As the 2020 election draws near and in-person voting is restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, voters are left to choose between submitting their ballot by mail or by leaving it at a ballot-drop off.

For the first time in its history, City College will be setting up a ballot drop-off on campus for the November election. The ballot boxes will be set up sometime within the next week.

Officials in Santa Barbara County have been looking for areas to put the ballot drop boxes,

and Executive Director of Public Affairs and Communications Luz Reyes-Martin said City College decided to volunteer and provide a location to set up a ballot drop-off on campus.

Reyes-Martin said that many students have entertained the idea of the campus having a polling place, or finding ways to encourage more students to vote.

The ballots boxes won’t be limited to students only—anyone who is eligible and registered to vote in California can drop off their ballots at City College.. 

There is a possibility for the ballot drop-off location to become a permanent solution for future elections, but at the moment the county has not made any decisions beyond this year’s election.

“I think if it works out really well, I think the college would be happy to have a drop-off box for future elections,” said Reyes-Martin. “We’re hopeful that the students will also talk to each other and encourage each other to vote.”

More information will be provided from the college through email, social media, and on the City College website.