Frequently Asked Questions - Elections & Voter Information

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Voting

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Running for Office

Voter Registration

Who can register to vote?
In order to register to vote, a person must:
For more information on the rights of people who are incarcerated, please see our
Voting Guide for Inmates.
How do I register to vote?
To register to vote you must obtain and complete a voter registration form. Voter registration forms can be obtained by:
What is the deadline to register to vote?
The deadline to register to vote is 15 days prior to each local and statewide Election Day. To be eligible to vote in the November 4, 2008, General Election, you must register to vote by October 20, 2008.
I have just moved. Am I required to re-register?
Your voter registration should always reflect your current residence. However, if you have moved from your home into a temporary residence that you do not intend to use as your permanent residence, you can continue to use your prior permanent residence where you were previously registered to vote as your address for the purpose of voting.
I did not vote in the last election. Do I need to re-register?
In general, you are registered to vote for as long as you remain at the same address. However, if you have not voted in the last several elections, you may be sent a request to confirm that you have not moved.
Do I have to be registered to vote in order to register other voters?
No, you do not need to be a registered voter in order to register other people to vote.
I registered at the Department of Motor Vehicles, but my county elections office says I'm not registered. What can I do?
Contact your county elections official and provide them with any documentation you may have to help establish when and where you registered. In many cases your county elections official may be able to verify the potential registration through the Department of Motor Vehicles.
I sent in my voter registration form a month ago and I still don't know where to vote. Did you receive my registration card?
To inquire about your voter registration status, you must call your county elections official. Each county designates the polling place for each voter and mails a sample ballot to each voter telling them where to vote on Election Day.
Where do I send my voter registration form after I fill it out?
If you have downloaded a voter registration form from the Secretary of State's webpage, it will be pre-addressed to go to your county elections official for quicker processing. Statewide forms are sent to the Secretary of State's office, which in turn must forward them to the appropriate county elections official.
Do I have to be deputized to register people to vote?
No, you do not have to be deputized to register people to vote.
How many voter registration affidavits can I get if I want to register people in my community?
There is no limit to the number of voter registration affidavits a person may obtain. However, depending on the number of cards the Secretary of State or a county elections official has on hand and the volume of requests they are receiving, the Secretary of State and county elections officials may ask a requestor to take fewer cards than they asked for and to return later should they need additional cards. The Secretary of State does require the requester to complete a Voter Registration Card Statement of Distribution form and a county elections official may require a person who requests cards from their office to do something similar.
How can a person prove his or her citizenship?
California Elections Code section 2111 permits a person to prove they are a citizen who is eligible to register to vote by signing the affidavit of registration under penalty of perjury.
Why is the Department of Motor Vehicles involved in voter registration?
The National Voter Registration Act of 1993, also known as the Motor Voter law, permits people conducting business at a DMV office to register to vote or update their voter registration information.
Can I get a copy of the voter registration rolls?
The voter registration rolls are confidential. The Elections Code allows voter information to be released to any candidate for federal, state, or local office, to any committee for or against any initiative or referendum measure for which legal publication is made, and to any person for election, scholarly, journalistic, or political purpose, or for governmental purposes, as determined by the Secretary of State's office.
Can the Secretary of State's office provide race, age and gender statistics for the voting population?
No. While the Secretary of State's Office compiles voter statistics, it does not compile it by race, age or gender. You may wish to contact the Public Policy Institute of California, the Election Assistance Commission, or the U.S. Census Bureau.
Where can I find voter registration statistics?
California Reports of Registration contain all types of registration information going back to 1910.
How can I cancel my California voter registration?
To cancel your voter registration, you must contact your county elections office.

