Voters questioning how they'll be voting this year

This upcoming election isn't just leaving voters asking themselves who they are voting for but also how they'll be voting this year.

PROCESS FOR THE NOVEMBERELECITON.TODAY 23ABC'S ALEX BELL SPOKEWITH THE ELECTIONSOFFICE ABOUT WHAT VOTERS NEED TOKNOW AND WAYS YOUCAN VOTE THIS ELECTION SEASON.ALEX?THIS UPCOMING ELECTION ISNT JUSTLEAVING VOTERS ASKINGTHEMSELVES WHO THEY ARE VOTINGFOR BUT ALSO HOW THEYLL BEVOTING THIS YEAR.... WHICH MAYBE AN EASY ANSWER FORKERN COUNTY VOTERS SINCEACCORDING TO THE ELECTIONSOFFICE ABOUT 72% OF REGISTEREDVOTERS ALREADYVOTE BY MAIL....BUT WHETHERYOU'RE HEADING TO YOURMAILBOX OR THE BALLOT BOX HERE'SWHAT YOU NEED TO KNOWABOUT THE VOTING PROCESS INNOVEMBER .THE KERN COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICESAYS THEY ARE ON TRACKAND PREPARED FOR THE ELECTIONCOMING UP ON NOVEMBER3.

KERN COUNTY CLERK MARY BEDARDSAYS ALL ACTIVEREGISTERED VOTERS WILL RECEIVE AVOTE BY MAIL BALLOTTHIS YEAR... WHICH WILL BE SENTOUT TO VOTERS STARTINGON OCTOBER 5."WE HAD ABOUT 72% OF OUR VOTERSWERE VOTE BY MAILANYWAYS." -KERN COUNTY CLERKMARY BEDARDBEDARD ENCOURAGES RESIDENTS TOVOTE EARLY....YOUCAN DROP OFF YOUR BALLOT INPERSON AT THE COUNTYADMINISTRATION BUILDING OR INTHE MAIL - NO POSTAGE ISREQUIRED.

... SHE ALSO SAYS THEPROCESS IS SECURE ANDSAFE..."WE'VE REALLY GOT A VERY SECUREPROCESS.CALIFORNIA HAS A LOT OF CONTROLSAND WE'RE USE TO THIS.

WE'VEALWAYS HAD A LOT OF VOTERS INTHE LAST SEVERAL ELECTIONS BEINGA MAJORITY OF THE VOTERS BEINGVOTE BY MAIL." -KERNCOUNTY CLERK MARY BEDARDHOWEVER, THOSE VOTERS STILLWANTING TO GO TO THE BALLOTBOX IN PERSON WILL HAVE THATOPTION."WE WILL STILL HAVE AS MANY POLLSITES AS WE HAD IN MARCH.

SOVOTERS ARE STILL FREE TO GO TO APOLL SITE AND VOTE ON ELECTIONDAY IF THEY CHOOSE TO." -KERNCOUNTY CLERK MARYBEDARDACCORDING TO THE ELECTIONSOFFICE 400 POLL WORKERS HAVEBEEN CONFIRMED TO VOLUNTEER THISNOVEMBER ... TYPICALLY THEREARE ALMOST 2,000 POLL WORKERSBUT BEDARD SAYS THE ELECTIONSOFFICE ISNT CONCERNED ABOUTGETTING MOREVOLUNTEERS ... HOWEVER IF THEREARENT ENOUGH POLLWORKERS SHE SAYS THE ELECTIONSOFFICE WILL HAVETO WORK WITH THE COUNTYADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE TO GETADDITIONAL WORKERS."POTENTIALLY WE COULD REQUIRECOUNTY EMPLOYEES TOWORK IT SINCE THEY ARECONSIDERED DISASTERWORKERS, EMERGENCY WORKERS, ALLCOUNTY EMPLOYEES.

WE WOULDRATHER NOT HAVE TO DO THAT ANDWEWOULD LIKE TO GET A LOT OFVOLUNTEERS FROM THECOMMUNITY BUT IF IT COMES DOWNTO IT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKINGON WITH THE COUNTY." -KERNCOUNTY CLERK MARY BEDARDSHE ALSO SAYS THAT HALF OF VOTEBY MAIL BALLOTS AREDROPPED OFF IN PERSON ONELECTION DAY AT A POLL SITE ORTHEELECTIONS OFFICE .... AND NOWTHE ELECTION OFFICEIS WORKING ON MAKING DROP OFFLOCATIONS AVAILABLE IN THEOUTLYING AREAS BEFORE ELECTIONDAY .... AND A CURBSIDE DROPOFF OPTION SO VOTERS DONT EVENHAVE TO GET OUT OF THEIRCARSBUT FOR THOSE PLANNING ON GOINGINSIDE POLLINGLOCATIONS ... PROTOCOLS WILL BESET IN PLACE.

THE ELECTIONSOFFICE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THEKERN COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTHDEPARTMENT AND THE STATE TOENSURE PROPER SOCIALDISTANCING AND SANITIZINGMEASURES.

THE ELECTIONSOFFICE TOLD 23ABC THAT POLLINGLOCATIONS WILLNOT REQUIRE VOTERS TO WEAR MASKSHOWEVER BEDARD SAYS..."WE WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGEVOTERS TO WEARMASKS.

WE WILL NOT REQUIREBECAUSE WE CANNOT DENYPEOPLE THE RIGHT TO VOTE.

BUT WEWILL HAVE SEPERATEPROTOCALS IN PLACE FOR SOMEONEWHO IS UBABLE TO WEAR A MASK."-KERN COUNTY CLERK MARY BEDARD23ABC REACHED OUT TO THECALIFORNIA SECRETARY OF STATEOFFICE WHO RESPONDED IN PARTSAYING... "VOTERS WITHOUT MASKSWILL NOT BE TURNED AWAY, BUTTHEY MAYHAVE TO USE ALTERNATIVE VOTINGSTATIONS THAT MAY FORCETHEM TO WAIT LONGER.

THEY WILLALSO BE SLOWING DOWNTHE CHECK-IN PROCESS FOR THEIRFELLOW CITIZENS." SAMMAHOOD, PRESS SECRETARY -CALIFORNIA SECRETARY OFSTATE ALEX PADILLAIF YOU WANT TO VOLUNTEER AS APOLL WORKER YOU CAN HEAD TOKERNVOTE.COM WHERE YOU CAN APPLYAND TO OUR WEBSITE TURN TO23.

COM WHERE THE INFORMATIONWILL ALSO BE LISTED.WHAT ELSE SHOULD VOTERS KNOW IFTHEY PLAN ON VOTINGIN PERSON?ALEX: BECAUSE EVERY VOTER WILLRECEIVE AVOTE BY MAIL BALLOT THEELECTIONS OFFICE SAYS THAT YOUSHOULD BRINGYOU VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT INPERSON TO THE POLLING SITE IFYOU OPT NOT TO USEIT SO YOU CAN SURRENDER THATBALLOT.

AND THIS IS BC THEY WANTTOMAKE SURE PEOPLE ARENT VOTINGTWICE.

BUT IF YOU LOOSE IT ORFORGET IT YOU CAN STILL VOTE...YOU WILL JUST HAVE TO VOTEPROVISIONALLY UNTIL THE OFFICECONFIRMS THAT YOU HAVENT ALREADYVOTED.ALEX BELL REPORTING FOR USTONIGHT, ALEX THANKS.