Election Day is just days away, and Alameda County election officials are urging voters not to wait until Tuesday. Alameda County election officials say only about 10% of registered voters have cast their ballots so far. But with more voting centers opening this weekend, they expect that percenta ge to climb. The message from the Alameda County Registrar’s Office is simple: Don’t wait, vote as soon as possible. “Drop their ballots off now. Don’t wait until Election Day. We want to make sure we can process returns as fast as possible,” said Cynthia Cornejo with the Alameda County Registrar’s Office. There are currently dozens of 24-hour ballot drop boxes throughout Alameda County. Starting tomorrow, 100 in-person voting centers will also be available to voters. So far, turnout has been low, with only about 10% of registered voters casting ballots ahead of the weekend. “Right now we’ll see ballots start picking up as we get closer to Election Day. That’s actually been the trend we’ve seen over a few election cycles,” said Cornejo. At the top of the ballot is the California governor’s race. Berkeley IGS just released its final poll, conducted by UC Berkeley. It shows Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton in the lead, with Democrat Tom Steyer gaining ground. The director of the poll says the race is getting interesting down the final stretch. “I think it’s going to be two of those three, and we’ll have to see which of those two they are because Steyer is actually making it more competitive. He was trailing by a bigger margin in previous polls, and now he’s getting close,” said Mark DiCamillo with the Berkeley IGS Poll. With thousands of voters expected over the weekend and even more on Election Day, election officials say the best way to avoid lines or delays is to get your ballot in sooner rather than later. “We’ve been messaging voters early to let them know not to wait,” said Cornejo. The Alameda County Registrar’s Office says it will be open this weekend as workers continue processing ballots before Election Day. Ballot drop-off locations are available across the Bay Area. For the one nearest you, just check with your county registrar of voters. ...read more read less