ballotbymail.org · nonpartisan
Voting by mail in California
Yes. Your ballot comes to you. Every active registered voter is mailed a ballot automatically. Just make sure your registration and mailing address are current.
Key dates
| Register to vote by | Mon, Oct 19 (same-day registration also available) |
| Request your ballot by | Tue, Oct 27 (recommended) |
| Early in-person voting | Mon, Oct 5 – Tue, Nov 3 |
| Mail your ballot by | Tue, Oct 27 (USPS: allow 7 days) |
| Election Day | Tue, Nov 3 |
| ID at the polls | No ID needed at the polls. Without one: Nothing happens for most voters; a flagged first-time voter without ID votes a provisional ballot |
| Return rule | Postmarked by Election Day and received within 7 days after. |
| Fix a flagged ballot by | Wed, Nov 25 |
| Who can return it for you | Anyone you choose may return it. Anyone may return your ballot as long as they aren't paid per ballot: to the elections office, any polling place or vote center, or an official drop box. No numeric limit. |
Steps
- Confirm your registration and mailing address are current.
- Watch for your ballot in the mail. Most states send them 2 to 3 weeks before Election Day.
- Fill it out in blue or black ink. Sign the envelope where it says to.
- Return it by drop box or in person if you can. Mail it at least a week early if not.
- Track it on your state's tracker until it shows received.
Don't get rejected
- Sign the envelope the way you signed your voter registration or driver's license. Your state compares them.
- Use the secrecy sleeve if one is included, then the return envelope. Don't tape anything.
- Your state goes by the postmark. Automated postmarks can lag a day, so hand it to a clerk at the post office counter and ask for a manual postmark (free).
- Keep the phone and email on your registration current. If there's a problem, that's how they reach you to fix it.
https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections
https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-status/
https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/
ballotbymail.org/state/ca
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Rules checked 2026-09-09; deadlines checked 2026-09-09. Sources: NCSL, Vote.org, CEIR, state election offices. The official site wins if anything differs. Free to copy and post.