Questions About Voting

Questions About Ballot Measures

Questions About Running for Office

• Question: Who can register to vote?

  Answer: In order to register to vote, a person must:
  

  • Be a citizen of the United States;
    
  • Be a resident of California;
    
  • Be at least 18 years of age as of the day of the next election;
    
  • Not be in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony;and
    
  • Not be deemed by an appropriate court to be mentally incompetent.

• Question: How do I register to vote?

  Answer: To register to vote you must obtain and complete a voter registration form. Voter registration forms can be obtained by:
  

  • calling your local county elections official and requesting a form (click here for phone numbers of county elections officials) ; or
    
  • filling out a voter registration card on-line (a pre-typed registration form will then be mailed to you); or
    
  • calling our toll-free voter registration hotline at 1-800-345-VOTE and requesting a form; or
  • downloading a voter registration form from this web site (English \ Spanish) (click here for PDF download) and mailing it to your county elections official.

• Question: What is the deadline to register to vote?

  Answer: The deadline to register to vote is 15 days prior to each local and statewide Election Day.

• Question: I have just moved. Should I re-register?

  Answer: Yes, your voter registration should always reflect your current residence address.

• Question: I did not vote in the last election. Do I need to re-register?

  Answer: In general, you are registered for as long as you remain at the same address, and you should continue to receive election materials in the mail. However, if you have not voted in the last several elections, you may be sent a request to confirm that you have not moved, and your registration may be eventually canceled.

• Question: Do I have to be registered to vote in order to register other voters?

  Answer: No, you do not need to be a registered voter in order to register voters. There are no statutory restrictions on who can register people to vote.

• Question: Can an ex-felon register to vote and vote?

  Answer: An ex-felon can register to vote and vote if he/she is not in prison or on parole for a felony conviction.

• Question: I registered at DMV and the county says I'm not registered. What can I do?

  Answer: Check with your county elections official. Their address can be found by clicking on "Who is My County Elections Official?". The county will ask for any documentation you may have to help establish when and where you registered, and in many cases has a way to verify the potential registration through the Department of Motor Vehicles.

• Question: 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?

  Answer: To inquire about your voter registration status, you must call your county clerk or registrar of voters. Click on "Who is My County Elections Official?" to obtain the name and phone number to call.

• Question: Where do I send my voter registration form after I fill it out?

  Answer: The form should be pre-addressed already. Generally, it goes to your county elections official, but if it is a statewide (i.e. not specific to one county) form, it may come to the Secretary of State to be forwarded to the appropriate county elections office. You may find the address for your county elections office by clicking on "Who Is My County Elections Official?".

• Question: Do I have to be deputized to register people to vote?

  Answer: No, you do not have to be deputized to register people to vote.

• Question: How many voter registration affidavits can I get if I want to register people in my community?

  Answer: There is no limit to the number of voter registration affidavits a person may obtain. However, the Secretary of State does require the requester to complete a Voter Registration Card Statement of Distribution form.

• Question: How can a person prove his or her citizenship?

  Answer: California Elections Code Section 2111 states, "A person may prove he or she is a citizen by his or her certification under penalty of perjury on the affidavit of registration (for voter registration purposes only)."

• Question: Why can't we start from scratch and require everyone to re-register?

  Answer: California Elections Code Section 2123 prohibits periodic re-registration of voters.

• Question: Why is the Department of Motor Vehicles involved in voter registration?

  Answer: The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (also known as Motor Voter) permits persons conducting business at a DMV office to register to vote or update their voter registration information.

• Question: Can I obtain access to the voter registration rolls?

  Answer: 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.

• Question: Can the Secretary of State's Office provide race, age and gender statistics for the voting population?

  Answer: No. While the Secretary of State's Office compiles voter statistics, we do not compile it by race, age or gender. You may wish to contact the California Field Poll in San Francisco or some other political research organization for estimates of this type.

• Question: Why is the voter registration affidavit a postcard format?

  Answer: The postcard form was originally designed in 1976 and has since had several changes in format. The one change that has not been made is the postcard mailer design. Secretary of State staff is currently looking into new and innovative ideas for the voter registration affidavit, including the postcard mailer format. Our goal is to make it as user friendly as possible.

• Question: Where can I find voter registration statistics on the Internet?

  Answer:The last several California Reports of Registration can be accessed by clicking here: Voter Registration Statistics.

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  QUESTIONS ABOUT VOTING

  
  

• Question: How can I vote a Vote-By-Mail ballot?

