At a Glance: California

California Voting Rules

Voter Registration Form:
Forms can be found here.

Deadline to Register:
Voter registration forms must be postmarked no later than 15 days prior to the election (Oct 20, 2008).

Voter Eligibility:
In order to vote in California, an individual must: be a US citizen; be at least 18 years of age by Election Day; be a resident of the state of California; not be in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony; and not have been judged by a court to be mentally incompetent to register and vote.

Identification Requirements:
State laws require individuals to provide their California driver's license or California ID number on the voter registration form. If they do not have either of these, they must provide the last 4 digits of their social security number. If the individual does not have a driver's license or a social security number, the state will assign them a unique number and they may be required to show identification when they vote.

Where to Turn in Your Registration:
Registration forms should be mailed to the voter’s local County Registration Office. A list of County Registration Offices can be found here.

How to Register Others:
All voter registration forms must be turned in to the Secretary of States Office no longer than 3 days after their completion, excluding Saturday, Sunday, and state holidays.
The distributor or circulator may not fill in the blanks on the voter registration card unless the person registering asks for that help. If an individual assists someone in filling out their registration card, the individual providing the assistance must fill in and sign the designating spaces on the voter registration form stating their assistance.

Elections Codes specify that it is an infraction punishable by a fine to mail registration cards to persons who do not request them, unless a cover letter or other notice is included instructing recipients to disregard the cards if they are already registered.

A photocopied or otherwise duplicated voter registration card cannot be used. Only the official registration card may be used.

California Code of Regulations requires any person or organization asking for more than 50 voter registration forms from the county elections official to complete a distribution plan. This plan should describe how the drive will be organized, what groups will be targeted, what methods will be used to distribute cards, acknowledgment that organizers are aware of and will follow the laws and rules relating to voter registration, and similar information.

Statement of distribution forms can be found at this website. The statement and plan of distribution can be mailed or faxed to:
California Secretary of State
Elections Division
1500 11th Street, 5th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: (916) 653-3214

Absentee Voting:
Any registered voter can vote absentee, no excuses necessary.
Application Process: Applications to vote absentee can be found here.

Application forms should be mailed to the voter’s local County Registration Office. A list of County Registration Offices can be found here. Dates: Elections officials process applications and mail vote-by-mail ballots beginning on the 29th day prior to an election (Oct 6, 2008) through the 7th day prior to an election (Oct 28, 2008). Individuals may submit an application before the 29th day, but the elections officials will hold it until the 29th day. Emergency absentee ballots can be issued in the week before the election in case of sudden illness or disability or a need to be absent from the precinct.
All absentee ballots must be returned no later than 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Early Vote:
Early voting is available. No excuses are required. Contact the local County Registration Office for specific dates and times. A list of County Registration Offices can be found here.

For More Information
California Secretary of State
Elections Division
Phone: 916-657-2166
Fax: 916-653-3214
E-mail: Elections@ss.ca.gov
Visit their website

Info about veterans, voting in other states, etc.

Please see this website for more information on U.S. Military Voter Services and voting overseas.

Click here to return to our Voter Registration Action Center home page.

Read our voter registration event guide here.

Visit California's state home page.