California

Open your California ballot

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Local guides in California

• Beverly Hills
• Burbank
• Culver City
• Dana Point
• Fullerton
• Long Beach
• Los Angeles
• Malibu
• Pasadena
• San Diego
• San Francisco
• Santa Clarita
• Santa Monica
• West Hollywood

Key dates

• In-person voting: Mon, Oct 5 to Mon, Nov 2Two systems. Vote center counties (LA, Orange, San Diego and 27 others under the Voter's Choice Act): a first wave of vote centers opens Saturday, October 24 (the '11-day' centers), and every vote center opens Saturday, October 31 (the '4-day' centers), all running daily through Election Day. LA County: 123 eleven-day centers and 523 four-day centers (646 total), open 10 AM to 7 PM, then 7 AM to 8 PM on Nov 3. Orange County: select centers Oct 24 to 30 and all centers Oct 31 to Nov 2, 10 AM to 6 PM, then 7 AM to 8 PM on Nov 3. San Diego County: vote centers 8 AM to 5 PM daily, Oct 24 to Nov 2 (select centers from Oct 24, all from Oct 31), then 7 AM to 8 PM on Nov 3; the Registrar's office is a vote center too. You can use any vote center in your county, not an assigned one. Polling place counties (San Francisco): early voting is at the City Hall Voting Center (Room 48) from October 5 through November 3, weekdays 8 AM to 5 PM (closed Oct 12), weekends Oct 24-25 and Oct 31-Nov 1 10 AM to 4 PM, and 7 AM to 8 PM on Election Day. In-person early voting sites statewide are open Saturday, October 31. Early voting sites opened statewide October 5.
• Last day to register online: Mon, Oct 19Register or update your registration at RegisterToVote.ca.gov by Monday, October 19, 2026 (15 days before the election). This is the last day to register and be mailed a ballot.
• Last day to register by mail: Mon, Oct 19Paper registration forms must be postmarked or delivered by Monday, October 19, 2026 to be processed as a regular registration.
• Mail ballot request and replacement datesYou don't need to request a ballot. If yours is lost, damaged, or never arrived, ask your county for a replacement. LA County's last day to request a mailed replacement was Tuesday, October 27 (the state form is at https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/vote-by-mail/pdf/replacement-application.pdf). Now get a replacement in person at any vote center or county elections office, or just vote in person.
• Last day to register in person: Tue, Nov 3After October 19 you can still register and vote the same day. Same Day Voter Registration (officially 'conditional voter registration') runs October 20 through 8:00 PM on November 3 at any vote center, polling place, or county elections office. Your ballot is counted once the county verifies your registration.
• Mail ballot deadline: Tue, Nov 38:00 PM PT (drop box, vote center, polling place, or county office); mailed ballots must be postmarked by Nov 3 and received by Nov 10
  • any official ballot drop box in California (LA County has 429, open since Oct 1; San Francisco has 37, open since Oct 5; all counties opened boxes by Oct 6; boxes lock at 8:00 PM on Nov 3)
  • any vote center in your county (LA, Orange, San Diego: open Oct 24 or Oct 31 through Election Day)
  • any polling place in California on Election Day (7 AM to 8 PM)
  • your county elections office (SF: City Hall Room 48, early voting Oct 5 through Nov 3)
  • mail (USPS), postage prepaid, postmarked by Nov 3. The state recommends mailing at least 7 days before Election Day; the SOS USPS FAQ says at least 5 days.
• Election Day: Tue, Nov 3Polls close at 8 PM. If you're in line at 8:00 PM you get to vote. Drop boxes also close at 8:00 PM sharp.

How voting works in California

Every active registered voter already got a ballot in the mail (counties mailed them by October 5; LA County mailed October 1). Fill it out at home, sign the envelope, and drop it in any official drop box, any vote center, or the mail. Or skip the mail ballot and vote in person at a vote center from October 24 (LA, Orange and San Diego counties) or at your polling place on Election Day (San Francisco).

Where to vote

• Find a vote center
• Find your Election Day polling place
• Find a ballot drop box
• Track your mail ballot
• Check your registration

What to bring

ID needed only for some first-time voters.

• Most voters: no ID needed. Your signature is your ID, by mail or in person.
• If you're voting for the first time after registering by mail or online without giving a California driver's license/ID number or the last 4 of your SSN, you may be asked for ID. Acceptable: driver's license or state ID, passport, student ID with photo, a recent utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck, or the sample ballot booklet the county mailed you.
• Photo ID is not required. A non-photo document with your name and address works. The ID does not have to be government-issued or show your address (per the SOS poll worker standards).
• Full list of acceptable documents (HAVA regulations): https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/regulations/hava_id_regs_from_barclays_3_3_06.pdf

No ID? If you're one of the few voters asked for ID and don't have it, you can still vote a provisional ballot, which is counted once the county confirms your eligibility. Poll workers may not ask for ID unless the roster flags you. If voting by mail and you're flagged, include a copy of an acceptable document in your return envelope.