Voter Registration - League of Women Voters of the Mother Lode

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Voter Registration

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Register to Vote

You can register to vote online or by filling out a written form.
(See also, this American Sign Language, ASL, Video Guide to CA Voter Registration here .)

Register ONLINE at the California Secretary of State's website. You will need to provide:
The last four digits of your Social Security Number (SSN)
Your Driver's License or California ID number
Note: If you only have an SSN, you cannot complete your registration online and will need to print and sign the form and send it to the address provided.

Register using a PAPER APPLICATION.

You can pick up a paper application at your county elections office, any Department of Motor Vehicles field office, and many post offices, public libraries, and government offices.
To have an application mailed to you, call your County Elections Office or the Secretary of State's toll-free Voter Hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683).

No matter how you turn in your registration application – online or paper – when it comes to determining a person's eligibility to vote, preventing duplicate registrations, and adding a person to California's official voter rolls, all the same safeguards are in place. Your county elections official will contact you when your voter registration application is approved or if more information is needed to confirm your eligibility.

Pre-Registration for 16 & 17-year olds

Online pre-registration is now available for eligible 16 and 17 year olds by visiting registertovote.ca.gov .
California youth who pre-register to vote will have their registration become active once they turn 18 years old.

Pre-registration does not change the voting age, which is 18. Instead, it allows eligible Californians ages 16 or 17 to complete the online voter registration form providing sufficient time and opportunity to get ready to vote.

The new online pre-registration applies to California youth who are 16 or 17 and meet the following criteria:

A United States citizen and a resident of California,
Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony, and
Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court.

Confirm your voter registration status

It's a good idea to make sure you are registered and that your are registered correctly. Visit the CA Secretary of State's site to check the following.
- If you are registered to vote.
- Where you are registered to vote.
- Your political party preference.
- Your language preference for election materials.
- The status of your vote-by-mail or provisional ballot
- And more....

If you recently registered online, please wait at least 24 hours before checking your status.

Who is eligible to vote in California?

You are eligible to vote in California if on the day of the election you are:

registered to vote on or before 15 days prior to the election*
a citizen of the United States & a resident of the State of California
18 years of age on or before the day of the election (you can pre-register at 16 or 17)
not be in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony
not judicially determined to be incompetent to vote

* You may register and vote provisionally as late as Election Day.

When you register to vote, you must provide proof of identity; a California driver's license, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you do not include this information, you will be required to provide identification when you vote the first time.

Who should register or re-register?

You must re-register to vote (by filling out new registration form) if:

You change your address within the county or move to another county in California
You change your name
You wish to affiliate (join) a political party or change your political party affiliation
You want to change where your ballot is being mailed

If you move within the same county, you may also send a letter to the County Election Official giving your old and new address and signing your name as you are registered. If you are living at the same address, you do not need to re-register if you miss one election or many elections.