Let the voting begin!

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The 2010 primary election is officially underway. This week, county election officials began sending out millions of ballots to California voters. That means the first votes in this year’s primary elections will be cast this week.

Officials from the Secretary of State’s office said they did not know how many ballots county officials had sent to voters across California. But in 2009, the last time California held a statewide election, more than 3 million of the 4.8 million ballots cast were submitted by mail.

Voters have until seven days before Election Day to request a mail-in ballot. Strategists from Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner’s gubernatorial campaigns estimate that about half of the ballots sent to voters will not be handed in until the final week before Election Day.

Whitman campaign strategist Jeff Randle said last week that the Whitman campaign has begun a massive mail campaign targeting voters who requested mail-in ballots.

For those of you who want to vote the old-fashioned way, by going to the polling booth, the election is another four weeks away.

-- Anthony York