Voting is already underway in California, and there’s still some time to cast a ballot ahead of Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Aside from navigating what’s on your ballot, figuring out the logistics of voting can be tricky. From how to participate in the election if you’re not yet registered to vote to ways to check if your ballot has been received, here are some last-minute election questions answered.
Can I check to see if my ballot has been received and counted?
The secretary of state’s office has a “Where’s My Ballot” tracking tool. Found at california.ballottrax.net, you input your name, date of birth and ZIP code to register for the service. It will tell you the status of your ballot, and you can sign up to receive information about your ballot’s process via email, text message or call.
Your county elections office may also have a tool to track your ballot. In Orange County, for example, the registrar has a tool that requires you to input your date of birth and the last four digits of your driver’s license, California ID or Social Security number. You can find that tool at ocvote.gov/vlt.
I missed the registration deadline. Can I still vote?
California has something called “conditional voter registration” or “same day voter registration.”
This allows eligible Californians to register to vote and cast what’s called a conditional ballot. Those are “processed and counted once the county elections office has completed the voter registration verification process,” according to the secretary of state’s office.
You can do this at your county election offices or specific polling locations. To find the nearest one to you, check the secretary of state’s website at sos.ca.gov/elections/polling-place.
You can also check your voter registration status by contacting your county registrar’s office, checking at a vote center or visiting sos.ca.gov/elections/registration-status.
I’ve misplaced the ballot that I got in the mail. How can I still vote?
If you didn’t receive your ballot in the mail, or it’s been lost or destroyed, you can get a replacement at your local county elections office or a vote center, where you can also vote in person.
You can only request a replacement ballot for yourself.
If you’ve still got your ballot, though, there are three ways you can cast it: Return it via the U.S. Postal Service (no postage is required, but it must be postmarked by Nov. 5 and received by your county elections office no later than seven days after the election), place it in a drop box around the county or take it to a vote center.
California’s U.S. Senate race is on my ballot twice. Is that a mistake?
It’s not a mistake. California’s open U.S. Senate race is on the ballot twice. It’s held by Sen. Laphonza Butler, who was appointed to the position after longtime Sen. Dianne Feinstein died in 2023.
Butler is not running for reelection. That means what’s on the ballot is the contest for the regular six-year Senate term that begins in 2025 and a special one to serve the remainder of what would have been Feinstein’s term.
It’s unlikely — but possible — that voters could choose one of the candidates to fill the shortened term and the other to serve out the regular one.
If I am homeless, can I still vote?
Yes, people experiencing homelessness — who are eligible voters — still have a right to vote.
You’ll just need to have an address where you spend most of your time, like a shelter, or a general location, such as a park or cross streets, so that your county elections office can determine your voting precinct.
You can find more information on the secretary of state’s website.
When is the deadline to vote?
Early voting is already underway, and voters also have the option of heading to a polling place or vote center on Election Day. Ballots must be returned to a drop box or voting location by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
If you’re still in line to vote when the polls are scheduled to close on Election Day (8 p.m.), you are still allowed to vote. Poll workers are instructed, per the secretary of state, to prohibit anyone who arrived after 8 p.m. from voting, but people who are still in line are still allowed to cast their ballot.
For those who choose to mail back their ballot, though, they must be postmarked by Nov. 5 and received by your county elections office within seven days after Election Day.
If you’re concerned about your ballot making it back on time, you can always place your filled-out ballot in a drop box or take it to a vote center on Nov. 5.
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