California Voter Information - FAQs
Be a California voter with the help of LWV of Alameda's voter guides and information. Please note that in some cases, links and information presented is specifically for Alameda county voters.
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Who Can Vote
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Who Can Vote in California? 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 criteria.
Can Naturalized Citizens Vote in U.S. Elections? Yes, naturalized citizens have all the rights of U.S. citizenship, including the right to vote in elections at the federal, state, and local levels. Can I Vote in California If I'm in Jail, on Parole, or on Probation? No, if you are serving a state or federal prison term for a felony conviction. Yes, 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. |
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Election & Voter Registration Dates
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What Is the Deadline to Register to Vote in California? The last day to register to vote for the 2024 California Primary Election is February 20, 2024. If you miss the deadline, you can complete a conditional voter registration.
Does California Have Same-Day Voter Registration? Yes, you can complete a conditional voter registration and go to your County Elections Office to cast a provisional ballot. When is the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election? Tuesday, November 5, 2024. |
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Political Parties
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How Do I Decide My Political Party? The League of Women Voters of California provides non-partisan information on the major U.S. political parties, and how to choose a political party when you sign up to vote. Get our guide on how to choose a political party here.
But you do not have to join a political party to be a voter. 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 note the section below on Primary Elections & Presidential Candidates. How Do I Change My Political Party and What is the Deadline? 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 to that event. |
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Primaries & Presidential Candidates
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Which Presidential Candidates Can I Vote for in the Primary? 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. Alameda County voters may call (510) 272-6973. Forgot your political party registration? Check your voter status at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov. Get more info on candidates you can vote for in the California Primary Elections. |
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Register to Vote
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How Do I Register to Vote in California? You can register online, or get an application at your County Elections Office, library, post office, or Department of Motor Vehicles office.
What Do I Need to Register to Vote in California? You will need your Social Security number and your California driver's license or identity card. If you do not have a California driver's license or identity card, you can still apply to register to vote by completing an online interview. Can I Pre-Register to Vote at Age 16 or 17 in California? Yes, if you are a U.S. citizen, a California resident, and meet additional criteria. Upon turning 18, you will be automatically registered to vote. Am I Registered to Vote in California? You can find out if you are registered to vote here. You should also use this link to check your voter status if you have recently moved back to the United States or moved to a different country. Do I Have to Re-Register to Vote in California? No, unless you move, change your name, change your political party preference, or have not voted in several elections. |
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Early Voting & Absentee Voting
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Can I Vote Early in California? Yes. All California registered voters will receive a vote-by-mail ballot. You may return your ballot by mail. Alameda County voters, you may return your ballot at any Alameda County ballot drop box, or accessible voting location. (See the Vote by Mail section below.)
For those who need to vote early and in-person, you can visit any Accessible Voting Location (AVL) in Alameda County -- find one here. AVLs will replace neighborhood polling places and allow COVID-19 social distancing via drive-through, curbside, or indoor electronic voting. Stay tuned for dates and hours that the AVLs will be open for early/Election Day voting. City of Alameda AVL locations: South Shore Center, Gracepoint Church Alameda (Bay Farm), Almanac Beer Co. (Alameda Point), Lincoln Middle School, Island High School, and Alameda High School. Can I Vote Absentee in California? 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. Find more information for military and overseas voters here. |
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Vote by Mail
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Can I Vote by Mail in California? Yes. All registered voters in California will be mailed a vote-by-mail ballot.
How Do I Return a Vote-by-Mail Ballot? You may mail it (with no added postage) but your ballot must be postmarked on/before Election Day. Alameda County voters: return your ballot to any accessible voting location or vote-by-mail ballot drop box in Alameda County before 8pm on Election Day. Additionally, someone else can return your ballot for you, 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 at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov to get automatic updates. |
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Polling Places
& Vote Centers 
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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.
Alameda County voters do not have assigned polling places anymore. So if you want to vote in-person, you can visit any Accessible Voting Location (AVL) in Alameda County -- find one here. AVLs have replaced neighborhood polling places and allow COVID-19 social distancing via drive-through, curbside, or indoor electronic voting. Stay tuned for dates and hours that the AVLs will be open for early/Election Day voting. City of Alameda AVL locations: South Shore Center, Gracepoint Church Alameda (Bay Farm), Almanac Beer Co. (Alameda Point), Lincoln Middle School, Island High School, and Alameda High School. What are Vote Centers? Vote centers have replaced traditional polling places. You can cast a ballot in-person at any vote center in your county, instead of being tied to one, assigned polling place. Find out more about Vote Centers here. |
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Hospitalized or Disabled Voters
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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:
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Sample Ballot & Voter Guide
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What Will My Ballot Look Like? Your County Elections Office will send you a Sample Ballot and you may also visit Vote411.org to see your personalized ballot online.
Where Can I Find a Voter Guide? The Easy Voter Guide, published by the League of Women Voters of California, is a pamphlet specifically created for new voters and busy voters. Its aim is to make nonpartisan information about the ballot accessible to as many Californians as possible. Find helpful information about ballot measures, propositions and candidates in this guide, which is available in multiple languages. The Easy Voter Guide is updated about two months prior to each primary or general election. The next update will be made in January 2024. The Easy Voter Guide is published online, and the League of Women Voters of Alameda will also distribute paper copies to Alameda libraries, schools, churches, senior centers, and other public locations. |
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Pros & Cons
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What are the Pros and Cons of Measures on My Ballot? 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.) |
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Campaign Finance
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Who is Funding This Ballot Measure or Candidate? 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 the League of Women Voters of Alameda's Campaign Finance webpage. Why Should I Care Who Is Funding an Election Campaign? 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. |
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Election Forums
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Where Can I Find Voting/Election Events? 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 our calendar for events. |
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Voter Recommends
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Where Can I Find Voter/Ballot Recommendations? The League of Women Voters provides recommendations for state and local ballot measures, and you can find them here.
You can also find voter recommendations by local newspapers (i.e. Alameda Post, Sacramento Bee, East Bay Times, or San Francisco Chronicle). |
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Voter ID & What to Bring to the Polls
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Do I Need ID to Vote in California? In most cases, no. But first-time voters who applied by mail without including a driver's license or Social Security number should bring some form of ID to their polling place. Find out when you may be asked to show ID, and what forms are accepted.
What Should I Bring to the Polls? You can and should bring notes into your polling place. Vote411.org allows you to easily create a printable list of who and what you will vote for. You may also wish to bring a printed copy of the California Voter Bill of Rights (multiple languages). |
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Voter Rights
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What Is A Provisional Ballot? If your name is not on the voter list at your polling place, you have the right to vote a provisional ballot. Learn more about Provisional Voting here.
What Are (All) My Rights As a California Voter? 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). What If I Am Harassed or Threatened While Attempting to Vote? 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. Call the (800) 345-VOTE (8683) Hotline mentioned above. |
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Election Results
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Where Can I Find Official Election Results? 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. |
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Elected Officials
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Who Are My Elected Officials? Find your elected officials for the City of Alameda, County of Alameda, state of California, and at the Federal level, such as your U.S. Congressional representatives and the U.S. President.
Democracy is not just about voting on election day. We need to stay vigilant, and keep public officials informed of our views. What Do My Elected Officials Do? Head to our Civics 101 webpage to find out. |