California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., Urges Eligible Californians to Register, Vote, and Track Their Ballots
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Sacramento, Calif. – California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., is urging eligible citizens to register to vote before the October 21, 2024, deadline for the upcoming November 5, 2024, General Election. Eligible Californians can register online at registertovote.ca.gov.
Voters who are unsure of their voter registration status can verify it online at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.
All active registered voters will receive a vote-by-mail ballot.
Voting by Mail is Easy: Voters can follow these five easy steps:
1. Complete it. Mark their choices on their vote-by-mail ballot.
2. Seal it. Secure their ballot inside the vote-by-mail ballot return envelope.
3. Sign it. Sign the outside of their vote-by-mail ballot return envelope. Voters should make sure their signature matches the one on their California driver’s license/state ID or the signature they provided when they registered to vote. County elections officials will compare the signatures before ballots are counted.
4. Return it. There are three ways voters can return a vote-by-mail ballot in the General Election:
- By drop box—Drop off the completed vote-by-mail ballot at a secure official drop box in their county or anywhere in the state at any time between October 8 through 8:00 p.m. on November 5.
- By mail—Place the completed vote-by-mail ballot into a mailbox. Ballots must be postmarked by November 5. No stamp needed!
- In person—Drop off the completed vote-by-mail ballot by 8:00 p.m. on November 5 at any polling place or vote center in the state, or at the voter’s county elections office. Voting locations will be available in all counties before Election Day. Voting locations offer voter registration, replacement ballots, accessible voting machines, and language assistance.
5. Track it. Sign up to receive automatic updates by text, email, or voice call on the status of their vote-by-mail ballot at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov.
“Same Day” Voter Registration Process after October 21
Eligible citizens who miss the October 21 deadline have the option to participate in the “same day” voter registration process at their local county elections office or any in-person voting location. Californians who participate in same day registration will be asked to fill out a voter registration form and be provided a ballot. These ballots will be counted once the county office has completed the voter registration verification process.
Voters can complete the “Same Day” voter registration process all the way through Election Day on November 5, 2024. Questions about the same day voter registration process should be directed to their county elections office.
The Secretary of State’s Voter Information Hotline is available for all voters if they have questions about the voting process, early voting and drop box locations and to request voter registration forms or the state Voter Information Guide. Voters can call one of the toll-free voter hotlines listed below:
- (800) 345-VOTE (8683) – English
- (800) 232-VOTA (8682) – Español / Spanish
- (800) 339-2857 – 中文 / Chinese
- (888) 345-2692 – हिन्दी / Hindi
- (800) 339-2865 – 日本語 / Japanese
- (888) 345-4917 – ខ្មែរ / Khmer
- (866) 575-1558 – 한국어 / Korean
- (800) 339-2957 – Tagalog
- (855) 345-3933 – ภาษาไทย / Thai
- (800) 339-8163 – Việt ngữ / Vietnamese
- 711 – TTY/TDD
Important Dates
- The last day to register to vote for the November 5, 2024, General Election is October 21, 2024.
- Ballot drop-off locations opened on October 8, 2024.
- Vote centers open for early in-person voting in all Voter’s Choice Act counties beginning on October 26, 2024.
- Mailed vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by November 12, 2024.
California has 3,711 polling locations, 1,968 drop-box locations, 456 early voting locations, and 25,712 precincts.
A complete list of drop box locations can be found on the Secretary of State’s Early Voting and Vote-by-Mail Ballot Drop-off Locations webpage at caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov.
Information about county elections offices can be found at sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices.
If someone is not sure what county they live in, they can enter their zip code at www.unitedstateszipcodes.org or call the California Secretary of State Voter Hotline at (800) 345-VOTE.
Upcoming California key deadlines and dates for the November 5, 2024, General Election can be found at sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-nov-5-2024/key-dates-deadlines..
The complete November 5, 2024, General Election Calendar can be found at elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/statewide-elections/2024-primary/section-08-general-election-calendar.pdf.