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Register to Vote |
Please note that clicking on the links opens a new
window
Who
May Register to Vote
You may register to vote if you meet the following criteria:
You are a United States citizen
You are a resident of California
You are at least 18 years of age (or will be by the date of the
next election)
You are not in prison or on parole for conviction of a felony
You have not been judged by a court to be mentally incompetent
to register and vote
How to Register to Vote
-
Fill-out a Voter Registration Form Online Complete this
on-line form and we will mail a typed registration form to you.
After you receive the pre-typed form, just sign it and mail it
to your county election official. We recommend you use this
service at least one month prior to election day to avoid
missing your opportunity to vote due to postal delays.
Once you receive your form in the mail, which takes approximately 7 to
14 days, you must sign, date, and return it by mail to
the county elections official on the return address side of the
voter registration card. Please make sure all of the information
is correct and drop it back in the mail. We'll pay for the
postage!
For security purposes, full on-line voter registration is not
yet available and current law requires the voter's original
signature be affixed to the VRC, by completing the information
requested in the on-line form on this site, a registration card
with your information will be printed and mailed to you. (For
more information on Internet voter registration and voting,
please see the
California Internet Voting Task Force Report).
OR
- Download and Mail a Voter Registration Form
Please download and complete the form by clicking the link
above. Please remember to sign it and MAIL it DIRECTLY to your
COUNTY REGISTRAR OF VOTERS. For COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE
ADDRESSES, please visit:
www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_d.htm.
Downloadable forms are also
available in
Espanol.
- Overseas Voter Registration
and Absentee Voting
If you are a US citizen and are going to be overseas or if you
are in the military and wish to vote absentee, there are special
provisions for you to register and receive an overseas absentee
ballot. To do this you may need to complete a "Federal Post Card
Registration and Absentee Ballot Request," and mail it to your
local
county elections official.
When to Re-Register to Vote
You will need to re-register to vote when:
You move
You change your name
You change your political party affiliation
As a California voter, you should be aware that there are ongoing
local elections throughout the state. 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, you will need to contact your
local county elections office to confirm the deadline. You can
acquire a voter registration form either at your local county
elections office, library, or U.S. Post Office. It is important that
the completed voter registration form has a 15-day deadline postmark
on it. It is not the Secretary of State's Office desire to
disenfranchise anyone from the voting process.
The
Deadline to Register to Vote
In California, the deadline to register to vote for an
election is 15 days before each local and statewide election day, so
please register early!
Click here for more information on California's 15-day close of
registration.)
Statement of Distribution Form for Voter Registration Cards
Any individual, group or organization requesting 50 or more voter
registration cards from the Secretary of State's Office must
complete and submit a Statement of Distribution form and a plan of
distribution to the Secretary of State. For your convenience, the
Statement of Distribution form is now available on-line by clicking
on the following link:
Statement of
Distribution Form.
The statement and plan of distribution can either be mailed or
faxed to:
California Secretary of State
Elections Division
1500 11th Street, 5th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
FAX: (916) 653-3214
Upon receiving a completed request by fax or mail, the Elections
Division will process the request within 48 hours. For additional
assistance, please contact the Secretary of State's Elections
Division at (916) 657-2166.
Report
of Registration
The California Secretary of State is responsible for producing a
statistical report detailing voter registration levels throughout
California several times per year. To view these reports, please
click on Report of Registration.
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Voter Registration
Click here for answers to frequently asked questions regarding voter
registration.
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For additional assistance with voter registration,
please contact the Secretary of State's office at
any of the following toll-free numbers:
English: 1-800-345-VOTE
Spanish: 1-800-232-VOTA
Chinese: 1-800-339-2857
Vietnamese: 1-800-339-8163
Japanese: 1-800-339-2865
Tagalog: 1-800-339-2957
Korean: 1-866-575-1558
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Many times, overseas military voters, their
overseas spouses and dependents, and other
registered voters residing abroad have a
difficult time obtaining, voting, and returning
their ballots by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
Pursuant to a new law, effective January 1,
2004, a request for an absentee ballot
from an overseas voter will be regarded and
processed as a request for permanent absentee
status. (Ch. 347, Stats. 2003.)
In addition, this same new law states that
voters no longer have to re-apply for permanent
absentee voter status if they fail to vote in a
statewide primary election. These voters will
retain their permanent absentee voter (PAV)
status and will be automatically sent an
absentee ballot to vote in the next general
election. However, a permanent absentee voter
must vote in the next general election or the
voter will lose his or her PAV status.
Please note: There are special requirements
for new citizens and new California residents.
For further information regarding these
requirements, please contact the
local elections official in the county in
which you are registered to vote. There are
also special provisions for new citizens and new
residents within California. For further
information about these alternatives, contact
the county elections official of the county
in which you are registered.
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