California primary election nears. Here's what Sacramento County voters need to know
With one week left until the primary election, 80 percent of eligible Sacramentans are registered to vote, according to the secretary of state.
This election will help dwindle down who the next governor might be. Right now, there's no clear frontrunner. And as June 2 approaches, Californians are already hitting the polls. Roughly 10 percent of Sacramento County voters have already mailed in their ballots.
"That's pretty much on par, and I think that's what we're seeing across the state, too," said Ken Casparis, a public information officer with Sacramento County.
Casparis says the number of registered voters has increased over the last few years, and the county is opening up more voting centers to keep up.
"This year, we did implement a mobile vote center. That was out over the weekend," he said.
It'll also be out next weekend at Robert J. McGarvey Elementary School from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
CBS News Sacramento asked Casparis what the common misconceptions surrounding voting are.
"Oh, there are a lot of them," said Casparis, "We have a lot of people who think their vote doesn't matter. That's a common misconception because every vote counts. You never know if you'll be that deciding vote in a race. There's also this misconception that a lot of what happens in elections is secret and happens behind closed doors, but we welcome observers."
Casparis says anyone is allowed to observe and see what's happening during any step of the voting or counting process.
"Voter fraud is extremely rare. It's not something we really see here in Sacramento County. We have a number of processes built into every step of the election process," said Casparis.
You can mail in your ballot, drop it off at a secure location, or vote in person. Starting this weekend, more than 90 voting locations will be open throughout the county.
"We try and make it as easy and accessible as possible for people so they can go out and let their voice be heard," said Casparis.
If you plan to vote in person, voting centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on June 2.
