Civic Engagement

Are you eligible to Vote?

To vote in California, you must be:

• A U.S. citizen and a resident of California

• 18 years or older on Election Day

• Not currently in state or federal prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony. For more information, please see Voting Rights: Persons with a Criminal History.

• & Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court. For more information, please see Voting Rights: Persons Subject to Conservatorship.

 

Get Started

To vote in California, you’ll need to be registered in California. Not registered yet, or not sure if you’re registered?

• Register to Vote

• Pre-Register to Vote

• Check Your Registration Status

Click on any of the FAQs below, which will guide you to the relevant California Secretary of State web pages. Use your state’s Secretary of State website as the primary source for elections and voting information.

• What is Same Day Voter Registration?
• Who is eligible to Pre-Register to Vote before age 18? And, how do I pre-register?
• Is there in-person early voting in my county? Where do I drop off my vote-by-mail ballot
• Where is my polling place?
• What is the California Voter’s Choice Act (VCA)?
• Does my county participate in VCA?
• How does California ensure access to Voters with Disabilities? Check out the following two videos:
  • Watch on YouTube – Accessible Vote-by-Mail for Voters with Disabilities
  • Watch on YouTube – Vote Centers and Accessibility
• If an individuals have a primary language preference other than English, are voter registration applications available to them?
• Does California provide the restoration of voting rights for individuals who have been formerly incarcerated.

Demystifying Vote-by-Mail

In California, you may request a vote-by-mail ballot for a particular election or you may request permanent vote-by-mail status. California, along with 28 other states do this. Five states conduct all elections entirely by mail – Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and Utah. Given Covid-19, what are the changes regarding vote-by-mail? Is it possible for California to follow in the footsteps of “all mail elections” states? How is California working with the U.S. Postal Service?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Click on any of the FAQs below which will guide you to the relevant Secretary of State web pages. Use your state’s Secretary of State website as the primary source for elections and voting information. For more information, call the Secretary of State’s toll-free Voter Hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683) or contact your county elections office.

• How do I verify my voter registration status?

• How do I become a permanent vote-by-mail voter? Update your voter registration status to become a permanent vote-by-mail voter at RegisterToVote.ca.gov.

• How do I submit my vote-by-mail ballot?

• Once I’ve submitted my ballot, how can I track my vote-by-mail ballot?

• How do I apply to become an elections poll worker?

Use these resources to find information on elections, polling locations, early voting and how to vote by mail.

State of California

• California Students Vote Project

• Secretary of State – Election information

Use the non-partisan resources below to learn about your representatives, candidates, ballot measures, and more.

Find Your Representatives

California Legislature

You are represented by one (1) Assembly Member and one (1) State Senator:

• • • • State Assembly

      • State Senate

U.S. Congress

You are represented by one (1) House Member and two (2) U.S. Senators:

• • • • House of Representatives

      • Senate

The Constitution of the United States

Created: September 17, 1787

Ratified: June 21, 1788

Date effective: March 4, 1789

Last amended: May 5, 1992

Amendments: 27

The Constitution of California

Created: October 13, 1849

Ratified: May 7, 1879

Amendments: 514