Civics Helps Us Understand Our Government, Empowers Us to Shape It

You can register to vote in California if you are a U.S. citizen, a resident of California, at least 18 years old on Election Day, and meet additional voting eligibility criteria. If you are a Naturalized citizen, you have all the rights of U.S. citizenship, including the right to vote in elections at the federal, state, and local levels. You cannot vote if you are serving a state or federal prison term for a felony conviction, but you may vote if you are on parole or on probation. Get the facts about California voting rights for persons with a criminal history here.

Check your voter registration here. You may need to re-register if you have not voted in several elections. You will need to re-register if you have changed your name, address (permanently), or political party affiliation.

You can register online, or get an application at your County Elections Office, library, post office, or Department of Motor Vehicles office.

Yes, if you meet these criteria to pre-register to vote. Upon turning 18, you will be automatically registered to vote.

The last day to register online to vote in any California Election is 15 days prior. The last day to register online for the next Primary Election is May 18th, 2026; and the last day for the General Election is Oct 19, 2026. If you miss the deadline, you can complete a conditional voter registration, which is also called Same Day Voter Registration. Go to your County Elections Office to cast a provisional ballot.

The League provides non-partisan information on the major U.S. political parties, and how to choose one when you register to vote. Get our guide on how to choose a political party. You do not have to join any political party to vote. If you want to be independent of any political party, this is called No Party Preference, and you only need to mark the "I do not want to register with a political party" on your voter registration form. But this affects who you can vote for in the Presidential Primary. (See related FAQ.) You can change your political party registration at any time by re-registering to vote, but the deadline to change your party before an election is 15 days prior.

Are you registered to vote with one of these parties: American Independent, Democratic, Green, Libertarian, Peace and Freedom, or Republican? If so, you can only vote for one of your party's slate of presidential candidates. Are you registered to vote with No Party Preference? If so and you take no action, your primary ballot will not list any presidential candidates. However, the American Independent Party, Democratic Party, and Libertarian Party will allow you to vote in their primaries. This is known as "crossover" voting. To request a ballot for one of these parties, contact your County Elections Office. Get more info about Primary Elections in California.

Yes. All California registered voters will receive a vote-by-mail ballot. You may mail your completed ballot back, or return it to a ballot drop-off location, or a polling place/vote center. If you want to vote early and in-person, you may visit your county elections office or any polling place/vote center in California. Find a location and dates in Alameda County to vote early here.

Get basic info on voting by mail here. Other tips include: Can Someone Else Return my Ballot for Me? Yes, if they do not get paid on a per ballot basis and you fill out the authorization section on the outside of the ballot envelope. How Do I Find Out If My Vote by Mail Ballot Was Received and Counted? Sign-up to track the status of your vote-by-mail ballot and get updates.

Get basic info on voting in-person. Where is My Polling Place? California voters, traditionally your polling place is printed on the voter information guide mailed to you from your County Elections Official. However, many California voters do not have assigned polling places anymore. So, if you want to vote in-person, you can visit any Vote Center (aka an Accessible Voting Location) in your county. Alameda County voters can find an AVL here. ​What are Vote Centers? They have replaced traditional polling places. You can cast a ballot in-person at any such place in your county, instead of being tied to one, assigned polling place. Find out more about Vote Centers.

Per the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, some citizens (such as those serving in the military or living overseas) may apply to vote absentee. More info for military/overseas voters is here.

The ACVOTE On the Go Program partners with facilities and admin offices to coordinate sending a team to assist Alameda County voters with receiving, marking the ballot, and returning the ballot for voters who are: ​ hospitalized voters with disabilities or confined to their homes due to a medical emergency. ​ For more information or to sign up, call (510) 272-6973 or email onthego@acgov.org.

Your County Elections Office will send you a Sample Ballot and you may also visit Vote411.org to see your personalized ballot online.

The League of Women Voters of Alameda conducts multiple forums every election season so voters can hear from and question candidates for local office, and get objective information on ballot measures. ​ Check LWV of Alameda's calendar for events.

The Easy Voter Guide, published by the League, is a short pamphlet specifically created for new voters and busy voters. Get nonpartisan information about ballot measures, propositions, and candidates in this guide, which is available in multiple languages. It is updated two months prior to each California state-wide election.

The League of Women Voters publishes Pros and Cons, nonpartisan and unbiased explanations of state propositions and county/local measures, along with supporting and opposing arguments. (Note that these arguments come from many sources and are not limited to those presented in the Official Voter Information Guide.)

For information on federal campaign contributions, please visit Open Secrets. For information on state campaign contributions, please visit Power Search on the California Secretary of State's website. For City of Alameda races and ballot measures, please visit our Campaign Finance Reports webpage. Campaign finance is a way to tell which candidates or ballot measures have generated sufficient support among voters, but also, which campaigns may be beholden to special interests. Transparency is key.

The League of Women Voters provides recommendations for state propositions and local ballot measures here. The League never endorses any political party or candidate. ​You can also find voter recommendations by local newspapers (i.e. Alameda Post, Sacramento Bee, East Bay Times, or San Francisco Chronicle).

If so, then you have the right to vote a provisional ballot. Learn more about Provisional Voting.

Voter intimidation is when someone tries to keep you from voting, or get you to vote in a certain way, and it is prohibited under federal law. Here is the California Voter Bill of Rights. At this website, you can get a print version and watch a video clip (both are short). If you believe you have been denied any of these rights, or you are aware of any election fraud or misconduct, please call the California Secretary of State's confidential toll-free Voter Hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683).

Sign-up to track the status of your vote-by-mail ballot at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov to get automatic updates.

You can find state-level race and statewide ballot results for California here, and you can find Alameda County race and ballot results here. Not an Alameda County voter? Go to your County Elections Office's website to find your results.

How to prevent making a ballot mistake: Read your ballot instructions carefully. Use a black or blue pen. Don’t mix up your ballot with someone else’s in your household. Sign the return envelope, date it, and write in your address. When you sign, try to use the same signature as when you registered to vote. Helpful tip: look at the signature on your driver’s license or state ID. How to fix a mistake marking your ballot, or if you have damaged your ballot: Contact your County Elections Office; or Return your spoiled ballot to a voting site or your County Elections Office. Sign up to track your ballot, and you will find out about any problems with it quickly.