Time to vote: Election Day is here

Whether you've been waiting patiently or fearfully, Election Day is here.

Locally, Berkeley residents cast their votes for mayor, four city council members, school and rental elections, Senate elections for District 7, Alameda County Supervisor District 5, a dozen Berkeley votes and the recall of the Alameda County district attorney.

Don't worry if your mail-in ballot is still on your desk; You have until 8 p.m. today to vote in person or drop off your ballot at a vote center. You can also drop it off at a post office, but make sure it is dated before November 5th.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and there are several locations where you can vote in person or drop off your ballot.

What's on the ballot for the November 5 general election?

Properties in Berkeley.

With Mayor Jesse Arreguín running in a runoff against AC Transit Director Jovanka Beckles for state Senate District 7, the door was open for the election of a new mayor in Berkeley. City Council member Sophie Hahn is vying for the post with former City Councilwoman Kate Harrison, who resigned in January, nonprofit consultant Adena Ishii, political newcomer Logan Bowie and perennial candidate Naomi Pete.

With Hahn running for mayor and Susan Wengraf retiring in Wards 5 and 6, the race for those seats is on. Berkeley High School teacher Shoshana O'Keefe, Solano Avenue Business Improvement District Advisory Board Chairman Todd Andrew and nonprofit founder Nilang Gor are seeking Hahn's seat, while East Bay Municipal Utility District Director Andy Katz and Brent Blackaby, the co-founder of an online privacy company, are vying to replace Wengraf.

Terry Taplin is defending his District 2 City Council seat against Jenny Guarino, a master's student specializing in affordable housing and urban policy at UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy. Ben Bartlett, seeking his third term, is running against real estate agent Deborah Matthews and John “Chip” Moore, a member of the District 3 Planning Commission and Police Accountability Board.

With two seats available on the Berkeley School Board, incumbents Laura Babitt and Ana Vasudeo are seeking to stake their positions against Jen Corn, director of school improvement at the Oakland Unified School District, and a former Berkeley teacher and principal, Abdur Sikder, a computer science lecturer defend at San Francisco State University and Norma JF Harrison, a longtime candidate and real estate agent.

Incumbents Xavier Johnson and Dominique Walker and newcomers Avery Arbaugh and Alfred Twu are running together as Right to Housing candidates for a seat on the Rent Stabilization Board. Incumbent Andy Kelley is also running for his seat, and two-time candidate Carole Marasovic is running again for a seat on the board, for which there are four open seats.

There are 12 ballot measures ranging from increased or expanded taxes on city services like paving, libraries and parks to ordinance changes that would affect tenants, landlords, developers, business owners and nonprofits, among others.

Oakland Councilman Nikki Fortunato Bas and Emeryville Councilman John Bauters are running against each other to fill the Alameda County District 5 Supervisor seat being vacated by longtime Supervisor Keith Carson, who is retiring in December went.

A recall vote to impeach Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price is on the ballot.

Berkeleyside covers all of the above races. You can find current results on our results page after 8:00 p.m., when the polling stations close.

How to submit your ballot

You have until Tuesday at 8 p.m. to vote in person. Once you have completed your mail-in ballot, drop it into a regular blue U.S. Postal Service mailbox – postage is not required. Make sure you sign it. The postmark must be received by Tuesday.

The district has also set up several secure mailboxes until 8 p.m. If you've waited this long, this may be better than mailing in your ballot. Check out this interactive map to find the nearest box. Here are the seven boxes in Berkeley:

• Berkeley Civic City Center, 2180 Milvia St.
• UC Berkeley, between Sather Gate and Architects and the Engineers Building
• Frances A. Recreation Center, 2800 Park St.
• Claremont Branch Library, 2940 Benvenue Ave.
• North Branch Library, 1170 The Alameda
• Berkeley Public Library West Branch, 1125 University Ave.
• Behind the Berkeley Civic Center – Alston Way, 2180 Milvia St.

You can also vote in person or drop off your ballot at one of the many vote centers in Alameda County, regardless of where you live. Find an address that's right for you on this map or by calling 1-800-834-6454. The centers are open today from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Here are nine in Berkeley:

• UC Berkeley Public Service Center, 2465 Bancroft Way #218
• Ed Roberts Campus, 3075 Adeline St.
• Berkeley Arts Magnet School, 2015 Virginia St.
• Willard Middle School, 2425 Stuart St.
• Epworth United Methodist Church, 1953 Hopkins St.
• Rosa Park Elementary School, 920 Allston Way
• Malcolm X Elementary School, 1731 Prince St.
• West Campus, Oxford High School, 2110 Browning St.
• YWCA Berkeley/Oakland, 2600 Bancroft Way

If you never received your ballot, lost it, or made a mistake while filling it out, you can still vote at any of the vote centers. Bring your mail-in ballot to the center if you have one and you can exchange it for a new one.

Many of these locations allow you to register to vote on-site if you missed the deadline, and you have the option to cast a conditional vote. Check which websites offer this service.

When are the first results expected?

Polls close at 8:00 p.m. and the first ballots sent by mail should arrive no later than 8:30 p.m.

“These are the votes we processed leading up to Election Night and are in line to release our first votes,” Alameda County Registrar Tim Dupuis said in an email.

The registry office will remain open until the last in-person ballots are counted, Dupuis said.

They will publish the results of the postal vote again on Thursday. It may take several days or weeks for the final votes to be counted.