  Answer: Any registered voter may vote by a "vote-by-mail" ballot. You may vote a vote-by-mail ballot by:

  • Applying in writing to your county elections official; or
    
  • Completing the vote-by-mail ballot application that is included in your Sample Ballot, which your county elections official will mail to you prior to each election; or
    
  • Downloading and completing a vote-by-mail ballot application from our web site.

• Question: When may I apply for a vote-by-mail ballot?

  Answer: Elections officials process applications 29 days to 7 days before an election. You may request a vote-by-mail ballot more than 29 days before an election, but not fewer than 7 days in advance.

• Question: When is the last day to return my voted vote-by-mail ballot?

  Answer: Vote-by-mail ballots must be received by the elections official no later than the close of polls (8 p.m.) on Election Day.

• Question: How do I turn in my vote-by-mail ballot on Election Day?

  Answer: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, 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 (8 p.m.) on Election Day in order to be counted.

• Question: Can anyone distribute vote-by-mail ballot applications?

  Answer: Yes, according to California Elections laws, individuals, organizations and groups may distribute vote-by-mail ballot applications; however, they must use the uniform format as specified in the California Elections Code. A copy of the application form is available by clicking on Vote-By-Mail Voting.

• Question: Where is my polling place?

  Answer: Your polling place location will be printed on the Sample Ballot you receive from your local 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 web site.

• Question: What hours are polling place locations open?

  Answer: All polling place locations are open on the day of an election from 7:00am until 8:00pm.

• Question: How do I find out what my legislative and congressional districts are?

  Answer:You may contact your county elections official (click on "Who Is My County Elections Official?") or click on "Who Are My Representatives?".

• Question: Why was my precinct/polling place changed?

  Answer: Counties try to use the same polling place for each countywide election so your polling place normally does not change between the primary and the general election. If the county is conducting smaller local elections -- where the turnout will be lower -- the county may not need as many polling places so it may consolidate precincts into fewer polling places. In this case, your "usual" polling place could change... sometimes across town. This can be confusing.

  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 office. The back cover contains the name and address of your polling place. You can also call your county elections office, and they will tell you where your polling place is located.

  You also have the option of applying, to your county elections office, for permanent vote-by-mail voter status. For each election in which you are eligible to vote, your county elections office 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 (8:00 p.m.) on Election Day. For more information on how to apply for permanent vote-by-mail voter status, please click on the following link: Permanent Vote-By-Mail Voting.

• Question: Why am I in a mail ballot (vote-by-mail) precinct?

  Answer: State election law provides that precincts with fewer than 250 voters may be sent vote-by-mail ballots instead of setting up a polling place (Elections Code § 3005).

  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 (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 (8:00 p.m.) on Election Day. To determine the location of a nearby polling place, you can contact your county elections office. By clicking on the following link, you can find county contact information: County Elections Officials.

• Question: Is there a toll-free telephone number I can call regarding voter information?

  Answer: Yes. The Secretary of State has established a toll-free hotline for requests for voter registration forms and to report suspicions of voting or registration irregularities. The number is 1-800-345-VOTE.

• Question: Are election returns for state offices on the Internet somewhere?

  Answer: We have put the election results from past statewide elections on our web site. You may retrieve election results by clicking on "Election Results and Election Dates."

• Question: What can be done to increase voter participation?

  Answer: The Secretary of State's office has been working with youth organizations, community partners, and minority organizations to increase voter participation. We are always looking for better ways to reach out and engage citizens in the voting process.

  Please look at our Voter Education web page to learn about some of the programs and events we are currently working on.

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  QUESTIONS ABOUT BALLOT MEASURES

  
  

• Question: When are numbers assigned to Propositions?

  Answer: Ballot measures are numbered between 131 and 105 days before the election.

• Question: How can I learn more about California's statewide initiative process?

  Answer: Read our Initiative Guide Handbook (available in PDF and HTML format).

• Question: How many signatures does it take to qualify a statewide initiative?

  Answer: 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.

• Question: When is the deadline for initiatives to qualify for the ballot?

  Answer: Measures have to qualify by 131 days before the election, thereby allowing adequate time to produce the ballot pamphlet and air both sides of the issues.

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  QUESTIONS ABOUT RUNNING FOR OFFICE

  
  

• Question: What are the requirements for persons who want to run for office - what qualifications do they have to meet?

  Answer: These requirements are specific to the office. Candidate qualifications and requirements are posted on our Candidate Information web page.

• Question: When do candidates have to file their various official documents in order to become certified for the next statewide election cycle?

  Answer: Please look at our Candidate Information web page for information on candidate filing deadlines.