With less than 40 days until the election, tens of millions of ballots are in the process of being printed and mailed to election facilities and directly to voters' homes. In some states voters are already casting ballots. Here in California, early voting begins Oct. 7, but varies by county and voters have until Oct. 21 to register to vote.

California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber said she learned lessons about democracy from her mother. Growing up, there were no polling places near her home, so her parents created one in their South Central Los Angeles living room.

"Every election she and my dad set up the voting booths, and she had people with her and she served her public by doing that. And it was interesting for me because by the time I was in middle school, we all knew that this was an important day, this was election day and so therefore we had to go out the back door," she said.

Weber, who is also the state's chief elections officer, recently had a suspicious package sent to her office. Tests revealed it did not contain hazardous materials, but Weber says they are dedicated to ensuring the safety and security of both voters and election workers.

"I have said since the first day that I was appointed Secretary of State that we will not tolerate any attack on anyone working at our polls, we won't allow the intimidation to exist and we will prosecute anyone to the fullest extent of the law," she said.

Californians should start receiving ballots after the first week of October so it's important to have a plan.

"We have a lot of information on our website about everything that's on that ballot. Make a plan to make sure you understand your ballot, get the information you want and to mark your ballot if you choose to if you're going to do it in person. Don't wait until the last minute because we know things happen at the last minute. Your voting information guide has all the locations in your area for where you can vote. You want to get your ballot in and you want to be counted."

Your vote is one of millions that may be cast in California this election. So when it comes to getting results after November 5th, Weber says to practice patience.

"We have 30 days to count the ballots and to certify the election. Keep in mind we are counting 22-million ballots. That's a lot."

Click the arrow above to watch the entire interview with Weber.