12 a.m. update:
Truckloads of ballots continue to arrive at the Sacramento County Elections Office.
All ballots must be back here tonight and ballots always have at least two people with them at all times. Once they arrive, the tabulation process begins!
10 p.m. update:
After the first drop of data from the Sacramento County Elections Office, Mai Vang is leading the Sacramento City Council District 8 race by only about 50 votes.
Pastor Les Simmons is trailing but the margin is extremely tight. Both candidates tell ABC10 they are energized and cautiously optimistic, but neither are celebrating anything yet as this race is too close to call right now.
9:30 update:
Ballots continue to be counted in Sacramento County, and for races both statewide and nationally.
Some key local races are still in the balance, as is the presidential election.
8 p.m. update:
Polls have closed in California.
Joe Biden is projected to win the state's 55 electoral votes
According to elections officials, 24,589 people voted in-person today in Sacramento County.
7:30 p.m. update:
Polls close in 30 minutes in California and lines of voters are still present at the Sacramento County Elections Office.
In 2018, Sacramento County had 30,000 total in-person voters and according to elections officials, “we’ve already surpassed that by far in 2020.”
6:30 p.m. update:
With an hour and a half to go, lines at the Sacramento County Elections Office is still long.
At Natomas Library, the lines continue to grow. Officials brought in 10 extra voting booths to help speed things up.
Voters have appeared steadily in Rocklin, with no reports of long lines – drivers taking full advantage of drive-up ballot drop boxes.
5:30 p.m. update:
An online religious group has gathered at the California state capital building for an election night watch party.
An event organizer tells ABC10’s John Bartell the group plans to display election results on a large projection screen. Although the organizer said the group is bipartisan, the majority of those gathered were Trump supporters.
In addition to watching the results, the group said they plan to have speakers and musical acts. The event is scheduled to last until midnight.
4:45 p.m. update:
Consistent long lines remain at the Sacramento County Elections Office.
Voters at the front of the line tell ABC10 reporter Andie Judson their wait times were about an hour.
3:45 p.m. update:
After an election worker at the Escalon Voter Service Center in San Joaquin County tested positive for coronavirus this morning, the polling location was fully sanitized and continued to take in voters with no other reported issues.
According to San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters Melinda Dubroff, 46% of the county's registered voters have cast ballots so far.
With the final few hours of Election Day wrapping up and reports of long lines at polling centers across the country, this message from California Senator and candidate for Vice President Kamala Harris is always a good reminder.
If you are in line at the polls when they close at 8:00 p.m., stay in line. You will be able to vote and your vote will count.
3:30 p.m. update:
South Natomas Library has added 10 extra voting booths in the last half hour to help alleviate the strain of long lines at the voting center. Previously, the polling location could only hold four voters inside due to COVID-19 restrictions, but it is now allowed to have 14.
3:15 p.m. update:
A voter at Citrus Heights City Hall, where long lines are being reported, spoke to ABC10 about her experience waiting to vote.
“It’s been about 40 minutes. It’s warm out here but I’m eager to get in there and vote," Carrie Salisbury said.
Election workers handed out some waters to those waiting at the location to help beat a rather unseasonable November heat. Many of these voters are planning on staying for as long as it takes to cast their ballot.
“It definitely seems like a larger turnout this year," Salisbury said. "I think it’s an important year for everyone to get out there and vote”
Sacramento County is urging residents who are planning on going in-person to cast their vote to avoid these polling centers: Sylvan Oaks Library, Hillsdale Baptist, Depot Building, Koreana Plaza, APAPA, Citrus Heights Fellowship, Orangevale Community Center, South Natomas Library, Robertson Community Center, University of Phoenix and North Highlands-Antelope Library.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions and limited capacity, these centers are reporting longer than normal wait times, some of which are clocking in at over an hour.
2:45 p.m. update:
FBI Sacramento is warning people to stay vigilant of voter suppression this Election Day.
The FBI recently said that it was investigating robocalls that seek to discourage people from voting. The agency says people have been getting calls urging voters to stay at home rather than go to the polls.
Some of the calls have gone out across the country, but another bout appeared to be directed specifically at voters in Flint, Michigan, a Democratic stronghold with a large African-American population.
FBI Sacramento urges residents who suspect voter suppression to report the incident to a local FBI office here.
2:00 p.m. update:
Several Sacramento County voting locations are experiencing long lines.
According to the county, 10 polling places are especially bogged down with voters. These centers are not concentrated in any one specific area: they span from Koreana Plaza to Citrus Heights, from Orangevale to South Natomas, and many areas in between.
