California Voting Guide

When is California's voter registration deadline?

If you register to vote online, your application must be received at least 15 days before Election Day.

If you register by mail, your voter registration application must be postmarked at least 15 days before Election Day.

If you have not registered before the voter registration deadline, you can still cast a provisional ballot by completing a Conditional Voter Registration application online at RegisterToVote.ca.gov or at your polling place on Election Day.

Where do I vote?

If you registered to vote, you will receive a postcard telling you that you are now registered and giving you the location of your polling place. You can also check the Voter Information Guide provided by your county elections officials.

If you live in one of the counties participating in the California Voters' Choice Act, you can vote by mail, or at any polling station in your county. (See the list of participating VCA counties.)

What do I need to bring to the polls in California?

You do NOT need to provide identification if you are already registered to vote. You simply need to state your name and address and sign your name and address in the book or log in at the polling station.

You DO need to provide identification if:

• You are not registered to vote
• You filed a registration application late
• You filed a registration application but did not have a driver's license or state ID signature on file to complete the application process
• You filed a registration application but did not have your Social Security number

You will be asked to provide an acceptable form of current and valid photo identification with signature as proof of identity and residency, such as:

• Driver's license or identification card from any state
• Passport
• Employee identification card
• Credit or debit card
• Military ID
• Student ID
• Health club or insurance plan ID
• Public housing ID

For a complete list of other acceptable forms of identification to prove residency, see this list.

Vote-By-Mail in California

County election officials mail vote-by-mail ballots to all active registered voters. Any registered voter may vote by using a vote-by-mail ballot instead of going to the polls on Election Day.

• Return your vote-by-mail ballot to your county elections official at least 7 days before Election Day. You can also find this document in your county Voter Information Guide.
• You may be able to sign up by phone. Call your county elections official to inquire.

California military and overseas voters can use RegisterToVote.ca.gov to request an absentee ballot.

What special accommodations are available?

Accommodations can be made to assist a person in registering to vote, including reading the application form to the prospective voter and helping the person to complete the form.

Accommodations can be made to assist elderly or disabled voters at the polling place, such as:

• Providing adequate lighting or additional lighting in the polling station and in the voting booth
• Providing a magnifying device
• Providing large-grip pens
• Providing chairs or benches for persons who cannot stand for long periods of time
• Providing sample ballots or instructions in alternate formats or larger type

Under Elections Code Section 14201, some California native counties with a large population of non-native English speakers from a particular language group are required to provide and post sample ballots in non-English languages. County officials are required to provide information on the county website listing all the polling places in the county and the languages of the sample ballots that will be provided to voters at that location. Click here to see the required languages in your county.

Disability and Mental Competency: California presumes that a person is competent to vote even if he or she is under conservatorship because of a mental illness or developmental disability. In order to be disqualified from voting, a judge or jury must find that there is “clear and convincing evidence" that a person cannot communicate a desire to participate in the voting process and the person is under conservatorship or is gravely disabled.

A disabled person cannot be disqualified because they sign their voter registration affidavit with a mark or a signature stamp instead of a signature, or because they need help from another person to fill out the voter registration form or ballot. See Elections Code section 2208 to learn more about voting rights for persons with disabilities and Elections Code section 2150 to learn about the completion of the voter registration affidavit.

What do I do if I see something illegal at the polls?

• Were you harassed or intimidated when you went to a polling place to vote?
• Were you unfairly denied your right to vote?

Report your complaints to the California Secretary of State's office by calling (800) 345-VOTE or (800) 232-VOTA, or by filing a complaint form.

If you have information about potential voter fraud regarding voter registration or illegal actions at a polling place, report your suspicions to the Election Fraud Investigation Unit by calling (916) 657-2166 or contact your county elections officials.

You can also contact a California attorney experienced with voting laws.