Voter Information
Register early to be sure your vote is counted. The deadline to register is 15 days before the election.
Voting if you’ve moved
If you moved before the election but did not register to vote at your new address:
Moving more than 15 days before the election:
- If you moved more than 15 days before the election AND you moved to another address in the same county, you may vote a provisional ballot at your new polling place or at the county elections office.
- You can find the location of your new polling place by calling the county elections official or by asking neighbors where they vote.
- You will be asked to show identification with your name and your new address on it. Options include:
- A California driver’s license or California Identification Card with your new address
- Or you may choose two of the following types of identification that display your name and new address:
• Utility bill
• Credit card statement
• Bank statement
• Property tax bill
For a complete list of acceptable types of identification, call your county elections office. If you do not have proof of residency you may vote only at the county elections office. (To locate your county elections office, log on to the Secretary of State’s website, www.sos.ca.gov.)
Moving more than 15 days before the election to another county in California:
- If you moved more than 15 days before the election AND you moved to another county and did not register in that county, you may not vote in any local or state election until you register. You may vote in a presidential election on a special ballot.
Moving within 15 days of an election:
- If you moved within 15 days of any election to another address in the same county or to any other county in California, you may vote by returning to your former polling place. Or you may vote by requesting a vote-by-mail ballot (formerly known as an absentee ballot) for your former address.
- If you moved within 15 days before an election to another address in the same county, you may instead choose to vote a provisional ballot at your new polling place or at the county elections office.
If you moved, but don’t meet any of the above conditions, please be sure to register in your new county before the next election!
Voting at the Polls
Find your polling location:
- The location of your polling place is printed on your Sample Ballot (Voter Information Pamphlet).
- Your polling place location may not be the same for every election. Check the address on your Voter Information Pamphlet carefully before you go to vote.
- Voting precincts with very small numbers of registered voters (fewer than 250) may be declared “Mailed Ballot Precincts” and all voters in those precincts will automatically be mailed an absentee ballot for that election.
Voting hours:
- The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- If you are in line waiting to vote at 8 p.m. when the polls close, you will be allowed to vote.
Assistance:
- You may bring one or two people to help you vote or you may ask a poll worker for assistance. No one may tell you who to vote for. You may ask for help using the voting machine, reading the ballot and marking the ballot.
Mistakes:
- If you make a mistake on your ballot, you may ask for another one.
How to vote by a provisional ballot:
- If a poll worker will not let you vote and you believe that you are properly registered at that location, demand a provisional ballot. Then check with your county elections official to correct the problem.
Complaints or compliments:
- If you have any complaints (or compliments) about the voting process, speak to the person in charge at the polling place.
- Then, contact your county elections official or call the National Campaign for Fair Elections at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.
Early Voting
- You may vote in person at the office of your county elections official or at another early voting location before Election Day. Some locations even offer weekend voting hours so that you may cast your vote early and at a convenient time.
- The locations and hours for early voting are published in the Voter Information Pamphlet (your Sample Ballot). You may also contact your county elections official for details.
- If you are voting by absentee ballot (now called “voting by mail”), you may drop off your completed ballot at an early voting location. If you do not wish to use your absentee ballot you may surrender it to an official at the early voting location and vote with a regular ballot. (Your surrendered absentee ballot will not be counted.)
- If you requested an absentee ballot but did not receive it or if you lost it, you may request a provisional ballot at the early voting location or at your regular polling place on Election Day.
Voting by Mail
Any registered voter may use a vote-by-mail ballot (formerly known as an absentee ballot).
- To receive a vote-by-mail ballot, you must apply in writing no later than 7 days before the election.
- Follow the instructions carefully. Vote-by-mail ballots must be signed in order to be counted.
- You may mail in your ballot, turn it in at your county elections office, or drop it off at any polling place within your county of residence on Election Day.
- Your ballot must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day. If it is received after that time, it cannot be counted, regardless of the postmark.
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