Voting in California

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Election Information
2026 election and voting dates
Voter registration
Early voting
Absentee/mail-in voting
All-mail voting
Voter ID laws
State poll opening and closing times
Time off work for voting

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## Contents

* 1 Voter registration
* 1.1 Eligibility and registration details
* 2 In-person voting
* 2.1 Poll times
* 2.2 Voter identification
* 2.3 Early voting
* 3 Absentee/mail-in voting
* 4 Local election officials
* 5 Voting rules for people convicted of a felony
* 6 Contact information
* 6.1 Election agencies
* 7 Explore election legislation with Ballotpedia
* 8 Ballotpedia's election coverage
* 9 See also
* 9.1 Elections in California
* 10 External links
* 11 Footnotes

The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.

This article includes the following information about voting policies in California:

* Voter registration details, including deadlines and eligibility requirements.
* In-person voting details, including identification requirements, poll times, and early voting provisions.
* Absentee/mail-in voting deadlines and rules.
* Details about Voting rules for people convicted of a felony.
* Contact information for election agencies.

Click here for more information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, post-election auditing practices, and additional election policy context.

For information on this year's elections, click here.

Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.

## Voter registration[edit]

### Eligibility and registration details[edit]

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in California, an individual must be a U.S. citizen and California resident, not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony, and not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court. A voter must be at least 18 years of age on Election Day.  Pre-registration is available at 16 years of age. Pre-registered voters are automatically registered to vote when they turn 18.[1]

## In-person voting[edit]

### Poll times[edit]

See also: State poll opening and closing times

All polls in California are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.[2]

### Voter identification[edit]

See also: Voter identification laws by state

California does not require voters to present identification before casting a ballot in most cases.

On September 29, 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed SB 1174 into law prohibiting any jurisdiction in the state from adopting a local law that requires voters to present ID before voting.[3]

The federal Help America Vote Act requires that individuals in all 50 states who register to vote by mail and who have not voted previously in a federal election in their state must provide either their driver's license or a paycheck, bank statement, current utility bill, or government document showing their name and address. Individuals voting by mail must include a copy of one of those documents with their absentee/mail-in ballot.[4]

These requirements do not apply if an individual submitted a copy of their identification, their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when registering to vote.

The following list of accepted ID to comply with HAVA requirements was current as of October 2025. Click here for the California Secretary of State page to ensure you have the most current information.

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* Current and valid photo identification provided by a third party in the ordinary course of business that includes the name and photograph of the individual presenting it. Examples of photo identification include, but are not limited to, the following documents:
* driver's license or identification card of any state;
* passport;
* employee identification card;
* identification card provided by a commercial establishment;
* credit or debit card;
* military identification card;
* student identification card;
* health club identification card;
* insurance plan identification card; or
* public housing identification card.
* Any of the following documents, provided that the document includes the name and address of the individual presenting it, and is dated since the date of the last general election…:
* utility bill;
* bank statement;
* government check;
* government paycheck;
* document issued by a governmental agency;
* sample ballot or other official elections document issued by a governmental agency dated for the election in which the individual is providing it as proof of residency or identity;
* voter notification card issued by a governmental agency;
* public housing identification card issued by a governmental agency;
* lease or rental statement or agreement issued by a governmental agency;
* student identification card issued by a governmental agency;
* tuition statement or bill issued by a governmental agency;
* insurance plan card or drug discount card issued by a governmental agency;
* discharge certificates, pardons, or other official documents issued to the individual by a governmental agency in connection with the resolution of a criminal case, indictment, sentence, or other matter;
* public transportation authority senior citizen and disabled discount cards issued by a governmental agency;
* identification documents issued by governmental disability agencies;
* identification documents issued by government homeless shelters and other government temporary or transitional facilities;
* drug prescription issued by a government doctor or other governmental health care provider;
* property tax statement issued by a governmental agency;
* vehicle registration issued by a governmental agency; or
* vehicle certificate of ownership issued by a governmental agency.[5]

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### Early voting[edit]

See also: Early voting

California permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting allows citizens to cast their ballots in person at a polling place before an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting. Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire do not offer no-excuse early voting.

