ensure accessibility requirements are met. 

To recommend a location or obtain more information about the requirements for serving as a Vote Center, please contact us by:

We will be contacting each voter by mail. We are creating public service announcements, and working closely with media outlets, that include required minority languages, such as: local newspapers, radio stations, and television. 

We participate in community events throughout the year and work with local community, disability and language groups to educate the public. If you know of any events that you would like the Elections Office to participate in, please email Voter-Outreach@saccounty.gov with more information.

No person on Election Day shall, within 100 feet from the room within which the voting is taking place, wear buttons, badges, shirts or any item with a political statement or candidates’ names. 

Also, no newspaper, radio, or television can be on with political information at any Voter Center. California Election Code, 319.5, 18370.

You can find information on becoming an election officer by visiting Become an Election Officer.

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