If you want to vote in person before Election Day, you may wish you lived somewhere besides San Joaquin County.

That’s because you have only one in-person option — weekdays at the county registrar’s office in downtown Stockton.

Nearby counties give voters more places where they can cast a ballot.

Contra Costa opens five voting centers, starting Friday. Stanislaus County opened six this week, with more coming this weekend. Sacramento voters have their choice of 16.

To cast a ballot early in San Joaquin County, a voter must go to the registrar’s office at 44 N. San Joaquin St. during its normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. That means this Friday or Monday — not Saturday or Sunday.

The California Voter Foundation lists San Joaquin as one of the 26 of California’s 58 counties offering neighborhood polling places open on Election Day rather than countywide vote centers open over several days.

Asked about the reasoning behind limited early in-person voting, county officials say it’s the status quo.

“We’re a traditional polling place by choice,” Olivia Hale, San Joaquin County’s Registrar of Voters, told CBS13. “But right now, we made the decision that this is the best thing moving forward for San Joaquin County.” 

There’s also the issue of money. Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation, a nonpartisan nonprofit devoted to improving the election process, pointed out that the Legislature has urged more ballot access but didn’t offer additional funding for it.

In counties “like San Joaquin, voters don’t get to enjoy the same (voting) resources as in counties with more resources,” Alexander said in an interview. She said her foundation believes at a minimum, counties should have at least one voting place open the Saturday before Election Day.

Early voting is proving popular, especially this year.

“California is seeing a surge in early voting, and I expect it to continue,” Secretary of State Shirley Weber said in a statement, via YubaNet. “Given the anticipated large voter turnout, there may be longer lines and wait times on Election Day. California voters should not and do not need to wait to vote — they can vote early.”

Of course, those who want to vote early in San Joaquin County can mail in their ballots or deposit them at a dropbox. Eight of the county’s 25 dropbox locations are in Stockton. All will remain open until 8 p.m. Election Day, the registrar’s office says.

Still, some voters may be hesitant to cast a ballot in any fashion except in person.

The Pew Research Center found 3 out of 4 Americans supported in-person early voting at least two weeks prior to Election Day in a survey conducted in January. Among the respondents, the idea was backed by 64% of Republicans and 88% of Democrats.

It’s not that San Joaquin is such a small county that it doesn’t merit additional voting sites. It ranks 14th among California’s 58 counties in population, according to data company Cubit. It’s an expansive county at 1,392 square miles. And it has a lot of registered voters — 378,801 as of September, according to the California Secretary of State’s office.

In most places, instead of Election Day, California has become more like an election week or election month.

“Think of November 5th as simply the last day to vote, ” Weber said.