The Robertson Community Center, in North Sacramento is one of these locations, currently clocking a wait time of roughly an hour.
The voting center is limited to only 10 people inside at a time, including poll workers. The line is expected to get even longer toward the end of the night based on previous years' experiences, but it is difficult to predict due to the coronavirus.
1:30 p.m. update:
While some polling places are reporting hours-long wait times at their locations, other vote centers are lacking long lines despite having to limit capacity due to the coronavirus.
Did you know that you can call your polling place ahead of time to gauge wait times? Find where to vote in California here.
1:00 p.m. update:
A group of pro-Trump supporters are planning to rally in front of the California state capital in Sacramento tonight at 4:00 p.m.
The rally was originally set for on the grounds of the Capitol, but as CHP had previously told ABC10, the agency is enforcing a strict, no permitted protests on state properties in advance of Election Day. Now, Trump supporters are taking it to the street.
CHP confirmed that the rally is now in Sacramento Police Department's jurisdiction. It is unknown at this time if Sac PD will have a police presence at the rally.
12:30 p.m. update:
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg reveals he voted early in the 2020 election and cast his ballot by mail. The mayor also talked about what the city is doing to prevent any violence or damage to storefronts in downtown Sacramento following the outcome of the election. Steinberg said his office has reached out to the State Office of Emergency Services and is monitoring social media for any information about events in Sacramento.
The mayor also noted that he voted for Democrat Joe Biden.
Noon update:
Plenty of people got to the polls at Placer Valley Event Center as soon as it opened at 7 a.m. Many of those people stopping by before work. Since then, there’s been a steady flow of parents with kids coming to the center to vote. Some people coming to drop off ballots, some registering to vote at the polls.”
11:45 a.m. update:
An election worker in San Joaquin County tested positive for coronavirus this morning.
The worker was stationed at the Escalon Voter Service Center located at the Escalon Community Center (1055 Escalon Ave).
According to San Joaquin County Public Health Department (SJPH), "All 16 staff that have been working with this individual are currently under quarantine."
The voting center opened at 7 a.m. for ballot drop-off and at 8:30 a.m. for in-person voting.
"Over the past three days, prior to the election worker testing positive for COVID-19, about 50 people dropped off their ballot at that particular Voter Service Center and approximately 200 people voted in-person inside the facility," SJPH said in a statement. The department is beginning contact tracing immediately.
11:30 a.m. update:
As of 11:30 a.m., the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, Sacramento Police Department and Stockton Police Department all said they've received no calls related to the election.
10:30 a.m. update:
The South Natomas Library is reporting long lines because the polling center is only able to host four voting machines due to COVID-19 guidelines. People waiting to vote told ABC10 they've been in line for over an hour already.
10:20 a.m. update:
Election officials outside the Golden 1 Center told ABC10 roughly 100 people have voted already Tuesday morning. Across the river in West Sacramento, Mayor Christopher Cabaldon tweeted a photo of no line at a voting center. "No lines or wait, COVID-safe, and super quick and easy. VOTE," Cabaldon's tweet said.
Cabaldon, the incumbent, faces off against Martha Guerrero for the title of Mayor of West Sacramento.
10 a.m. update:
If you are voting in person today and need a ride to voting centers, Sacramento Regional Transit is offering free transportation to the polls. All you need is a free ride flyer (printed or on your phone) and SacRT will take you where you need to go in order to vote.
8:45 a.m. update:
A good reminder as polls open across California: if you experience any issues contact the voter hotline at (800) 345-8683 to report the problem.
Polls will close at 8:00 p.m., but if you are in line at that time, stay in line. You will be able to vote and your vote will be counted, Governor Gavin Newsom said on Twitter.
In California, you can also register to vote and vote on Election Day.
Original story:
California's election is coming to a close as last-minute voters don face masks to cast their ballots at polling places.
Polls across California opened at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Results will then start to be released shortly after. You can find all election results at abc10.com/elections.
The coronavirus pandemic has transformed Election Day into election month for many places in California. County election officials mailed ballots to all active registered voters for the first time this year to encourage them to avoid in-person polling places during the pandemic. Because of that, nearly 12 million people have already returned their ballot and voted in California.
There's little drama at the top of the ticket, where Democrat Joe Biden is expected to easily win the state's 55 electoral votes. Elsewhere, voters will decide the fate of a dozen ballot measures and some closely contested U.S. House races.
Where is my polling place?
Plumas County - All mail ballot election
Sierra County - All mail-in ballot election
You can find more election-related information at abc10.com/electioninformation.
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Here's what happens on Election Day
