California

Vote in Person:

• All polling places and Vote Centers are open from 7 AM to 8 PM Pacific Time on Election Day. 

Vote By Mail Ballots:

• Mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received no later than 7 days after Election Day. 
• In person drop-off by 8 PM Pacific Time to any ballot dropbox, Vote Center, polling place, or County Elections Office in the state.

(Voters may authorize another person to return their ballot by completing the form on the ballot envelope.)

VCA Participating Counties: Voters can go to any vote center in their county to cast their ballot.

Non VCA County: Voters must vote at their assigned polling place.

How to Find Your Voting Location: 

• Check your county-mailed “Voter Information Guide”;
• Online at Find Your Polling Place; or
• Contact your county elections office or check their website: County Elections Offices.

Registration Deadlines

• The voter registration deadline for the California Congressional, State and Gubernatorial General Election is Received by Mon Oct 19, 2026.

How to Check Your Registration: Voters can determine whether they are registered to vote at the following link: Am I Registered?.

You are eligible to vote in California if you:

• Are a U.S. citizen
• Are a resident of California
• Are at least 18 years old by Election Day

You are NOT eligible to vote in California if:

• You are in prison for a felony conviction.
• A judge has specifically ruled that you are not able to vote.

You can vote if you are currently incarcerated serving a felony jail sentence, and were not sentenced to prison time.

Restorative Requirements

• If you have completed a felony prison sentence, even if you are still on parole or probation, then you are immediately eligible to register to vote.

You may preregister to vote in California

• At the age 16

How to register 

• California Congressional, State and Gubernatorial General Election
  • Submit an Application: Received by Mon Oct 19, 2026

How to Register:

• Online: Register to Vote.
• Pick up a paper registration form: Available at County Elections Offices libraries, DMV offices, post offices, or other government offices. Return the form by mail or in person to the county elections office, or place it in a ballot dropbox (between 29 and 15 days before Election Day). Ballot dropbox locations can be found at Early Voting.
• Request a paper form by phone/email/fax/in person: from your County Elections Office. 
• DMV: When obtaining a driver’s license, state ID, or filing a change of address with the California DMV.
• Military/Overseas: See section “If you are in the Military or are an Overseas Voter.”

Same Day (Conditional) Registration: Within 14 days of Election Day, you must go in person to a vote center, polling place, or local county elections office to conditionally register.

Note: Military/overseas voters, or voters with disabilities or medical emergencies who have not registered before the 15-day deadline may register remotely using their county’s Remote Conditional Voter Registration. County Elections Offices have more information.

If You Want to Vote Absentee, requests may be made:

• In-Person
• By Mail

Absentee Ballots may be returned:

• In-Person
• By Mail

California Congressional, State and Gubernatorial General Election

Ballot Request:

• Tue Oct 27, 2026
• In-person for Military or Overseas Voters Recalled to Service by Mon Nov 2, 2026 5:00PM

Ballot Return:

• Received by Tue Nov 3, 2026 8:00PM
• Postmarked On or Before Election Day and Received by Tue Nov 10, 2026

California does not have absentee ballots. A temporary mailing address can be entered in your voter registration online here or by contacting your County Elections Office and changing the mailing address on a paper voter registration form. 

Early In-Person Voting:

• At County Elections Offices: Starting 29 days before Election Day voters can both register and vote. From 14 days to Election Day voters needing to register can conditionally register and vote.
• VCA Participating Counties: Vote Centers open 10 days before Election Day for voting and same day (conditional) registration.
• Non-VCA Counties: Early voting options are county-dependent; Early voting information available here or contact your county County Elections Office.
• All California counties will have early voting available on the Saturday before Election Day.

Voter Registration

To register to vote in California you should provide:

• Date of Birth
• Your California Driver’s License or State non-driver ID Number
• Last Four Digits of your Social Security Number
• U.S. state or foreign country of birth

If you are registering to vote for the first time by mail, you will need to provide a copy of a valid ID. Acceptable forms of ID include:

• Utility Bill, Bank Statement, Government Check, or Paycheck that Shows your current name and address
• Government Issued Document that shows your current name and address
• Valid US Passport
• Your California Driver’s License Number
• Valid Photo ID
• Student ID Card

You can alternatively show one of these documents when you vote to complete your registration.

