CA · How to vote
Voting in California.
Three ways to vote, three deadlines. ID rules and vote-by-mail policy below — verify the specifics with the California Secretary of State at the link.
1Official source of record
California Secretary of State — Elections
VOTER ID REQUIREMENTS
California does not require photo ID for most voters. First-time voters who did not provide ID when registering may need to show ID.
VOTE BY MAIL
All registered voters automatically receive a mail ballot. You can also vote in person.
3NCSL voter ID requirements2026-04-153NCSL absentee + VBM rules2026-04-15
Official action — CA
The state’s own tools, with links to verify.
Each card below routes to the official California system. Where the state delegates to county Supervisors of Elections, the card says so honestly.
Statewide→
Check my registration
Name + DOB + CA DL/ID or last-4 SSN. Doubles as VBM tracker.
Statewide→
Register / update online
10 languages. Same-day window <15 days routes to in-person.
State + county→
Find my polling place
Index of 58 county lookup tools.
Statewide→
Preview my ballot
Statewide candidates/measures only — per-voter sample ballot is county-issued.
Statewide→
Request a mail ballot
All active CA voters auto-mailed since 2022 (SB 29 / AB 37). Replacement / address-change handled by county.
Statewide→
Track my mail ballot
Powered by BallotTrax. SMS / email / voice opt-in. Covers all 58 counties.
Statewide→
See who's on the ballot
CalAccess Form 501. Federal/state/Assembly/Senate; county candidates not here.
Statewide→
Statewide ballot measures
Statewide→
Live + past results
Statewide→
Election calendar
1UOCAVA · military & overseas voters
Federal deadlines for California
Active-duty service members, their families, and U.S. citizens overseas have separate deadlines under UOCAVA. Sourced live from the U.S. Federal Voting Assistance Program.
2026-06-02Ballot Request — CD 1 Special PrimaryNo Deadline
2026-06-02Ballot Request — State PrimaryNo Deadline
2026-06-02Ballot Return — CD 1 Special PrimaryReturn by Fax: Received by
2026-06-02Ballot Return — CD 1 Special PrimaryReturn by Mail: Postmarked by**
2026-06-02Ballot Return — State PrimaryReturn by Fax: Received by
2026-06-02Ballot Return — State PrimaryReturn by Mail: Postmarked by**
2026-06-02Registration* — CD 1 Special PrimaryBy Online or Fax: Received by
2026-06-02Registration* — CD 1 Special PrimaryBy Mail: Postmarked by
Local authorities — CA
First-class county / borough sources.
For some tasks — especially sample ballot, drop-box lists, and live local results — the county or borough is the authoritative source. We list them here as peer authorities, not delegates.
Cite this
turnout.app/how-to-vote/ca · 2026-05-02 · NCSLOther states
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