SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Early voting began Monday in San Diego County and throughout California for the Nov. 8 general election.
The Registrar of Voters Office at 5600 Overland Ave. in Kearny Mesa will be open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for those who want to fill out a ballot before election day. The office will also be open for weekend voting on Nov. 5- 6.
Election officials have encouraged voters to apply for mail-in ballots due to the large number of ballot items, many of which are lengthy and complicated, in hopes of reducing wait times on election day at polling places. Around 960,000 ballots will be sent to voters beginning Tuesday.
The last day to apply for a mail ballot is Nov. 1. However, the faster the ballots are filled out and returned, the sooner the votes will be recorded, according to the Registrar of Voters Office.
Voters in the general election will choose a president, members of Congress and the state Legislature, and decide 17 state propositions.
Locally, there are two countywide ballot measures -- whether to raise the sales tax by a half-cent to pay for infrastructure projects and to approve or deny a development in the Lilac Hills section of Valley Center -- and a dozen questions in the city of San Diego, including the Chargers' plans for a downtown football stadium and convention center annex.
The ballot includes 21 other measures for voters in various cities and special districts -- many of them proposed bond issues.
Also to be decided are high-profile runoffs for county supervisor, San Diego city attorney and San Diego City Council.
Debates are scheduled tonight at 6 p.m. in the first two races.
Incumbent Supervisor Dave Roberts and challenger Kristin Gaspar will square off at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd. City Attorney candidates Mara Elliott and Robert Hickey will meet at the California Western School of Law in San Diego, 225 Cedar St.