Voting In-Person

If you registered to vote in California, you may be required to present valid photo ID if you are voting for the first time or your registration is incomplete. You can use any ID from this list:

• Valid Commercial ID
• Valid US Passport
• Insurance Plan ID Card
• Public Housing ID Card
• Health Club ID Card
• Valid Employee ID
• Valid California Driver’s License
• Valid Student ID
• Out of State Driver’s License or Non-driver ID
• Valid Military ID
• Debit or Credit Card
• Valid California Issued ID

If you don’t have any of these ID’s, please look at the list of alternative ID’s in California.

If you do not have an ID from the above list, in California additional, acceptable forms of ID include:

• Public Transportation Authority Senior Discounted Fare ID Card
• Sample Ballot mailed to you
• Voter notification or confirmation card
• Current Utility Bill
• ID Issued by a Government Disability Agency
• Insurance Plan or Discount Drug Plan Card Issued by a Government Agency
• Property Tax Statement
• A Government Issued Document that shows your Current Name and Address
• Bank Statement
• Other Official Elections Document
• Valid California Vehicle Registration
• University Tuition Bill Issued by a Government Agency
• Identification Documents Issued by Government Homeless Shelters or Other Facilities
• Government Paycheck
• Drug prescription Issued by a Government Doctor or Health Care Provider
• Certificate of Vehicle Ownership
• Discharge Certificates, Pardons or other Similar Documents Issued to you by a Government Agency
• Lease or rental statement or agreement Issued by a Government Agency
• Government Check

Your ID documents must show your Current Name and Address and be no older than the Date of the last Election.

ID is not required to vote, by mail or in person, unless
you’re voting for the first time in a general election, you registered by mail or online, AND you did not supply your CA ID or SSN when registering.

First-time Mail Voters who did not supply ID when registering must send a photocopy of their personal identification (see list of acceptable ID below) to their County Elections Office. Their ballot will remain unopened until the photocopy is provided.

In Person: First time voters who did not supply ID when registering may provide an original or copy of the following, and it must be dated after the last General Election:

• Current and valid photo identification, including:
  • Driver’s license or identification card of any state
  • Passport
  • Employee identification card
  • Identification card provided by a commercial establishment
  • Credit or debit card
  • Military identification card
  • Student identification card
  • Health club identification card
  • Insurance plan identification card
  • Public housing identification card
• A document that includes name and address and is dated after the last General Election, including:
  • Utility bill
  • Bank statement
  • Government check or paycheck 
• Document issued by a governmental agency
  • Sample ballot or other official elections document dated for the election which the voter is providing as proof of residence of identity
  • Voter notification card
  • Public housing identification card
  • Lease or rental statement or agreement
  • Student identification card
  • Tuition statement or bill
  • Insurance plan card or drug discount card issued by a governmental agency
  • Discharge certificates, pardons, or other official documents in connection with the resolution of a criminal case, indictment, sentence or other matter
  • Public transportation authority senior citizen and disabled discount cards
  • Identification documents issued by governmental disability agencies
  • Identification documents issued by government homeless shelters and other government Temporary or transitional facilities 
  • Drug prescription issued by a government doctor or other governmental health care provider
  • Property tax statement
  • Vehicle reregistration
  • Vehicle certificate of ownership

Voters who lack ID at the polls may vote with a provisional ballot.

Voter Registration after Permanent Move:  

Note: The Postal Service does not forward ballots.

Automatic through DMV: Voter registration changes are automatically updated if an address was changed through the Department of Motor Vehicles or U.S. Postal Service. This can be confirmed at California Online Voter Registration.

Updating Voter Registration by Mail or Online:: Voters who have moved permanently and need to update their registration may do so up to 15 days before Election Day:

• Online at California Online Voter Registration or 
• Paper voter registration application, or 
• Sending a signed letter to the voter’s current County Elections Office with their name, new address, previous address, and date of birth. 

In Person Registration: 

• At voter’s County Elections Office
• At a vote center or polling place after the 15 day registration deadline has passed. 

Voters who have moved within the same county may update their registration address at a vote center or polling place.

Temporary Move:

Update Mailing Address on Voter Registration: If the voter intends to return to their permanent residence at a future date (e.g. a college student), the voter can continue to use their permanent residence as their registration address and simply update their mailing address:

• Online at California Online Voter Registration
• Sending a signed letter with their name, current mailing address, and date of birth to their County Elections Office.

