Voter Registration


Register to Vote Now

You can apply to register to vote right now by filling in the online application. If you have any questions, visit Frequently Asked Questions, contact the Secretary of State's Elections Division at (800) 345-8683 or by email.

If you are enrolled in California's confidential address program, Safe At Home, please do not apply to register to vote using this site. Contact the Safe At Home program toll-free at (877) 322-5227 or by the Safe At Home email.

Assistance in Other Languages

For a voter registration form in Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, or Vietnamese, visit the Secretary of State's New Voters web page.

Pick Up a Voter Registration Application

You can also pick up a paper voter registration application at your county elections office, library, Department of Motor Vehicles offices, or U.S. post office. It is important that your voter registration application be filled out completely and be postmarked or hand-delivered to your county elections office at least 15 days before the election.

Military and Overseas Voters

Military and overseas voters are United States citizens who are members of the Uniformed Services (on active duty) and their eligible dependents, members of the Merchant Marine and their eligible dependents, commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or United States citizens residing outside the United States. To apply to register to vote, receive your elections materials, and vote, you must apply for a special absentee ballot by filling out the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA).


Qualifications

To register to vote in California, you must be:


Are You Already Registered to Vote?

To find out if you are currently registered to vote, visit Check Status of Your Voter Registration.


Voter Registration Deadlines

In California, the deadline to register to vote for any election is 15 days before Election Day, so please register early!


Voter Registration Deadlines for Upcoming Elections
Election Date Your registration must be postmarked or
submitted electronically no later than:
January 8, 2013
(Special General Election)
December 24, 2012
June 3, 2014
(Statewide Direct Primary Election)
May 19, 2014


When to Re-Register to Vote

You need to re-register to vote when:

As a California voter, be aware that local elections in some areas are held on dates that do not coincide with statewide election dates. The 15-day close of registration deadline for these local elections varies depending on the actual date of the election. If you need to know a deadline for a local election, contact your county elections office.


Voter Registration Drives

Anyone distributing voter registration cards in California should be familiar with the rules and regulations for conducting voter registration drives.

Anyone requesting 50 or more voter registration cards from the Secretary of State must complete and submit a Statement of Distribution Form and a plan of distribution to the Secretary of State via mail or fax to:

The Secretary of State's Elections Division will process the request within 48 hours of receiving the form. For additional assistance, please contact the Secretary of State's Elections Division at (916) 657-2166.


Voter Registration Statistics

The Secretary of State is responsible for producing a statistical report detailing voter registration numbers in California. To view these reports, please go to Voter Registration Statistics.


Additional Assistance

For additional assistance, please contact the Secretary of State.


Elections &
Voter Information


New Voter Information




Register To Vote Online