Nationwide drop in polling centers seen in Valley as officials tout full-service vote centers

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Voters crossed Central California are casting their ballots with conscionable days to spell until voting ends. Action News was determination arsenic Fresno County officials opened 10 ballot centers past weekend.

"We privation this to beryllium implicit and get to cognize who is going to beryllium our president," Hugo Coronado said.

"We are excited, and we privation to get it done," added Ileana Coronado.

As the Coronados formed their ballots, ABC News and our owned-stations information squad recovered voting locations disappearing crossed the country.

ABC Owned Stations information writer Maia Rosenfeld says much than 20 percent of in-person voting locations closed betwixt 2012 and 2022.

"We recovered that the states that had the heaviest diminution were respective states successful the westbound that moved to mostly message elections successful the past decade, and these states mislaid anyplace from fractional to astir each of their polling places," Rosenfeld said.

The diminution has happened present successful the Valley. Between 2018 and 2022, Fresno County mislaid 81 percent of its polling places arsenic it switched to a vote-center model. Madera County besides experienced a alteration arsenic it made the power successful 2018.

However, officials successful some counties reason that these full-service ballot centers connection much choices present than accepted polling places did. Fresno County Clerk and Registrar of Voters James Kus calls it "more days, much ways."

"(With) the aged polling places, you lone had 1 spot you could go," Kus said.

"And that meant a batch of voters whitethorn person really missed retired connected being capable to ballot for precise important races and contests due to the fact that they went to the incorrect place. That doesn't hap anymore. So, yes, we bash person less locations, but they're unfastened longer, and they tin assistance everybody."

The vicinity ballot halfway was convenient for Stacy Steinwand.

"It's similar 7 minutes from my house," she said. "I got my booklets successful the mail, but I did not get the ballot, truthful I had to travel down present to bash the full process of utilizing the sleeve and doing it successful person."

Now that California sends everyone a ballot successful the mail, much voters successful Fresno and Madera counties are casting their ballots earlier Election Day.

Many instrumentality them successful driblet boxes.

In Fresno, Kus says astir metro residents are astir a mile oregon little from their vicinity driblet box.

There are 67 full passim the county.

There are conscionable six for each of Madera County.

"While we bash person a precise geographically expansive county, we besides person a precise mobile electorate," Justin White, Madera County's adjunct clerk-recorder, said.

"The voters who unrecorded successful those agrarian areas often question to those areas wherever we've located driblet boxes."

California instrumentality requires 1 ballot driblet container for each 15,000 registered voters connected the rolls 88 days earlier the election.

But, since California has same-day registration, much voters are added to the rolls arsenic Election Day nears.

They are ne'er accounted for erstwhile deciding however galore driblet boxes.

"We are afloat prepared to conscionable each and each 1 of those voters successful immoderate mode that they determine to vote," White said.

While driblet boxes are progressively secure, caller incidents bash small to calm the fears of mistrust.

Last week, a cardinal was near wrong a Fresno County driblet container for much than 7 hours.

On Monday, fires were acceptable astatine 2 boxes successful the Pacific Northwest.

"Coming and doing it successful person, I think, is thing that we each should do," Hugo Coronado said.

While Fresno and Madera County officials accidental the driblet boxes and ballot centers connection voters much prime and support, that is not the lawsuit passim Central California.

Drop boxes successful Mariposa and Merced counties person hours, and immoderate are not unfastened connected the weekends.

For quality updates, travel Gabe Ferris connected Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.