Replacement Ballot: Up to 7 days before Election Day, the voter can also request that a replacement ballot be sent to their temporary address.

Remote Accessible Vote By Mail Ballot: Voters also have the option to electronically receive a ballot by opting for a “Remote Accessible Vote by Mail Ballot” (RAVBM) They will need to contact their County Elections Office. This requires internet access and a printer.

Elections Officials will count the first ballot they receive, in case one ballot gets mailed to the permanent address and one goes to a temporary address.

Voting Military

Service members and their dependents may register and request a ballot using the federal voter registration/ballot request form (“FPCA”). You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

• Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number
• U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
• Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID

Voting Overseas

U.S. citizens living overseas may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form. You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

• Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number
• U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
• Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID

Registration:

Regardless of their current registration status, military/overseas CA residents must complete either the online voter registration application or the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)  in order to receive election materials and vote when absent from the country. The military/overseas voter can choose to have their ballot mailed, faxed, or emailed to them. 

Registration deadline is 15 days before Election Day. If the voter misses the deadline, they will be able to complete a “Remote Conditional Registration Form” available online. The voter will need to contact their County Elections Office for assistance.

Voting:

Ballots will be sent/transmitted to military/overseas voters in the manner the voter requested in their application no later than 45 days before Election Day. Completed ballots can be returned only by mail or fax: 

• If mailing: The voted ballot and signed return envelope must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the voter’s county elections office no later than 7 days after Election Day. Military voters can obtain a free USPS Priority Mail Express Label 11-DOD from their Military Post Office, embassies, or consulate. See here. 

• If faxing: In addition to their completed ballot (with the signed declaration on the return envelope) the military/overseas voter must also fax an “Oath of Voter” form to waive their right to a confidential vote. The voter should check with their County Elections Office for the correct oath form. If accepted, the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) Alternative Form is here.

The entire faxed ballot package (ballot, envelope, and oath) must be received by the county elections office by 8:00 PM Pacific Time on Election Day. Please note: The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) and DoD fax service have discontinued their service of faxing military and overseas voters’ election materials to county election officials. Voters can no longer send their voted ballot to FVAP and must fax directly to their County Elections Office. 

Ballot Never Received: 

If the voter sent their application materials at least 30 days before Election Day and still has not received their ballot within 14 days of Election Day, they should contact their County Elections Office to inform them of the situation and discuss their remedies: 

Remote Accessible Vote By Mail (RAVBM) Ballots are downloaded and marked online, printed, and mailed or faxed to the County Elections Office. RAVBM ballots must either be requested from or are accessed from the voter’s County Elections Office.

FWAB: Voters can also obtain a “Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot” (FWAB), which is a blank write-in ballot. FWABs are available at consulates, embassies, from Military Voting Assistance Officers, and online at Standard Form 186, “Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB)”. FWABs can be returned by mail or fax.  

Mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received no later than 7 days after Election Day. Voters who do not have the county-issued ballot return envelope may use their own envelope but must sign the outside of the envelope (anywhere) and affix postage. 

Faxed ballots must be received by 8 PM Pacific Time on Election Day. 

Information on Mailing Addresses and FAX numbers for Military and Overseas Voters can be found at: 

Mailing Addresses and Fax Numbers for Military or Overseas Voters

Ask are you in a locked facility right now? If not, you are eligible. If yes see here.

Misdemeanor Conviction: 

CA residents with a misdemeanor conviction, or those with a criminal conviction in juvenile court, do not lose their right to vote.  Residents who are currently incarcerated or detained under these circumstances do not lose their right to vote. 

Felony Conviction:

CA residents convicted of a felony and given a “Felony Jail Sentence” do not lose their right to vote or register to vote.

CA residents with a state or federal felony prison sentence who are currently serving their sentence in a state or federal prison or housed for that felony in a local detention facility/county jail, or those who are currently in a county jail awaiting transfer to a state or federal prison, are ineligible to vote. 

When the resident is released from prison, their right to vote is automatically restored, but they will need to re-register. See above section on Registering to Vote. 

CA residents with a history of criminal convictions can check their eligibility at Voting Rights Restored.