How to Vote in California's 2024 Elections

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• Last day of regular registration: Monday, Oct. 21
• First day of conditional registration: Tuesday, Oct. 22
• Last day to apply for replacement absentee ballot: Tuesday, Oct. 29
• General election: Tuesday, Nov. 5

• Voter registration: Regular registration closes Monday, Oct. 21, for the general election. Check your registration status using the state’s voter status tool.

• Mail voting: All registered voters will be sent a vote-by-mail ballot before the election.

• Early voting: Voters can cast an absentee ballot at their county clerk’s office starting Monday, Oct. 7. If you live in a Voter’s Choice Act county, you have additional early voting options starting Saturday, Oct. 26.

• Voting at the polls: Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5. You may be asked to provide an acceptable form of an ID if you registered by mail without including ID and are voting for the first time.

Laws that took effect in 2023 may change how you vote in the 2024 elections. Among them:

• State referenda will be worded differently on your ballot. Instead of choosing between “Yes” and “No,” voters can choose between “Keep the law” and “Overturn the law.”

• All polling places statewide must offer curbside voting. Tables at each polling place must have magnifying glasses and signature guide cards for those with vision issues. 

• Vote-by-mail ballots returned at a polling place may be counted and processed the same as ballots cast in person.

• Voters can request a replacement vote-by-mail ballot without providing a statement under penalty of perjury that the ballot was either not received, lost or damaged.

David McNew/Getty Images

• Online: Use the secretary of state’s online portal to register by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 21. Include your California driver’s license or state identification card number, your date of birth and the last four digits of your Social Security number. 

• By mail and in person: Registration forms are available at county elections offices, Department of Motor Vehicles field offices, some public libraries, some U.S. post offices and other government offices. You can call 800-345-8683 or your county elections office to request a mailed form. Completed forms must be postmarked or hand-delivered to your county elections office by Monday, Oct. 21.

California offers automatic voter registration to eligible residents when they receive or renew their driver’s license or state ID, or change their address with the DMV, unless they opt out.

Use the state’s voter status tool to check your voter registration status.

California offers conditional registration (also known as same-day registration) if you miss the deadline to register or update your voter registration information. This means you can register and vote at your county elections office, county vote center or polling place from Tuesday, Oct. 22, through Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 5) at 8 p.m.

County elections officials begin sending all registered voters a vote-by-mail ballot on Monday, Oct. 7. You can apply for a replacement ballot if needed.

• Online: Download, print and complete a vote-by-mail application. Then mail or hand-deliver the application to your county elections office.

• By phone and in person: Call or visit your county elections office to request a replacement vote-by-mail ballot.
  

Your county elections office must receive your completed replacement ballot application — either by mail or in person — by Tuesday, Oct 29.

Military and overseas voters follow different procedures to request and return a ballot. More information is available on the secretary of state’s website.

Return your completed ballot by mail or in person.

• ​​By mail: Mail your ballot to your county elections office. Prepaid postage is provided. It must be postmarked by Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 5) and received by Tuesday, Nov. 12.

• In person: Return your ballot to any polling place, county vote center, ballot drop box or county elections office. Ballot drop-box locations open on Tuesday, Oct. 8, and close Election Day at 8 p.m. Someone else can drop off your ballot for you, but you must complete the authorization section on the outside of your ballot envelope.   

Use the state’s online tool to track your ballot.

Any registered voter can vote early and in person by casting a vote-by-mail ballot at their county clerk’s office starting Monday, Oct. 7. If you live in a Voter’s Choice Act county, you have additional early voting options, which become available Saturday, Oct. 26.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find your polling place at the state elections website.

You will not need to provide identification, unless you didn’t provide your California driver’s license, state ID or the last four digits of your Social Security number when you registered by mail as a first-time voter. If that’s the case, you may need to show an approved form of ID, such as your California driver’s license or U.S. passport. For more information, call the secretary of state’s voter hotline at 800-345-8683.

Registered voters with disabilities can request to vote from home using their own technology and a remote accessible vote-by-mail system, which together can help voters read and mark their ballot.

The state offers curbside voting at all polling places and vote centers, and polling places are equipped with accessible voting machines.

If you need help marking your ballot, as many as two people can help you do so, as long as they aren’t an employee or employer at your workplace, or part of your labor union.

Editor’s note: This guide was originally published on Dec. 15, 2023, and has been updated with new information.

Elissa Chudwin covers federal and state policy and writes the podcast Today’s Tips from AARP. She previously worked as a digital producer for The Press Democrat in Santa Rosa, California, and as an editor for Advocate magazines in Dallas.

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