Voting & Registration in California - FAQs

Some Frequently Asked Questions on the subjects of:

VOTER REGISTRATION

Yes, if you are

• a U.S. citizen
• at least 18 years of age by Election Day
• a resident of California
• registered at least 15 days before the election
• not in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony, and
• not currently judged mentally incompetent by a court of law.

You must be registered in order to vote and to sign petitions placing initiatives on the ballot.

Q. When is the deadline for registering to vote in California?

Register anytime, but be sure to do it at least 15 days before the first election in which you want to vote. Note this is a change effective January 1, 2001. The old deadline was 29 days before the election.

Q. Must I read or write English to register or vote?

No. You may register and vote if you cannot read or write in any language.

Q. How can I register?

You can register at any time. Fill out the short registration by mail form. Sign the form. Mail it; no stamp is required.

Q. Where can I find the form?

Forms are available at the post office, library, fire station, and offices of the Department of Motor Vehicles, Registrar of Voters, City or County Clerk, and federal offices. Or you may call toll free 1-800-345-VOTE anytime. Leave your name and address and a form will be sent to you. Spanish-speaking citizens may call 1-800-232-VOTA.

Q. Can I register to vote online?

Almost. You can fill out a registration form online which will then be mailed to you so you can sign it and mail it in.

Or you may obtain one online. In California, you may submit an accepted facsimile of the official voter registration form. Download a copy of the form in English or in Spanish (you may need to install special software), print it, fill it out, and mail it to your county's election officer or to the Secretary of State.

Q. Does it cost to register?

No. Registration is free.

Q. Am I registered once I fill out and mail the registration form?

No. You can't be sure you are registered until you receive a voter notification card from the county. That's why it is a good idea to save the form's stub as a receipt. If the notification card does not arrive within three weeks, call your Registrar of Voters or County Clerk and ask if you are registered.

Q. Do I ever have to re-register?

Only if you move, change your name, or want to change your political party.

Q. What if I moved within 15 days before any election, and cannot re-register?

If you move within the 15 days before any election, no matter if it’s within the same county or not, you may vote by returning to your former precinct, or by requesting an absentee ballot for that precinct.

Q. What if I moved more than 15 days before election day, but did not re-register?

If you move from one address to another within the same county, you may vote a provisional ballot at your new polling place. You must show ID (identification) with your new address on the ID - either a driver’s license, or two forms of ID, e.g., utility or credit card bill or a bank statement. Each form of ID must have your name and new address on it.

If you move from one address to an address in another county, you are not eligible to vote in this election. To vote in future elections, you will need to re-register in your current county of residence.

Q. Can my voter registration be canceled because I fail to vote?

No.

Q. Can I register for someone else?

You can only register for yourself; however, you may help others fill out a form, but they must sign the form.

Q. Do I have to choose a political party in order to register and vote?

No. Check the "decline to state" box on the form if you do not wish to belong to a political party. You will be able to vote in all elections. Everyone in your precinct, regardless of party, receives the same ballot in all elections except the primary. If you do not choose a party when you register to vote, your ballot in the primary will only include state and local ballot measures and candidates for nonpartisan offices such as county supervisors, trial court judges, and state superintendent of public instruction. Primary ballots of persons who choose a political party will also include the names of candidates who are running for their party's nomination for the state and federal partisan offices that will be up for election in November.

POLITICAL PARTIES

Q. What is a political party?

A political party is a group of individuals who try to determine public policy by organizing to win elections and operate government.

Q. How do I join a political party?

It is as simple as checking the box for the political party of your choice on the registration form. There are no requirements to join a political party.

Q. If I declare a party of preference when I register, can I change later?

Yes, you have only to re-register.

Q. What are the official parties in California?

California has seven official parties: American Independent, Democratic, Green, Libertarian, Natural Law, Reform, and Republican. If you know of an unofficial party you prefer to join, write its name in the space marked "other."

Q. How can I obtain information about the parties?

Online, you can find a list of qualified political parties from the Secretary of State.

Or call the registrar of voters or county clerk in your county and ask for the addresses or phone numbers for the parties. Differences between the two "major" parties (Democratic and Republican) are spelled out every four years in the party platforms adopted during the presidential nominating conventions.

Q. Am I required to work for the party or contribute money to it?

No.

SAMPLE BALLOT/BALLOT PAMPHLET

Q. What is a Sample Ballot?

Before each election, each registered voter receives a packet of information including a Sample Ballot which is a replica of the ballot the voter will see at the polls. It also gives the time and date of the election and location of the polling place and contains an application to vote by mail. The Sample Ballot is prepared and distributed by the election officials in each of California's 58 counties. Candidates for nonpartisan office can pay to have a statement included in the Sample Ballot.

Q. What if I do not receive a Sample Ballot?

If it doesn't arrive two weeks before the election, call and request it from the registrar of voters or your county clerk.

Q. What is a Ballot Pamphlet?

It is a booklet prepared by the California Secretary of State and mailed to every household with at least one registered voter. It describes every statewide measure on the ballot, with arguments for and against each one, and includes an impartial analysis of the costs and benefits of each measure.

Q. What should I do with my sample ballot?

Try keeping your sample ballot handy for several weeks before Election Day. When you decide on a race or ballot measure, mark your choice in your sample ballot. Many organizations provide information online, for example, in the League's Smart Voter website. Study your ballot pamphlet. Read your local newspapers. If you are a Cable TV subscriber, your local access network often televises candidates forums or other political events. C-SPAN and The California Channel show our national and state governments in action.

