21 Oct Monday Is the Deadline for California Voters to Register for Nov. 5 Election

This is the Official Voter Information Guide mailed to registered voters in California for the Nov. 5 election. (Danielle Parenteau-Decker / The CC Pulse)

By Katy St. Clair
Bay City News

Monday is the deadline for California voters to register to take part in the Nov. 5 election, Secretary of State Shirley Weber announced, though anyone who misses the deadline can still participate in “same day” voter registration through Election Day.

Voter registration can be carried out at county election offices, but if mailed or filed online, must be postmarked or submitted electronically no later than Oct. 21, 2024.

Californians can register at registertovote.ca.gov. Voters who are unsure of their registration can check it online at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.

Those who prefer to register using a paper voter registration application can pick one up at their county elections office, library, Department of Motor Vehicles offices, or U.S. post office. It is important that the voter registration application be filled out completely and be postmarked or hand-delivered to the voter’s county elections office.

All registered voters will receive a vote-by-mail ballot, which they can fill out, sign (signature must match either the signature on their driver’s license or state I.D., or the signature they provided when they registered to vote) and then return it.

There are several ways to submit a mail-in-ballot. Voters can drop it into a secure official drop box in their county or anywhere in the state at any time between now and 8 p.m. on Nov. 5. Ballots can also be dropped off in person by 8 p.m. on Nov. 5 at any polling place or vote center in the state, or at the voter’s county election office. Finally, you can actually mail the vote-by-mail ballot by dropping it into a mailbox. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 5, but no stamp is needed, Weber’s office said.

A complete list of drop box locations can be found at caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov. To track your ballot, go to whereismyballot.sos.ca.gov.

According to Weber’s office, citizens who miss the Oct. 21 registration 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 all the way through Election Day.

Californians who participate in same-day registration, also known as “conditional” registration, will be asked to fill out a voter registration form and will be provided a ballot. These ballots will be counted once the county office has completed the voter registration verification process.

The California Secretary of State has a Voter Information Hotline for all voters if they have any questions. For English, call (800) 345-8683; for Spanish, (800) 232-8682. Multiple other languages are available for assistance as well.

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