Forty-one vote centers opened across San Diego County on Saturday, Oct. 24, including one in La Jolla, as mail ballot returns run 33% ahead of the last gubernatorial election with 10 days until the Nov. 3 general election.

The La Jolla Recreation Center auditorium at 615 Prospect St. is among the first wave of locations now open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the Registrar of Voters' vote center list. Registered voters anywhere in the county can cast a ballot at any center.

As of Friday, Oct. 23, about 340,000 mail ballots had been returned out of more than 2 million sent, roughly 17% turnout, FOX 5 San Diego reported. San Diego County Registrar of Voters Shawn Brom said the pace marks a significant jump over the previous gubernatorial cycle.

"We're looking at about 33% higher return at this day than we have in the past," Brom said.

Brom encouraged voters to cast ballots early, saying it helps avoid long lines on Election Day and speeds up results on election night. The county also sent 1.8 million reminder postcards to voters who had not returned a ballot as of Oct. 16, according to the San Diego County News Center.

The county's vote center count will grow sharply. By Saturday, Oct. 31, 221 centers will be open countywide, including four more near La Jolla: UCSD Nuevo East at 4067 Miramar St., UCSD Eleanor Roosevelt College at 9906 Scholars Dr. N., UCSD Price Center at 9500 Gilman Dr. and UCSD Pepper Canyon West at 9620 Gilman Dr.

At the centers, voters can drop off a completed mail ballot, vote in person using a Ballot Marking Device or complete same-day voter registration. This election uses a two-card ballot, so the Registrar recommends reviewing the sample ballot pamphlet before arriving.

Mailed ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3. The Registrar must receive them within seven days after that date. Ballots dropped at vote centers or official drop boxes must arrive by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. The county maintains more than 150 official drop boxes.

On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, all vote centers and drop boxes will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Voter Todd Parks, who cast his ballot at the Registrar's office on Oct. 24, described the atmosphere to FOX 5 as "shockingly happy and peppy," with staff waving flags and smiling.

A full list of vote center locations and hours is available at sdvote.com.