Voting
How can I vote a vote-by-mail ballot?
Any registered voter may vote by a "vote-by-mail" ballot by:
When may I apply for a vote-by-mail ballot?
You must apply for a vote-by-mail ballot at least 7 days before an election.
When is the last day to return my voted vote-by-mail ballot?
Vote-by-mail ballots must be received by the elections official no later than the close of polls at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
How do I turn in my vote-by-mail ballot on Election Day?
You may return it in person to any polling place in your county or to the county elections office on Election Day. If, because of illness or physical disability, you are unable to return the ballot yourself, you may designate a spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, or a person residing in the same household to return the ballot to the elections official or the precinct board at any polling place within the jurisdiction. The ballot must be received by the elections official or the precinct board before the close of the polls at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted.
Can anyone distribute vote-by-mail ballot applications?
People and organizations may distribute vote-by-mail ballot applications, provided they use the uniform format specified in the California Elections Code and submit a Vote-By-Mail Voting application form.
Where is my polling place?
Your polling place location will be printed on the sample ballot you receive from your county elections official prior to an election. You may also contact your local county elections office for polling place information. Approximately one month prior to all primary and general elections, the Secretary of State's office will have a polling place lookup feature on this website.
What hours are polling place locations open?
All polling place locations are open on Election Day from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
How do I find out what my legislative and congressional districts are?
You may contact your county elections official or go to "Who Are My Representatives?" here on the Secretary of State's website.
Why was my precinct/polling place changed?
Counties try to use the same polling place for each election, so your polling place normally does not change between the primary and the general elections. If the county is conducting smaller local elections where the turnout is likely to be lower, the county may consolidate precincts into fewer polling places.
You can always determine where your polling place is by looking at the back of your sample ballot, which you will receive from your county elections official. The back cover contains the name and address of your polling place. You can also call your county elections official, to find out where your polling place is located.
You also have the option of applying, to your county elections official, for permanent vote-by-mail voter status. For each election in which you are eligible to vote, your county elections official will automatically send you the appropriate ballot. All you will need to do is vote, provide the required information, and return the voted ballot to your county elections office by close of the polls at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. For more information on how to apply for permanent vote-by-mail voter status, please see our Permanent Vote-By-Mail Voting webpage.
Why am I in a mail ballot (vote-by-mail) precinct?
Elections Code section 3005 provides that people who live in precincts with fewer than 250 voters may be sent vote-by-mail ballots.
Upon receiving a vote-by-mail ballot, all you need to do is vote for the contests on the ballot, provide the required information, and mail the voted ballot back to your county elections office. It must be received in your county elections office by the close of the polls at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
If you cannot mail your voted vote-by-mail ballot to your county elections office, you can cast your voted ballot at any polling place in your county by the close of the polls at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. To determine the location of a nearby polling place, you can contact your county elections official.
Is there a toll-free telephone number I can call regarding voter information?
Yes. The Secretary of State has established a toll-free hotline for requests for voter registration forms and other election materials and to report suspicions of voting or registration irregularities. The number is (800) 345-VOTE.
Are election returns for state offices on your website?
The election results from past statewide elections can be found at Election Results and Dates.
What can be done to increase voter participation?
The Secretary of State's office has been working with a wide range of groups throughout the state to increase voter participation. We are always looking for better ways to reach out and engage citizens in the voting process. Our Voter Education and Outreach webpage will provide you with information on some of the programs and events we are currently working on.

Propositions
How and when are numbers assigned to state propositions?
State propositions are generally numbered between 131 and 105 days before an election and are numbered in 10-year cycles starting with the number "1," according to Elections Code section 13117. The current numbering cycle starts with the November 4, 2008, General Election.
How can I learn more about California's statewide initiative process?
The Secretary of State's Statewide Ballot Initiative Handbook contains some very useful information on this topic.
How many signatures does it take to qualify a statewide initiative?
The number of signatures required for initiative statutes must be equal to at least 5% of the total votes cast for Governor at the last gubernatorial election. The number of signatures required for initiative constitutional amendments must be equal to at least 8% of the total votes cast for Governor at the last gubernatorial election.
When is the deadline for initiatives to qualify for the ballot?
Measures have to qualify by 131 days before the election.

Running for Office
What requirements must a person meet to run for office?
These requirements are specific to the office and are posted on our Candidate Information webpage.
When do candidates have to file their various official documents in order to become certified for the next statewide election cycle?
Please see our Candidate Information webpage for information on candidate filing deadlines.