Register to Vote

Monday is the last day to register to vote for the March 7 primary election.

Who Can Register: Under California election laws, people entitled to vote must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years old at the time of election and a California resident for 29 days before the election. If you move within 28 days of the election, you can vote by returning to your former precinct or by obtaining an absentee ballot for that precinct. If you are in prison or on parole for a felony conviction, you are ineligible to vote.

Reasons to Register or Reregister:

* If you have never registered to vote.

* If you have moved since the last election.

* If you have changed your name.

* If you want to change your party affiliation.

How and Where to Register: Registration-by-mail forms are available at most county offices, city halls, Department of Motor Vehicles offices, fire stations, post offices, libraries, chambers of commerce, high schools and senior citizen centers. Orange County residents also can call the registrar of voters’ main number, (714) 567-7600, to request a registration form.

Absentee Ballots: Monday will be the first day that absentee voter ballots for the March 7 primary election will be issued. Applications for absentee ballots are on the back page of your sample ballot. They also can be obtained from the registrar’s office, 1300 South Grand Ave., Building C, Santa Ana, CA 92705, or by writing to Registration & Elections Department, P.O. Box 11298, Santa Ana, CA 92711-1298. To be counted, the absentee ballot must be mailed in time to arrive in the registrar’s office by March 7 or returned by the voter personally to any polling place in the district no later than 8 p.m. on election day. Information: (714) 567-7561 or https://www.orangecounty.com.

Source: Times files, Orange County registrar of voters