Election Day is here and the Registrar of Voters wants those waiting for today to be prepared before visiting a polling place.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused some changes to the regular voting rules and regulations.

If you are not registered to vote, it’s not too late. You can still register by visiting a polling place in your area. California is one of the few states that allows you to register and vote on Election Day. 

You will register conditionally and vote provisionally. 

“Your ballot that you vote will go in an envelope, and once you are properly registered, that would be counted,” said Cynthia Paes, the Assistant Registrar of Voters, in an interview with City Times. 

You can still drop off your mail-in ballot at one of the 125 designated drop-off locations around the county through 8 p.m. 

Paes says it is important to have your ballot postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by the Registrar’s office by Nov. 20 to be counted. 

You can also check sdvote.com for accurate information about voting polls and mail-in drop-off locations.

If you decide to vote in person, make sure to bring your face covering or a mask. It is encouraged but is not required.

The San Diego County Registrar of Voters announced back in October that voters who didn’t wear a mask can still cast their votes in person either at a polling place or the Registrar’s office.

“Be prepared to maintain social distancing and just follow the directions from poll workers when you arrived,” Paes said. “Come prepared, take a look at your sample ballot and voter information pamphlet, maybe mark your sample ballot ahead of time so you can just get to the poll, get to the voting booth and vote quickly.”

It’s important to check the back of your sample ballot because new polling places have been assigned.

“(There are) fewer polling places,” Paes said. “You most likely have a new polling place. It won’t be the polling place you went to in March.”

In the March primaries, the Registrar of Voters had about 1,500 voting locations. In this election, there are only 235 new polling places that have been switched to larger locations.

For instance, school gymnasiums or community centers are being used to continue social distancing between poll workers and voters. 

On Election Day, assigned voting locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.