## Absentee/mail-in voting[edit]

See also: Absentee/mail-in voting

California provides for universal, automatic mail-in voting in all elections. Local election officials automatically deliver mail-in ballots to all registered voters. Voters may also choose to cast their ballots in person.[6][7]

## Local election officials[edit]

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Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool.|

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## Voting rules for people convicted of a felony[edit]

See also: Voting rights for people convicted of a felony

In California, people convicted of a felony have their right to vote automatically restored once they are released from prison. People serving felony sentences in state or federal prisons cannot vote, while people in jail who have not been convicted of a felony retain the right to vote.[8]

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[9]

## Contact information[edit]

### Election agencies[edit]

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in California can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.

California County Elections offices

Click here for a list

California Secretary of State, Elections Division

1500 11th Street, 5th Floor

Sacramento, California 95814

Phone: 916-657-2166

Toll free: 1-800-345-8683

Fax: 916-653-3214

Email: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/contact/email-elections-division
Website: http://www.sos.ca.gov/

California Fair Political Practices Commission

1102 Q Street, Suite 3050

Sacramento, California 95811

Phone: 916-322-5660

Fax: 916-322-0886

Email: Cpra@fppc.ca.gov
Website: http://www.fppc.ca.gov/

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 301-563-3919
Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov
Website: https://www.eac.gov

## Explore election legislation with Ballotpedia[edit]

* Try Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker

Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker provides daily updates on legislative activity related to election policy in all 50 states.

Our election policy experts translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries. And because it's from Ballotpedia, our legislation tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan.

Search bills

* Read Ballotpedia's State of Election Administration Legislation Reports

Ballotpedia publishes regular analysis of election administration legislation, including three full reports per year, providing ongoing coverage of legislative activity affecting election policy in each state.

These reports deliver insights into partisan priorities, dive deep into notable trends, and highlight activity in key states.

Read the latest report

Subscribe to The Ballot Bulletin

The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy.

The newsletter tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker.

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## Ballotpedia's election coverage[edit]

Click the tiles below to navigate to 2025 election coverage:

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Democratic primaries 2026

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## See also[edit]

* State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
* Voter ID in California
* Election administration in California
* Ballot access requirements for political candidates in California

### Elections in California[edit]

* California elections, 2026
* California elections, 2025
* California elections, 2024
* California elections, 2023
* California elections, 2022
* California elections, 2021
* California elections, 2020

* California elections, 2019
* California elections, 2018
* California elections, 2017
* California elections, 2016
* California elections, 2015
* California elections, 2014

## External links[edit]

* Official state election website
* U.S. Vote Foundation election official lookup tool

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Voter Registration," accessed October 29, 2025
2. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Section 3: Polling Place Hours," accessed October 29, 2025
3. ↑ Democracy Docket, "California Governor Signs Law to Ban Local Voter ID Requirements," September 30, 2024
4. ↑ Congress, "H.R.3295 - Help America Vote Act of 2002," accessed September 30, 2025
5. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
6. ↑ California Legislative Information, "Cal. Election Code § 3000.5," accessed October 29, 2025
7. ↑ California Legislative Information, "AB-37 Elections: vote by mail ballots," accessed October 29, 2025
8. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Voting Rights: Persons with a Prior Felony Conviction," accessed October 29, 2025
9. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," accessed August 13, 2024

Election information

Resources

Sample Ballot Lookup • Elections calendar • State poll opening and closing times • Ballot access for major and minor party candidates • Elections by state and year • State voter ID laws • Absentee voting • Early voting • Online voter registration • Election result canvassing • Where do I vote • List of absentee/mail-in ballot request websites by state • List of official voter registration websites by state • State of Election Administration Legislation Reports

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