California’s midterm election is Nov. 8, and the ballots are out and in-person voting has started.
Here’s how to register, how to vote by mail or in person, what to do if you don’t get a ballot and how to get more information about the election.
Californians can check their status at the secretary of state’s website. You’ll need your California driver’s license number or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
You may have to register again if you’ve moved and didn’t notify the Department of Motor Vehicles or Postal Service, or if you changed your name since the last time you voted.
The deadline to register by mail or online has passed, but if you missed the deadline, you can still cast a ballot. Visit a county elections office or voting center to complete a conditional voter registration up until election day. This will allow you to cast a ballot, which will count after verification by county election officials.
The voter guide mailed out by the secretary of state’s office is also available online.
Absolutely. Your right to vote isn’t canceled if you’re homeless, living off the grid or don’t have a fixed place. You must be 18 or older on election day, a U.S. citizen and a state resident to qualify to vote.
Addresses are requested when registering because it helps election officials determine which races you’re eligible to vote on. Plus, it allows them to mail you a ballot and voter guide. But voters can fill out the address section with the place they spend most of their time.
If you haven’t received your vote-by-mail ballot or lose or destroy it, you can contact your county elections office to be sent a second one. You can also show up at your local polling place and vote with a provisional ballot.
Are you second guessing your support of a candidate after filling in your ballot? Did you spill coffee on it? Perhaps your toddler used it as a coloring book.
There are plenty of reasons why you might need a new ballot this election. You can apply in writing for a replacement by filling out an application form and taking it to your county elections office.
You can also vote in person instead. You just have to bring your vote-by-mail ballot to your polling place on election day, and a poll worker will swap it for a new one for you to fill out there.
Ballots can be placed in drop boxes or submitted in person at voting centers. To find your closest drop box or center, enter your city and ZIP Code here. Ballots can also be mailed to county election officials if they are postmarked on or before Nov. 8. (Don’t forget to sign the return envelope.) To be counted, a ballot must be received no later than Nov. 15.
California’s 2022 election ballot includes races for governor, attorney general, Legislature and Congress, local contests and statewide propositions.
Your sample ballot should have an address printed on it showing your local polling site. If an address isn’t listed, you can call the secretary of state’s voter hotline at (800) 345-8683 or check here.
You can find early voting sites at the secretary of state’s website.
After you’ve sent your ballot, check here to track it online. You’ll be able to see when it was received and when it was counted.
County election officials will count ballots and certify the results. In many races, results may not be known for days, because mail-in ballots postmarked on election day have until Nov. 15 to arrive. County election officials must send official totals to the secretary of state by the 31st day after the election.
Times staff writer Hannah Fry contributed to this report.
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