Bring your sample ballot to your local League of Women Voters events where you can meet and listen to the candidates in person or listen to a nonpartisan analysis of the ballot measures. Mark your ballot at the event or when you get home.

Take the ballot with you to the polls to use as a reference. This will enable you to cast your ballot quickly.

VOTING AT THE POLLS OR ABSENTEE

Q. Where will I vote?

Your polling place will be shown on the back of your Sample Ballot. Poll locations may change from one election to another. It is important to go to the correct polling place. Your name will not be on the roster of voters at any other. A wheelchair symbol to the right of the polling location on your Sample Ballot means the poll is accessible to the handicapped.

Many online Web sites are beginning to include polling place information. For example, for many California counties, SmartVoter will tell you your polling place. For other counties, contact your election official.

Q. When are the polls open?

Polls are open on election days from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Q. Can I vote without going to the polling place?

Yes. Anyone may vote by absentee ballot. You need not state a reason. Apply for an absentee voter ballot no more than 60 days before the election by writing a letter to the registrar of voters or county clerk in your county or returning the application form included with your sample ballot or by following the instructions for downloading a form provided by the California Secretary of State.

Any mailed request must be received no less than 7 days prior to the election. Be sure to give your registered address and the address to which the absentee voter ballot is to be sent. Your written signature (as registered) is needed. Emergency absentee ballots can be issued in the week before the election in case of sudden illness or disability or a need to be absent from the precinct. You may also apply for permanent absentee ballot status if your condition requires it.

Q. Where do I return an absentee ballot?

It can be mailed to the Registrar of Voters or delivered in person to any polling place in your county no later than 8 p.m. on election day. If illness or a physical disability prevents you from returning your ballot in person, you may designate a close relative to return the ballot to the polling place.

Q. What if my polling place is not accessible to the handicapped?

If you do not wish to vote absentee, you may vote as near as possible to the polling place. A precinct board member will bring a ballot to you just outside the polling place or you may request an absentee ballot. You may also apply to your county's clerk or registrar for permanent absentee ballot status.

Q. Do I need identification when I go to vote?

No. You will just be asked to state your name and address and sign the roster of voters.

Q. What if I need help in marking my ballot?

Two people may assist you if you take an oath administered by the precinct worker that assistance is required.

Q. How long may I stay in the polling booth?

There is no time limit, nor are there limits on what you may take into the polling booth with you.

Q. What if I make a mistake on my ballot?

You may request another one.

PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTIONS

Q. What types of elections are there?

There are three basic types -- primary, general and local. In addition, "special elections" can be called which are limited to one specific purpose, e.g., filling a vacancy.

Q. What is a primary election?

A primary is held first, this year in March. In partisan races, all voters, regardless of party affiliation, could vote for any one candidate in each race. This is known as an "open primary." The candidate of each political party who receives the most votes for a state elective office becomes the nominee of that party at the next general election. The first open primary in California was held in June 1998.

Q. When is a primary election held?

A primary is held in June or earlier of even-numbered years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday. The California Legislature sets the primary date. In 2000, the primary date was March 7.

Q. What is a Presidential primary?

In past years during presidential election years, California also held a Presidential Primary in conjunction with the regularly scheduled primary. Voters selected a slate of delegates to a party's presidential nominating convention. For California's Open Primary in March two counts were taken. The first was a popularity vote--letting the public know who got the most votes regardless of party affiliation. The second counted the votes taking into consideration a person's party affiliation.

Q. What is a general election?

A general election is one that is held in the whole state and is not limited to voters in a particular party or a specific locality.

Q. When is a general election held?

It is held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November in even-numbered years.

Q. What is the purpose of a general election?

The purpose of a general election is to make a final choice among the various candidates who have been nominated by parties or who are running as independent or write-in candidates. In addition, where nonpartisan races have not been decided in the primary, the runoffs are held at the general election. Statewide measures also can be placed on the November ballot.

Q. What is a nonpartisan office?

It is an office for which candidates' names appear on the ballot without party designation. No party may nominate a candidate for nonpartisan office.

Q. Which offices are nonpartisan?

Local offices such as most city council members, county supervisors, all judgeships, including the statewide office of member of the California Supreme Court, and all school boards, including the statewide offices of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Insurance Commissioner, are nonpartisan.

Q. Are there nonpartisan primaries?

Yes. Some local nonpartisan primaries such as those for judges are usually held at the same time as the statewide regular primary. A candidate for a nonpartisan office who is on the primary ballot is selected if he or she wins more than 50% of the vote. If not, there is a runoff election in November between the top two candidates.

Q. Do all nonpartisan offices use primaries?

No, some nonpartisan offices, such as most city councils and school boards, do not use primaries. Candidates run as independents and the person with the most votes wins even if it is not a majority.

Q. When are local elections held and how do I learn about them?

There is no set time or method that applies to all city, county, school or special district elections. If you are a registered voter you will receive a Sample Ballot before the election. This will provide the information you need about who is running for what office and whether there are any local ballot measures. All local offices are nonpartisan and candidates run without party affiliation noted on the ballot. Check the League's Smart Voter website at www.smartvoter.org.

MORE QUESTIONS?

Q. How can I find answers to other questions?

Contact your county's registrar of voters or clerk.

Online, the Secretary of State Elections Division is the official source for all California voting subjects.

And for those who want the detailed word on this subject, read the California Elections Code.