Riverside County opens 21 voting sites Saturday ahead of June 2 primary

Riverside County will open 21 early voting centers Saturday as officials prepare for a potential surge ahead of the June 2 California primary, with 131 total sites set to operate by the following weekend.

The county anticipates 50 to 60 percent voter turnout — nearly matching a general election — fueled largely by the gubernatorial race. Election officials are deploying new technology and five "super vote centers" to manage what they expect will be an unusually high-participation primary throughout Southern California.

Early voting at the Riverside County Registrar of Voters office began May 4. Saturday's opening of 21 countywide centers marks a significant expansion, with officials confirming that 131 total sites will be operational by the following weekend, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

To manage heavier-than-usual foot traffic, the county is introducing five new "super vote centers" equipped with additional resources. "That's extra check in stations, extra voting booths; and that is going to reduce lines and wait times and allow more people to get in and vote in person if they want to," said Elizabeth Florer, spokesperson for the Riverside County Registrar of Voters.

The county is also rolling out automated signature verification software for processing mail-in ballot envelopes, a technology that has cut staffing needs nearly in half. "It's about 50 percent fewer people that we're hiring for that signature check this go-around, because it has been spitting out about 50-60 percent of them as good," Florer told ABC7 Los Angeles.

Officials are urging voters not to rely on Election Day mail delivery. The U.S. Postal Service cannot guarantee that ballots dropped on June 2 will receive a same-day postmark. That uncertainty has already pushed some voters toward in-person options. "I don't trust the USPS system; they lose things. So I'd rather feel safer knowing I brought it," said Dimitra Nicastro, a Riverside voter.

Officials say the governor's race is generating unusual primary-season interest and driving turnout projections to near-general-election levels. "We have about 131 that will open next Saturday," Florer said, giving residents multiple days to cast ballots before June 2.

Election officials are urging all mail-in voters to submit ballots as early as possible to ensure they are counted. Voters can locate the nearest voting center through the Riverside County Registrar of Voters website.