Voter Registration

Do you want to vote for the elected officials who make decisions that can affect your life?  Then by all means, register to vote and cast your ballot for people you want to make those decisions.

Qualifications

To register to vote in California, you must be:

  • • A United States citizen,
  • • A resident of California,
  • • 18 years of age or older on Election Day,
  • • Not in prison, on parole, serving a state prison sentence in county jail, serving a sentence for a felony pursuant to subdivision (h) of Penal Code section 1170, or on post release community supervision (for more information on the rights of people who have been incarcerated, please see the Secretary of State’s Voting Guide for Currently or Formerly Incarcerated Californians), and
  • • Not found by a court to be mentally incompetent.

Are You Already Registered to Vote?

To find out if you are currently registered to vote, visit Check Status of Your Voter Registration.

Voter Registration Deadlines

In California, the deadline to register to vote for any election is 15 days before Election Day, so please register early!

You need to re-register to vote when:

  • • You move to a new permanent residence,
  • • You change your name, or
  • • You change your political party choice.

As a California voter, be aware that local elections in some areas are held on dates that do not coincide with statewide election dates. The 15-day close of registration deadline for these local elections varies depending on the actual date of the election. If you need to know a deadline for a local election, contact your county elections office.

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