FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Am I registered to vote?

To be eligible to register to vote in California, you must be:

A United States citizen and a resident of California,
18 years old or older on Election Day,
Not currently in state or federal prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony, and
Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court.

To check the status of your voter registration, visit voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.

What if I forgot to register to vote or update my registration?

No problem! If you missed the October 19, 2020, voter registration deadline, California law allows you to register to vote and vote until 8:00 p.m. on Election Day at your county elections office or at any voting location in your county. This process is called Conditional Voter Registration and is commonly referred to as Same Day Voter Registration.

Here's how it works:

Visit your county elections office, a vote center, or polling place in your county—locations can be found in your county Voter Information Guide or at vote.ca.gov.
Complete a voter registration card.
Vote your ballot at your county elections office, vote center, or polling place.
Once the county elections official processes your registration and determines you are eligible, you will be registered to vote and your ballot will be counted.
Check if your ballot was counted by visiting voterstatus.sos.ca.gov. County elections offices have up until 60 days after Election Day to provide this information.

Where can I learn about candidates and propositions?

Check your county Voter Information Guide for information about local candidates and measures. You may also go to propositions for more information.

To fnd the statements from Presidential candidates, visit the Secretary of State's website at vote.ca.gov.

To research campaign contributions for state and local candidates, visit the Secretary of State's website at powersearch.sos.ca.gov.

To research campaign contributions for presidential and congressional candidates, visit the Federal Election Commission website at www.fec.gov.

What tools are available on the Secretary of State’s website?

Visit vote.ca.gov for tools to help you:

Check your voter registration information
Register or re-register to vote
Sign up for vote-by-mail ballot tracking
Find your polling place or vote center
Contact your county elections office

Where do I vote?

Every county has polling places or vote centers open on Election Day. All counties will also have one or more in-person, early voting locations. To find your county’s early voting locations, visit vote.ca.gov or check your county Voter Information Guide.

You may also call the Secretary of State's toll-free Voter Hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683).

You can also text "Vote" to GOVOTE (468683) to find the location of your polling place.

If you live in one of these counties: Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Sacramento, San Mateo, Santa Clara, or Tuolumne, you can vote in any vote center in your county. Visit voterschoice.sos.ca.gov.

How do I vote by mail?

For this election, every registered voter in California will automatically receive a vote-by-mail ballot. Your county elections office will mail ballots beginning October 5, 2020. For more information please see How to Vote by Mail.

How much postage is needed to return my vote-by-mail ballot?

No stamp, no problem! Postage for vote-by-mail envelopes is pre-paid by the county and free for all voters in California.

How can I return my vote-by-mail ballot?

After marking your choices on your vote-by-mail ballot, place it in the official envelope provided by your county elections office and seal it. Sign the envelope where directed. You have multiple options for returning your ballot.

To ensure your ballot arrives by the deadline, return it either:

By mail—must be postmarked on or before November 3 and received by your county elections office no later than November 20. No postage is required!
In person—drop off at your county elections office, any vote center or polling place in California, or any ballot drop-off location or drop box before the polls close at 8:00 p.m. on November 3.
State law gives voters the freedom to designate anyone they choose to return their vote-by-mail ballots. However, we recommend that you only sign your completed ballot over to someone you trust. Never hand over your vote-by-mail ballot if you have not sealed and signed the back of the return envelope provided by your county elections office.

Can I still vote in person this election?

While we recommend that you vote using your vote-by-mail ballot, there will still be in-person voting options in every county. Bring your vote-by-mail ballot to your county elections office or voting location and give it to a poll worker to exchange for a polling place ballot. If you do not have your vote-by-mail ballot and envelope, you may have to vote using a provisional ballot. This ensures that you have not already cast a ballot.

Can voters with disabilities vote by mail?

All county elections offices are required to offer an accessible option called remote accessible vote-by-mail (RAVBM). RAVBM allows voters with disabilities to receive their ballot at home and mark it independently and privately before sending it back to elections officials. For the November 3, 2020, General Election, all registered voters may use the RAVBM option. To sign up for RAVBM, visit voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.

How do I know the county received my vote-by-mail ballot?

Voters can receive notifications on the status of their vote-by-mail ballot by signing up for the “Where’s My Ballot?” tool. Sign up at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov to receive automatic updates on the status of your vote-by-mail ballot by text message (SMS), email, or voice call.

When you sign up for “Where’s My Ballot?” you will receive automatic updates when your county elections office:

Mails your ballot,
Receives your ballot,
Counts your ballot, or
Identifies an issue with your ballot.

Can I get time off from work to vote?

All employees are eligible for paid time off for the purpose of voting if they do not have enough time outside of working hours to vote.

Employees can be given as much time as they need in order to vote, but only a maximum of two hours is paid. Employers may require employees to give advance notice that they will need additional time off for voting. Employers may require time off to be taken only at the beginning or end of the employee’s shift.

If you have questions, call the Secretary of State's toll-free Voter Hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683).

Do I need to show ID to vote?

In most cases, California voters do not have to show identification before they vote.

You may have to show one form of identification at the polling place if you are voting for the first time after registering by mail or online and you did NOT provide the following on your application (or any other identification):

State-issued driver license or identification number, or
The last four digits of your social security number.

The following are some of the acceptable types of identification according to state and federal laws:

Driver license or state-issued identification
Passport
Employee identification
Military identification
Student identification
Health club identification
Insurance plan identification
Credit card or debit card

For the full list, see “Polling Place ID Requirements” at sos.ca.gov/elections/hava-id-standards.

How can I help?

Participate as a poll worker! Gain hands-on experience and take part in the single most important part of our democracy—voting!

To serve as a poll worker, you must be:

A U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident, or
An eligible high school student.

Poll workers:

Set up and close a polling place
Help voters understand their rights
Protect ballots and voting equipment
Earn extra money (amount varies by county)
Contribute to their community and meet their neighbors

To serve as a high school poll worker, a student must:

Be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident
Be at least 16 years old on Election Day
Attend a public or private high school
Have at least a 2.5 grade point average
Get permission from their parents and school
Attend a training session

For more information about being a poll worker, contact your county elections office or visit vote.ca.gov.

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