How to Vote for President

Registered to vote as No Party Preference*?

As a voter registered with No Party Preference, if you want to vote for U.S. President, you must request a primary election ballot with presidential candidates from one of the following parties:

  • American Independent Party
  • Democratic Party
  • Libertarian Party

If you vote by mail, you will need to request this ballot from your county elections office.

If you vote at the polls, you can request a ballot when checking in at the polling place.

For more information on this process, visit HowToVoteForPresident.sos.ca.gov.

If you want to vote for the Green, Peace and Freedom, or Republican Parties' presidential candidates, you must re-register with that specific party. To change your voter registration, visit registertovote.ca.gov.

* Voters registered with a non-qualified political party are considered No Party Preference voters.

Registered with a Qualified Political Party?

If you registered with any of the following qualified political parties, you can only vote for that party's presidential candidates:

  • American Independent Party
  • Democratic Party
  • Green Party
  • Libertarian Party
  • Peace and Freedom Party
  • Republican Party

If you want to vote for another party's presidential candidate, you must re-register with that specific party. To change your registration, visit registertovote.ca.gov.

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