Ballot Drop Boxes

Drop off your ballot directly to us - safely and securely at a Ballot Drop Box near you! This page describes how you can access official Ballot Drop Boxes in Yolo County.

Ballot Drop Box locations and hours of operation are posted 29 days before Election Day on the Vote Center and Ballot Drop Box Locations page under the Current Election page.

Drop your ballot in an Official Ballot Drop Box

The Yolo County Elections Office placed 15 secure Ballot Drop Boxes (BDBs) throughout the county for the 2024 Presidential Primary Election.  The official BDBs help voters deliver their ballots directly to the Yolo County Elections Office. The ballots are picked up by Yolo County Ballot Box Retrieval Teams. Some BDBs will be secured outdoors and open 24 hours a day. The BDBs withstand vandalism, removal, and inclement weather. The ballot deposit slot is designed to prevent tampering and unauthorized removal of ballots.

Ballot Drop Box Retrieval Procedures

  • At least two Yolo County Ballot Drop Box Retrieval Team members collect the ballots from the official BDBs on a mandated schedule using a documented chain-of-custody procedure.
  • Vote-by-Mail ballots collected from the BDBs go through the same signature verification procedures as ballots returned by mail.
  • On Election Day, BDB Retrieval Teams will be at all BDB locations to secure the BDB at the close of polls at 8 pm
  • Any voter waiting in line to deposit a VBM ballot will be able to drop off their ballot.

Electioneering & Intimidation at Ballot Drop Boxes

While the observation of the Ballot Retrieval process is encouraged, observers must be aware of the laws prohibiting certain activities. The following is a partial list of behavior at Ballot Drop Boxes that could lead to fines and/or imprisonment. Penalties related to these activities have significantly increased in the last several years. For more information on this matter, please see our webpage on observers under "Get Involved!"

  • Do not block access to or loiter near any ballot boxes.
  • Do not provide any material or audible information for or against any candidate or ballot measure near any polling place, vote center, or ballot drop box.
  • Do not engage in electioneering; photograph or record a voter entering or exiting a polling place; or obstruct ingress, egress, or parking. This applies to ballot drop boxes.
  • Do not appear or arrange for someone to appear in the uniform of a peace officer, guard, or security personnel in the immediate vicinity of a polling place, with some exceptions approved only by the Registrar of Voters. This applies to Ballot Drop Boxes.
  • Do not tamper or interfere with any component of a voting system. The application of this extends to Ballot Drop Boxes.
  • Do not tamper with, destroy, or alter any polling list, official ballot, or ballot container. This applies to posting flyers, stickers, graffiti, and other tampering of Ballot Drop Boxes.
  • Do not display any unofficial ballot collection container that may deceive a voter into believing it is an official Ballot Drop Box.
  • Do not act as an election officer when you are not one.
  • Do not distribute, display, or wear any clothing (hats, shirts, signs, buttons, stickers, or other paraphernalia) that includes a candidate's name, image, logo, and/or support or oppose any candidate or ballot measure.
  • Do not display information or speak to a voter about the voter's eligibility to vote.

More Information About Law Enforcement Responses to Election Interference