How to Register to Vote
You can register and vote in California if you are:
- A California resident
- 18 years of age or older by election day (i.e. if you are 17 you can register as long as you turn 18 by election day)
- A U.S. citizen
- You are not currently serving a felony sentence in prison or jail or on parole for a felony (voting rights
are restored for people with a felony conviction as soon as they are on probation.
Read more).
Where you can register to vote:
You can register to vote online. It's easy and can be done in a couple of minutes.
The deadline to register to vote:
Two weeks before election day - this year the deadline is Monday, October 24th.
Not sure if you are already registered to vote?
You can check your Voter Status quickly and easily at the Voter Status website.
You MUST Re-Register if:
- You have changed your address or name since the last time you voted.
- You want your ballot mailed to an address that is different from your residence.
Forgot to register to vote by the deadline? You can still vote!
Californians can register AND vote after the voter registration deadline. Same Day Voter Registration is a safety net for Californians who miss the deadline to register to vote.
- To take advantage of this opportunity you must go to an Early Voting Site and let
them know you wish to do "Same Day" or "Conditional" Voter registration.
- They will give you a form to fill out which serves as your voter registration. Once you have filled that form out the Early Voting Site staff will give you an actual ballot, and you will vote right then and there.
- Visit the California Early Voting website for a list of early voting locations where you can complete the Same Day Voter Registration Process.