2024 california VOTER GUIDE
1.Voter Registration
Deadline to Register: October 21, 2024
2. Check Your Registration
Why check your registration? Your address is where election officials send notices, application forms to receive your ballot in the mail, and more. Additionally, poll workers will check if the address on your voter registration matches the address on your ID at the polls.
Checklist:
- Is your name spelled correctly? (Correct hyphenations, middle initials, etc)
- Correct Address
- Active Voter Status (if not update by sending in another online/mail voter application)
- Correct Date of Birth
- Take a time-stamped photograph or screenshot of your registration, and take it with you to the polls as proof of your registration.
3. Voter ID Law
Source: Ballotpedia
California does not require voters to present photo identification. However, some voters may be asked to show a form of identification when voting if they are voting for the first time after registering to vote by mail and did not provide a driver license number, California identification number, or the last four digits of their social security number.
4. Order Your Absentee Mail Ballot
Vote-by-mail ballots are automatically mailed to you when you register to vote.
Deadline to Order Absentee Mail Ballot: Must be received by October 29, 2024
Order a Replacement Mail Ballot
Deadline to return absentee mail Ballot: Must be postmarked on or before November 5, 2024 and received by your county elections office no later than November 12, 2024
You may also drop off voted absentee mail ballot on Election Day.
Surrendering Your Absentee Ballot:
- California counties has the Surrender Rule. Before COVID-19, if you wanted to vote in person on Election Day but you usually vote-by-mail, then you should bring your ballot to surrender and then vote in person. If not, the poll worker has to find your information on the electronic poll book. If you for some reason are not there, then you will be given a provisional ballot.
- If a vote-by-mail voter appears at their designated polling place on Election Day, or appears at a vote center or the regular or satellite office of their elections official where voting is permitted on or before Election Day, that voter shall be permitted to vote a nonprovisional ballot if either of the following conditions is satisfied:
- The voter surrenders their VBM [Vote by Mail] ballot or,
- The voter is unable to surrender their VBM ballot, but the election official does both of the following:
- Verifies that the voter has not returned their voted VBM ballot, and
- Notates the voter’s voter record to ensure that the voter’s BVM ballot is not cast or tabulated after they voted at the polls.
5. Early Voting Information
County elections officials offer early voting at their office, and many counties offer early voting at additional locations before Election Day.
To locate an early voting location near you, visit CAEarlyVoting.sos.ca.gov or contact your county elections office.
County contact information can be found by visiting the Secretary of State’s website at: www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices.
6. Be A Poll Worker
Become a poll worker!
Poll workers must be 16 and over, and a registered voter (if over 18) in their county. Contact your local Election Official to sign-up: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices/