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REGISTER TO VOTE

"The vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democratic society and we’ve got to use it." -Congressman John Lewis

Women in front of DC Capitol holding LWV Voting is people power sign

Registration Basics

Who is eligible to vote in California? Read the California Voter Bill of Rights. Voters are eligible to vote in California if on the day of the election they are:

registered to vote on or before 15 days prior to the election and are 18 years of age on or before the day of the election (you can pre-register at 16)
a citizen of the United States & a resident of the State of California
not in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony
not judicially determined to be incompetent to vote

Same Day Voter Registration: If eligible voters miss the 15 day deadline, they can complete a Conditional Voter Registration form (CVR) at the Registrar of Voters office or at a Vote Center and cast a CVR provisional ballot. Once the Registrar of Voters determines the voter’s status, their provisional ballot is counted.

Register Online or Mail-in Form Eligible voters can register ONLINE NOW at the California Secretary of State's website. Citizens need to provide the last 4-digits of their Social Security number. If they have their Driver's License or California ID number, they can complete registration entirely online. If they do not, they will need to print the form, sign it, and send it to the address provided. The Secretary of State's office also offers detailed Voter Registration instructions in pdf as well as a video with detailed instructions, including ASL. If voters want to fill out a paper registration form they are available at local Registrar of Voters offices, post offices, libraries, city offices and many colleges and universities.

During the registration or pre-registration process, voters will be asked if they want to choose a political party. A political party is a group of people who share the same ideas about how the government should be run and what it should do. They work together to win elections. Read How to Choose a Political Party or the LWV EZ Voter Guide for more information about the major political parties active in California.

When registering to vote, citizens can either choose one of the parties listed or choose to be unaffiliated and check No Party Preference (NPP). Due to California’s Top-Two Primary system, NPP voters will receive a primary ballot with no presidential candidates during presidential primary years. However, some political parties allow NPP voters to request a primary ballot with their party’s affiliation. Find out more here.

Pre-Registration and Re-Registration

Register or Pre-register Online at the DMV or Mail-in Form Eligible voters can register ONLINE NOW at the California Secretary of State's website. Citizens aged 16 and 17 can use the same online form to pre-register, and will be automatically registered at age 18. For more information about pre-registration, read Pre-Registration FAQs.

When to Re-Register Voters should go to the Voter Status page on the Secretary of State’s website to confirm their registration or make any changes such as a change of address or political party. If voters are living at the same address, they do not need to re-register if they miss one election. However, infrequent voters should check their registration before an upcoming election to confirm that their registration is still active.

Voters must re-register to vote (by filling out new registration form) if:

They change their address within the county or move to another county in California
They change their name
They wish to affiliate (join) a political party or change their political party affiliation
They want to change where their ballot is being mailed

To make other types of changes to one's voter registration, such as a change of permanent address or other details, a voter can either re-register online or print a Voter Action Change Form and mail it to the Registrar.

Helpful Resources

Pre-registration CA SOS

pre-register at sixteen. vote at eighteen - CA SOS graphic

Check my Status

My Voter Status with CA map and star - I Voted stickers

How to Choose a Political Party

choosing political party on voter registration form

Quicklink: www.lwvpaloalto.org/register-to-vote