Voter Guide: Making your vote count in San Diego County

There are more than 1.9 million ballots on their way to San Diego County registered voters for the Nov. 8 California General Election. Voters will decide the race of legalizing sports betting, some key Congressional races and several statewide ballot measures.

In order to register to vote in California, you must meet the following criteria: Be a U.S. citizen, be a resident of California and be at least 18 years old on Election Day. If you meet all the criteria, registering to cast a vote online is the easiest option. Registering to mail in a paper voter registration application is also an option, but it's recommended to follow the instructions for California listed on page four.

Be a U.S. citizen, resident of California and at least 18 years old on Election Day.

The deadline to register to vote is October 24. You can now vote from your own home or at a vote center near you. If you registered by mail, the application must be postmarked by Oct. 24 to meet the deadline.

Voters can find their polling place through the Secretary of State website.

There is a shortage of 130,000 poll workers in the U.S. ahead of the general election. Most poll worker are paid. Many counties have increased their rates to try and attract more people. The Vet the Vote campaign are encouraging military vets to volunteer and be trained as poll Workers.

The key races and propositions on the ballot in San Diego County are for local and state offices. The races for federal offices are not competitive, but for congressional district seats only one of them is considered a close call.

Gavin Newsom (D) is running for governor. Brian Dahle (R) wants to expand his political power beyond the state senate. Newson won the primary with 52.3% of the votes in San Diego County, while Dahl received 23.1%.

Alex Padilla is running for U.S. Senate seat against Mark Meuser. It's the incumbent's first general election. Padillas was appointed by Newsom to serve out the remainder of Kamala Harris' term. Meusers got 19.5% of votes from San Diego County in June.

Brian Maryott is running for the U.S. House seat in Congressional District 49. He is challenging incumbent Rep. Mike Levin, who is a Democrat. The district is swing district with 36.2% of voters being Democrats, 33.6% Republicans and 23. 2% having no party affiliation.

The State Legislature put this item on the ballot in wake of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. If approved, the state constitution would be amended to enumerate a fundamental right to reproductive freedom.

There are two propositions on the California ballot regarding sports betting legalization. Proposition 26 would allow sports gambling strictly in-person at casinos on tribal lands and privately-owned horse racing tracks, while Proposition 27 opens the gate for online sports bets.