One week before polls close, the vote-by-mail returns soared in Santa Clara County.

The county Registrar of Voters reported 32,894 mailed ballots returned on Tuesday, the most ever since a million ballots were mailed on Oct. 7, and double the daily return rate last week. Still, as of the close of counting Tuesday, more than 75% of Santa Clara County of these ballots had not been returned.

The registrar’s office reported 269,307 mail ballots counted as of Oct. 29.

Whether this means a return to traditionally high turnout numbers in this General Election remains to be seen.

In 2020, 78.6% of voters in Santa Clara County voted by mail in the presidential race, when total voter registration was 1.02 million. The percentage of mailed ballots is expected to be similar this year. Overall voter turnout in the county was 85% of registered voters in 2020.

Republicans, the third-largest voting bloc in the county, are setting the pace in early turnout, with 29 percent of mailed ballots returned as of Tuesday. Among Democrats, who outnumber Republicans by about 3-to-1, 26% of mail ballots have been returned. The county’s growing “No Party Preference” bloc, the second-largest in the county, have returned just under 20% of the ballots mailed to them.

In this year’s hotly contested 16th Congressional District, the pace of mail voting in Santa Clara County – 27% – is slightly higher than the overall rate.The district includes portions of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.

In Santa Clara County, 26 vote centers – including five libraries – opened last Saturday for in-person voting. Voting at these sites will continue through Election Day, Nov. 5. Another 79 vote centers will open for four days, beginning Nov. 2. Here are the voting center locations. https://vote.santaclaracounty.gov/vote-person/official-vote-center-list-and-schedule

Vote-by-mail ballots can be sent via the US Postal Service at no charge, or dropped in one of the many voting drop boxes scattered around the county. Here are the Drop Box locations.

https://rovservices.sccgov.org/Home/IndexPost?selected=do&electionId=137&distance=5&navtab=vc&asm=simple&selectedLanguageId=22\

Pre-election voter registration ended Monday, but prospective voters can still vote by completing Same-Day Voter Registration forms on Election Day and requesting a ballot in person. Here is how you can find out if you are registered to vote. https://rovservices.sccgov.org/Home/IndexPost?selected=vr&electionId=137&distance=5&navtab=do&asm=simple&selectedLanguageId=22\