San Mateo County counting more than 100,000 early ballots (PHOTOS)

The San Mateo County Elections Office opened its doors on Oct. 26 to allow the public to observe the start of ballot counting. Sixty-one percent of county residents requested a mail-in ballot for this election cycle, officials said.

As of Saturday, 100,000 early ballots had been collected and counted at the office. No results will be released until after 8 p.m. Tuesday. An estimated 800,000-plus early ballots have been cast in the Bay Area alone.

[cincopa AwMANCrHyc12]For the third straight year, students in Stanford University’s Graduate Program in Journalism will transform their classroom into an election night newsroom. Joined by a team of undergraduates, these journalists — the staff of the Peninsula Press — will cover local and statewide races and ballot measures.

Here’s a video of the 2010 newsroom in action:

To follow the multimedia coverage on election night, please check back at the Peninsula Press homepage.