Election Day is here: What to know as the Coachella Valley goes to the polls
Hundreds of thousands of voters have already cast ballots, but now it's official: Election Day is here.
Several Coachella Valley cities are voting on what could be significant changes to city councils, while state and national offices are up for grabs. Educational leaders will be chosen in races for the valley's public-school districts and the College of the Desert Board of Trustees.
Also to be decided are city ballot questions on short-term rentals, council districts and taxes to fund recreation services, plus races for water and health care districts.
Some races especially have flooded the airwaves and voters' mailboxes across large swaths of the valley.
After Assemblymember Chad Mayes decided against seeking re-election, Palm Springs City Councilmember Christy Holstege, a Democrat, is challenging GOP candidate Greg Wallis for Assembly District 47. The race has featured harsh attacks on abortion rights, taxes and more.
And in a contest that could have national implications, incumbent GOP Representative Ken Calvert is facing a challenge from Democrat Will Rollins for the new 41st Congressional District, which includes Palm Springs, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert and Indian Wells.
The Riverside County Registrar of Voters reported that more than 265,200 vote-by-mail ballots had been returned as of Monday morning. And the registrar's website, voteinfo.net, lists the voting centers and ballot drop-off locations throughout the region.
How to vote
There are 28 voting centers around the Coachella Valley where people can vote in person or drop off mail ballots. Most cities have multiple locations, including five in Indio, four in Palm Desert and three each in Palm Springs and Cathedral City.
Voters can return vote-by-mail ballots at voting centers, or mail them so long as they are postmarked on Election Day. All vote-by-mail ballots include a return envelope with prepaid postage.
Voting centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday.
The results
After you vote, be prepared for a wait to find out which candidates won.
Democrats are expected to dominate most statewide races, with the possible exception of controller. But down the ballot, determining a winner could take longer.
In the 2018 and 2020 general elections, 44% and 32% of the votes, respectively, remained uncounted at the end of election night, The Associated Press reported.
It can take days, even weeks, to count all the ballots. And the results won't be officially certified by the secretary of state for more than a month.
Christopher Damien covers public safety and the criminal justice system. He can be reached at christopher.damien@desertsun.com or follow him at @chris_a_damien.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Election Day: Where and how you can vote, and when polling centers close
