California’s general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and every active registered voter in the state has been mailed a ballot with a prepaid return envelope — counties were required to begin mailing by Oct. 5. Here’s what to do with the ballot you have, what to do if you never got one, and how you can still register and vote through Election Day.
WHAT TO DO WITH THE BALLOT YOU HAVE
Sign the outside of the return envelope. County election workers compare that signature with the one on your registration file before your ballot is counted; state rules require a comparison, not an exact match. There are three ways to return it:
Drop box: Put your ballot in any secure official drop box by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. Find locations at caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov.
In person: Hand your completed ballot in at any polling place, vote center, or county elections office by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.
By mail: Your ballot must be postmarked on or before Nov. 3 and received by your county by Nov. 10. That deadline still stands after the Supreme Court’s June ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee, which confirmed that states can count mailed ballots postmarked by Election Day and received afterward. But the state’s recommended mail-by date has passed, and a Postal Service rule that took effect in December 2025 means a postmark may no longer show the day you dropped your ballot in the mail. If you’re mailing this close to Election Day, the state says to take your ballot inside a post office and ask a postal employee for a hand postmark. The surer path now is a drop box or in-person return.
If the county finds a problem with the signature on your envelope, it will contact you, and you have until 5 p.m. on Nov. 25 to fix it.
IF YOU NEVER GOT A BALLOT — OR LOST OR DAMAGED IT
Contact your county elections office for a replacement, or get one at any voting location. The state’s recommended date to request a mailed replacement was Oct. 27 and has passed, so going to a voting location is the most reliable option now. A registered voter whose name doesn’t appear on the list at a voting location can vote a provisional ballot, which is counted once officials confirm eligibility.
IF YOU AREN’T REGISTERED
The regular registration deadline was Oct. 19, but it’s not too late. Through 8 p.m. on Nov. 3, an eligible person can conditionally register and vote a provisional ballot at any county elections office, vote center, or polling place. The ballot is counted once the county verifies the registration.
VOTING IN PERSON
Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Voting locations offer registration, replacement ballots, accessible voting machines, and language assistance. If you’re in line when the polls close at 8 p.m., you have the right to vote.
Counties run elections differently. Some, including Los Angeles County, use vote centers where any voter in the county can vote; others use neighborhood polling places. Look up your own county’s locations at caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov.
HOW TO CHECK
Check your registration at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov. Track your ballot at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov. For questions, call the Secretary of State’s voter hotline at (800) 345-VOTE, which is 800-345-8683.
Drafted by News Observed Editorial AI, human reviewed and published.