Voting FAQ

Yes. Under state law, vote-by-mail ballots are sent to every registered voter. 

Counties will begin mailing ballots by Oct. 7. 

• Mail it to your county elections office
• Drop it off at a ballot drop box, vote center or polling location anywhere in the state
• Ask someone you trust to do it for you, but that person can’t get paid by the ballot

You can check the Secretary of State’s website: You’ll need to enter your name, date of birth and either your California driver license, identification card number or the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you don’t have those available, contact your county elections office or the Secretary of State via email or phone at (800) 345-8683.

If you’ve changed your name since the last time you voted, or if you moved and didn’t notify the Department of Motor Vehicles or U.S. Postal Service, you may have to register again. If you haven’t voted in several consecutive general elections, your registration may have been canceled.

You can do so online here. You’ll need the same information as above.

If DMV has your signature on file, you’ll be able to complete the process online. If not, you’ll need to print, sign and mail your completed application to your county elections office. You can also pick up a paper application at elections offices, any DMV office and at many post offices, public libraries and government offices. You’ll be contacted when your application is approved, or if you need to provide more information.

The last day to register online for the primary is Oct. 21. If you are registering or re-registering less than 15 days before Nov. 5, you must complete same-day voter registration and request your ballot in person at your county elections office or polling location. 

You’ll need to re-register to vote.

CalMatters’ Voter Guide is available in Spanish. The Secretary of State’s office has voter instructions in the following languages: Spanish, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese. Your county elections office may offer additional languages. 

The statewide voter information guide is to be available online on Sept. 6 and will be mailed to voters between Sept. 26 and Oct. 15. County election offices will mail their local guides during the same period. Voter guides will be available in audio and large-print. 

U.S. House member, state senator (if you live in an odd-numbered district) and state Assemblymember. The U.S. Senate race will appear twice on your ballot — once for the term that ends in January 2025 and once for the full term that expires in January 2031. And your ballot will include local offices, depending where you live.

You’ll also be voting on a number of statewide ballot measures. The final list will be determined by late June. 

Six parties qualified for the primary: Democratic, Republican, American Independent, Green, Libertarian and Peace and Freedom. Some candidates are also running with no party preference.   

Yes. California is one of at least 31 states that requires time off for voting if employees don’t have enough time outside work hours. You can take as much time as you need, but employers are only required to pay for a maximum of two hours.

Employers may require advance notice. The time off must be at the beginning or the end of your shift. Employers are required to post a notice about this 10 days before a statewide election.

Go online then select “My Voter Status” to check if your vote was counted and if not, what the issue was.

If you know where you’ll be, you can re-register and request a special absentee ballot. and can choose if you want your ballot mailed, faxed or emailed to you. Here’s a tip sheet. 

You can still vote, and there are specific procedures in place to help. Here’s a tip sheet on how to vote remotely from your home. And here’s a tip sheet if you have a medical emergency on or before March 5.

No, that’s not allowed. So if you plan to be out of state, or if you’re temporarily displaced due to an emergency, make sure your county has your new address on file. If you suspect the ballot went to your California address, contact your county elections office as soon as possible.

Yes. Under California law, whether you are unhoused, or in between residences for any reason, you can still use your last address. You can also use a business address, if that’s where you live.

If you don’t have a specific street location to fill out on your voter registration card, you can provide the city, zip code and closest intersecting cross-streets. This may be a public camp or park.

You must also provide a current mailing address where you can receive your voting materials, such as a P.O. box. The U.S. Postal Service offers general delivery mail services to customers with no fixed address and no identification.

If you haven’t turned it in yet, you can exchange your mail ballot for a new one at an elections office, ask an election official at the polling place for a new ballot, or vote using a provisional ballot. If you have mailed or turned in your ballot, there’s no way to fix it. Contact your county elections office for a new ballot. 

County election officials check the signatures on the return envelope against signatures on your voter registration card to make sure no one tries to improperly cast your ballot. It still remains confidential; the ballot is separated from the envelope before it is counted.

Voters with ballots with missing signatures or ones that don’t match are notified and given an opportunity to correct the problem before the election is certified.

Contact your county elections office. 

Don’t worry – the county will pass it on to the correct elections office. 

You can, but the Secretary of State’s office recommends contacting your local county elections office. They’ll ultimately be processing your ballot and they can offer the best guidance on whether you should reopen it or just leave the stub attached.

No. Your ballot will still be counted if you skip some races. Many voters do so when they are uncertain of how to vote.