Voting in California starts with being registered, and once you are, a ballot comes to you in the mail before every election. You can return that ballot by mail, drop it in a county drop box, or hand it in at any polling place or vote center. You can also vote in person. If you missed the registration deadline, you can still register and vote on the same day.
Register First
To register in California, you must be a U.S. citizen, a California resident, at least 18 years old by election day, and not currently serving a state or federal prison sentence for a felony. Californians who are 16 or 17 can pre-register, and the registration activates automatically at 18.1California Legislative Information. California Code ELEC 2101 – Registration
A past felony conviction does not disqualify you unless you are currently in prison or in a local facility serving a state prison sentence. People on parole, probation, post-release community supervision, and federal supervised release can register and vote.2California Secretary of State. Voting Rights – Persons With a Prior Felony Conviction A separate rule applies to anyone a court has found mentally incompetent under a conservatorship, which requires clear and convincing evidence that the person cannot communicate a desire to participate in voting.3California Secretary of State. Voting Rights – Persons Subject to Conservatorship
How to Register
The quickest way is online at registertovote.ca.gov, the Secretary of State’s registration portal. You will be asked for a California driver’s license or state ID number. If you don’t have one, the last four digits of your Social Security number work; if you have neither, you can still register and be assigned a unique identifier.4California Secretary of State. California Voter ID and Registration Requirements
Paper forms are available at county elections offices, libraries, DMV offices, and U.S. post offices, or by calling (800) 345-VOTE. The handwritten signature on a paper form becomes the reference used to verify your future mail ballots. If you handle a driver’s license, state ID, or change-of-address transaction with the DMV, the Motor Voter program registers you automatically unless you opt out, so many Californians are already registered without filling out a separate form.5California Secretary of State. Voter Registration
Re-register whenever you move, change your name, or want to change your party preference. The same portal and paper forms are used for updates.
Deadlines and Same-Day Registration
The deadline to register or update your registration for any election is 15 days before election day.5California Secretary of State. Voter Registration6California Legislative Information. California Code ELEC 2170 – Conditional Voter Registration7California Secretary of State. Same Day Voter Registration You will cast a provisional ballot, which the county counts once it confirms you are eligible and have not already voted. If you are unsure whether you qualify, registering lets the county make the call for you.
Voting by Mail
Every registered California voter is sent a mail ballot before each election automatically. No request is needed. Mark your choices, seal the ballot inside the identification envelope that came with it, and sign and date the outside. Officials compare that signature against the one in your registration file.8California Legislative Information. California Code ELEC 3011 – Vote by Mail Identification Envelope
You have three ways to return it:
- By mail or private carrier. The ballot must be postmarked on or before election day and received by your county elections office no later than seven days after election day.9California Secretary of State. Vote By Mail
- In a county ballot drop box. No postage needed.
- In person at any polling place or vote center in your county, including on election day.
Someone else can return the ballot for you. They should complete the authorization section on the identification envelope, but your ballot will not be rejected solely because that section is incomplete.8California Legislative Information. California Code ELEC 3011 – Vote by Mail Identification Envelope
Voting in Person
Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on election day. If you are in line when the polls close, you have the right to vote however long the line takes.10California Legislative Information. California Code ELEC 14212 – Polling Hours
Where you can vote depends on your county. Thirty-one counties, including Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, Orange, and most other large urban counties, operate under the Voter’s Choice Act and use regional vote centers instead of neighborhood polling places.11California Secretary of State. VCA Participating Counties In those counties you can vote at any center in the county, and centers typically open about 10 days before election day. Counties outside the program still use traditional precinct polling places assigned by address.
Every in-person location has accessible voting equipment that produces a paper record for audit. Poll workers will confirm you have not already turned in a mail ballot before issuing one at the counter. California generally does not require photo ID at the polls. The main exception: first-time voters who registered by mail without providing a driver’s license number or Social Security number may be asked for identification.12California Secretary of State. What to Bring to Your Polling Place
If There’s a Problem With Your Signature
Mail ballots get flagged most often over signatures, and you usually get a chance to fix it. Officials look for similar characteristics rather than an exact match, so signing with initials or signing quickly will not disqualify your ballot on its own.13California Legislative Information. California Code ELEC 3019 – Signature Verification
If a county decides the signature does not match, it must notify you by the next business day, by mail and also by phone, text, or email when it has your contact information. You will get a signature verification statement with a prepaid return envelope. To save the ballot, return the completed form by 5:00 p.m. two days before your county certifies the results. Mail, fax, email, and in-person delivery are all accepted.13California Legislative Information. California Code ELEC 3019 – Signature Verification
The easiest way to catch a signature issue in time is to sign up for the Secretary of State’s “Where’s My Ballot?” tool, which sends automatic text, email, or voice updates when your ballot is mailed, received, and counted, and alerts you if there’s a signature problem.14California Secretary of State. Where’s My Ballot? You can also look up your registration and any provisional ballot status at the Secretary of State’s voter status portal.15California Secretary of State. My Voter Status If your signature has changed significantly over time, updating your registration with a new signature before the next election avoids the problem altogether.
Taking Time Off Work to Vote
If your schedule doesn’t give you enough time outside work to vote in a statewide election, California law lets you take time off, and up to two hours of that time must be paid. The time off is placed at the beginning or end of your shift, whichever gives you the most voting time with the least disruption, unless you and your employer agree otherwise. Give your employer at least two working days’ notice when you know by the third working day before the election that you will need the time.16California Legislative Information. California Code ELEC 14000 – Time Off to Vote Employers must post notice of these rights in a visible spot at the workplace no fewer than 10 days before every statewide election.17California Legislative Information. California Code ELEC 14001 – Employer Notice Requirements
Accessibility and Language Help
Every polling place and vote center must be physically accessible and equipped with an accessible voting machine. If entering the building is difficult, curbside voting lets election workers bring the ballot and roster out to your car. You can also bring up to two people to help you mark your ballot. The only people who cannot help are your employer or anyone who works for your employer, and your union leader or anyone who works for your union.18California Secretary of State. Voters With Disabilities
California requires translated facsimile ballots and instructions at any precinct where 3 percent or more of voting-age residents belong to a single language minority and lack sufficient English to vote without help.19California Secretary of State. Language Requirements for Election Materials Depending on the county, ballots and election materials are routinely available in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Tagalog, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Thai, and other languages.