Less than half of those voters who are voting by mail in the November 7, 2000 Presidential General Election have returned their ballots and Election Day is only a few days away.

At this late date, voters should plan on hand delivering their ballot to either the Santa Cruz County Elections Department or one of the City Clerk's offices in Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley or Watsonville or to drop their ballot off at any polling place in Santa Cruz County on election day, Tuesday, November 7.

At the Santa Cruz County Government Center, there is a white mailbox in front of the facility where voters may drive-up and drop off their ballots without having to leave their cars.

Of the 38,023 voters who have absentee ballots, only 18,317 have returned their ballots, election officials reported.

Unfortunately, ballots cannot be counted unless they are received by an Elections official no later than 8 p.m., Tuesday, November 7. Ballots received after that time, regardless of postmark, will not be counted.

Both the Santa Cruz County Elections Department, 701 Ocean St., Room 210 in Santa Cruz and Watsonville City Hall, 250 Main St., in Watsonville, will be open this Saturday and Sunday for weekend voting from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Monday, the day before Election Day, the Santa Cruz County Elections Department and Watsonville City Hall will be open during regular office hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for voting or dropping off ballots. On Election Day, the County Elections Department and Watsonville City Hall will be open during regular polling hours from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Voters may provide written authorization for a representative of the voter to obtain a ballot for them and deliver it to the voter. Voters may also contact the County Elections Department at 454-2060 for assistance.

Late absentee voting is authorized for persons who are ill, disabled or will be absent from their precinct on Election Day.

Santa Cruz County election officials remind voters who are returning their vote-by-mail ballots that they must sign the declaration on the outside the envelope. Unfortunately, if there is no signature or if the signature on the vote-by-mail return envelope does not compare to the voter's signature on his or her voter's registration card, election officials cannot count the ballot.

For more information, please call the Santa Cruz County Elections Department at 831-454-2060, visit our office at 701 Ocean St., Room 210 in Santa Cruz, or check out our website at www.votescount.com.