Triple check your vote, California.
There's a lot of noise this election. Here's what's actually true in our state, and three checks that make sure your ballot gets counted.
DO NOT USE VOTESAFE.ORG.
VoteSafe.org looks like a helpful voter site. It isn't an official election website. It's funded and run by America PAC, the political super PAC founded by Elon Musk, and its own privacy policy allows it to collect and share your personal information for targeted marketing. Don't give it your name, address, birthday, or phone number.
Use official California sources only: voterstatus.sos.ca.gov, registertovote.ca.gov, and sos.ca.gov. Already used VoteSafe? Double-check your registration on the state site.
Confirm you're registered, correctly
Don't assume. Look it up, even if you've voted for years.
Check your status
- Go to voterstatus.sos.ca.gov. You'll need your name, birthday, and your CA driver's license/ID number or last four of your Social Security number.
- Make sure your status says active, and your name and home address are current.
- Moved or changed your name? Update at registertovote.ca.gov.
Last day to register and still get a ballot in the mail.
Missed it? You can still register and vote the same day, right up to Election Day, at your county elections office or a vote center. It's called conditional voter registration, and those ballots are counted once the county verifies you. It takes a little longer. It still counts.
Make your voting plan
Every active registered voter in California gets a ballot in the mail. You choose how to use it.
Fill it out right
- Ballots start going out by October 5. Vote as soon as you get it.
- Sign the envelope. Sign the way you usually do. The county compares it to the signatures in your voter file, which can include your DMV signature.
- Use only the envelope that came with your ballot, and seal it.
Why we're not mailing it this time
- The Postal Service now dates postmarks when mail hits a sorting machine, not when you drop it in the mailbox. That can be days later.
- Dropping it off skips the postmark question completely.
- Have to mail it? Send it at least 7 days before Election Day, or walk it into a post office and ask for a hand-stamped postmark.
Drop it off at an official ballot drop box.
Our pick: a drop box at your city hall, public library, or county elections office. Drop boxes open October 6 and close at 8 p.m. on Election Day. No stamp, no postmark, no waiting on the mail.
Do I need ID? Most likely, no.
- California does not require most voters to show ID at the polls.
- The exception: you're voting in a federal election for the first time and you didn't give your driver's license/ID number or last four of your SSN when you registered. Then a poll worker may ask.
- Poll workers can only ask if the voter list shows it's required.
If you're asked, these work
- A photo ID such as a driver's license or ID card from any state, passport, student ID, military ID, employee ID, or even a credit or debit card.
- Or a utility bill, bank statement, or a government-issued check, paycheck, or document.
- No ID on you? You can still vote a provisional ballot. See the full official list.
Where and when
- Vote centers in Voter's Choice Act counties open October 24. Early voting opens statewide by October 31.
- Election Day polls: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. In line at 8? Stay in line. You get to vote.
- Bring your unused mail ballot with you and hand it over, so you get a regular ballot. Lost it? You can still vote in person, though you may be given a provisional ballot.
- Find your spot at caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov.
Track it until it says counted
Voting isn't done when you drop it off. It's done when the county confirms it.
Sign up for ballot alerts
- California's free tracker, Where's My Ballot, sends you a text, email, or call when your ballot is mailed, received, and counted.
- Sign up today, before your ballot even arrives.
If there's a problem, fix it fast
- Missing or mismatched signature? Your county will mail you a form to fix it, and will also call or email if they have your contact info. Send it back right away.
- Haven't seen "received" a week after you returned it? Call your county elections office.
- Then check on your family. Helping your mom, your tía, or your neighbor sign up counts too.
Dates to put in your phone
Trusted resources
Every link and number here comes straight from the California Secretary of State or the hotline operators. Bookmark them and share them.
Official California sites
- My Voter StatusRegistration, ballot status, polling place
- Register or updateOfficial state registration
- Where's My BallotFree ballot tracking alerts
- Official drop boxes and vote centersThe only list to trust for drop boxes
- Official Voter Information GuideCandidates and props, in multiple languages
- Your county elections officeContacts for all 58 counties
Help in your language
California Secretary of State voter lines
- English(800) 345-8683
- Español(800) 232-8682
- 中文 Chinese(800) 339-2857
- हिन्दी Hindi(888) 345-2692
- 日本語 Japanese(800) 339-2865
- ខ្មែរ Khmer(888) 345-4917
- 한국어 Korean(866) 575-1558
- Tagalog(800) 339-2957
- ไทย Thai(855) 345-3933
- Tiếng Việt Vietnamese(800) 339-8163
- TTY/TDD711
Problem at the polls? Call.
Election Protection hotlines, staffed by trained volunteers
- English(866) 687-8683
- Español / English(888) 839-8682
- Asian languages / English(888) 274-8683
- العربية Arabic / English(844) 925-5287
See an unofficial drop box or something off? Report it to the Secretary of State at (800) 345-8683.