Santa Barbara County Receives 35,000 Ballots With 1 Week Left Before June 2 Primary
Updated
Updated · Noozhawk · May 26
Santa Barbara County Receives 35,000 Ballots With 1 Week Left Before June 2 Primary
2 articles · Updated · Noozhawk · May 26
More than 35,000 of roughly 250,000 mailed ballots had been returned in Santa Barbara County by midday Tuesday, leaving most registered voters still to cast ballots one week before the primary.
County elections officials urged voters to mail ballots at least five days before Election Day—by Thursday—or use drop boxes, polling places or elections offices to avoid missing the count.
2,647 mailed ballots were rejected as late in Santa Barbara County in November 2025, up from 179 a year earlier, a jump officials partly tied to USPS next-day collection changes in areas far from regional hubs.
61 polling places and 18 drop boxes are available across the county through 8 p.m. on June 2, while in-person voters were warned to expect lines because the ballot includes unusually large candidate fields, including 61 in the governor's race.
With postal delays causing more ballots to be rejected, how can voters ensure their voice is heard?
As mail-in voting faces new hurdles, what is the future for ensuring accessible and secure elections?