Reporting by Daniella Segura, USA Today Network/Palm Springs Desert Sun
If you’re like many California voters, you may still be holding on to your mail-in ballot.
A large share of voters prefer to wait until Election Day to cast their vote-by-mail ballots for an “Election Day experience,” according to California Voter Foundation’s President and Founder Kim Alexander.
And while it may offer a gratifying feeling, “it is slowing down the vote count,” Alexander said at an Oct. 29 webinar, suggesting utilizing the “Sign and Go” option to help move things along.
Waiting to cast a mail-in ballot on Election Day creates a “‘pig and the python effect,’ where ballots are not able to be processed by election offices until after Election Day,” said Alexander.
To help speed up California’s vote count, Alexander recommends that voters who plan to cast their mail-in ballots on Election Day use a newer voting method that allows them to bring a completed ballot to a voting site, check in, and cast it as an in-person ballot.
The voting method is available in more than 30 counties across the state and is known as either “Sign, Scan and Go” or “Sign and Go.”
“Voters are already showing up to return their vote by mail ballots in person, and that provides an opportunity for them to actually check in as an in-person voter, sign the roster under penalty of perjury, and cast their ballot as an in-person ballot,” Alexander said. “That helps speed up the vote count, and it also gives the voter the satisfaction of knowing their ballot has been accepted.”
Here’s what to know about California’s shift toward vote-by-mail, how “Sign, Scan and Go” works, and which counties offer the voting option.
Vote-by-mail has become the primary voting method in California
Vote-by-mail ballots were the dominant voting method in California’s June primary, with more than 8.42 million mail-in ballots returned, representing 89.17% of all votes cast, according to the California Secretary of State.
The figures are part of a growing trend of vote-by-mail ballots surpassing in-person voting after California adopted permanent universal vote-by-mail voting in September 2021. The share of mail-in ballots cast grew from 33% in 2004 to 91% in June 2022, according to California Voter Foundation research.
In the 2024 general election, about half of voters returned their ballots at a drop box or drop-off location, one-third mailed their ballots and nearly 1 in 5 voted in person, the foundation said. About a quarter of ballots were returned on Election Day, primarily through drop boxes, drop-off locations and the mail, creating a late surge in ballots to process.
The shift toward vote-by-mail has contributed to longer vote counts because election officials must verify that the signature on each mail-in ballot envelope matches the voter’s registration record. Additionally, ballots postmarked by Election Day can arrive up to seven days after the election and still be counted.
However, California’s vote count has been speeding up. In 2022, about 72% of ballots had been counted within a week of the election, compared with 93% in the June 2026 primary, according to the foundation.
How ‘Sign, Scan and Go’/’Sign and go’ works
Counties that allow voters to cast their completed mail-in ballots in person on Election Day and have them counted in the election night count do so using what is called “Sign, Scan and Go” and “Sign and Go.”
For “Sign, Scan and Go,” you can bring your completed ballot to a participating vote center, polling place or county election office. Then, you’ll check in with an election worker and sign the voters roster under penalty of perjury. Finally, your will insert your ballot into the scanner. Your vote will be recorded immediately at the voting site.
If you utilize the “Sign and Go” option, you will follow the same steps as above for “Sign, Scan and Go,” but instead of scanning your ballot, you will place it in a secure ballot box. Your ballot will be taken to a central count location, where it will be scanned and added to the vote tally.
“With both methods, your ballot does not need to go through envelope signature verification and is included in the Election Night count,” according to the California Voter Foundation.
Which counties offer ‘Scan, Sign and Go’
The California Voter Foundation surveyed the state’s 58 counties in October and found more than 30 counties offer some form “Scan, Sign and Go.”
Here are the counties that offer “Sign, Scan and Go” or “Sign and Go,” according to the California Voter Foundation. (Not all counties call the voting method “Sign, Scan and Go” or “Sign and Go,” which is noted below in California Voter Foundation’s roundup.)
Counties offering ‘Sign, Scan and Go:’
- Nevada
- Orange
- Placer
- San Joaquin
- Santa Cruz (“Vote a Naked Ballot”)
- Tehama
- Tulare
‘Counties offering Sign & Go:’
- Alameda
- Butte
- Calaveras
- Colusa
- Contra Costa
- El Dorado (“Ballot from Home”)
- Fresno (“Live VBM”)
- Glenn
- Humboldt (“Express Voting”)
- Imperial (“Naked Voting”)
- Inyo
- Kern
- Kings
- Madera
- Marin
- Modoc
- Monterey (“Vote It Live, or Sign, Vote and Go”)
- Napa
- Sacramento (“Sign and Drop”)
- San Benito
- San Bernardino
- San Diego
- San Luis Obispo
- San Mateo (“Live Ballot”)
- Tuolumne (“Vote by Mail in Person”)
Benefits of ‘Scan, Sign and Go’
Some benefits of utilizing the “Scan, Sign and Go” to cast a ballot include avoiding signature problems, having your vote count be part of the election night count and helping speed up the Golden State’s vote count, according to the California Voter Foundation.
“It’s the best of both worlds for voters who want to mark their ballot in the comfort of their home and help speed up California’s vote count by ensuring their ballot is counted on election night,” the foundation said.
When is California’s general election?
California’s general election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
You can find the nearest polling place or vote center online at: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/polling-place.
According to state officials, the last day to register to vote for California’s general election was Monday, Oct. 19, but eligible voters who have missed the deadline can opt for same-day voter registration, also known as conditional voter registration.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun.
Related: Did your vote count? How to track your ballot in California
