Voting Before the Election

Due to changes in the U.S. Postal mail service, in areas outside California’s major coastal cities, a ballot dropped in the U.S. mail on Election Day might be collected too late to be counted. Under the U.S. Postal Service’s new process, mail dropped off at post offices and mail collection boxes more than 50 miles from a U.S. Postal Service regional hub is collected the next day, instead of the same day. 

This means that, in some areas, ballots dropped off at a post office or mail collection box on Election Day won’t be postmarked until the day after, making them late. Late ballots are not counted. 

If you planned to return your ballot by mail, you should have already done so – at least a week before Election Day.

 

Below are some alternative ways to ensure your vote is counted:

  • Drop off your ballot at a secure ballot drop-off box or vote center. Ballot drop-off boxes remain available until Election Day.
  • If you’re cutting it close, drop off your completed mail ballot at a vote center on Election Day. According to a Postal Service spokesperson, “You should never be mailing your ballot on election day.”

 

Where Californians Can Get Assistance

For real-time assistance and answers to your questions about voting and elections, or to request mail delivery of a voter registration form, vote-by-mail application, or the Official Voter Information Guide in any of these languages, please call one of the toll-free Voter Hotlines shown below.

(800) 345-VOTE (8683) – English
(800) 232-VOTA (8682) –  Español / Spanish
(800) 339-2857 –  中文 / Chinese
(888) 345-2692 –  हिन्दी / Hindi
(800) 339-2865 –  日本語 / Japanese
(888) 345-4917 –  ខ្មែរ / Khmer
(866) 575-1558 –  한국어 / Korean
(800) 339-2957 –  Tagalog
(855) 345-3933 –  ภาษาไทย / Thai
(800) 339-8163 –  Việt ngữ / Vietnamese
711 – TTY/TDD

 

Helpful Resources

SOS Voter Assistance Hotline -- (800) 345-VOTE (8683)

SOS Elections Division -- (916) 657-2166

Email for voting problems -- [email protected]

Report election misinformation -- [email protected]

Find county election offices -- County elections directory

Track a vote-by-mail ballot -- Where's My Ballot

Election security information -- SOS Election Security Program

  

Voting Rights

The rights available to the public when voting are listed in the California Voter Bill of Rights. Those rights are the following:

  • The right to vote if you are a registered voter.
  • The right to vote if you are a registered voter, even if your name is not on the list of registered voters, by casting a provisional ballot.
  • The right to vote if you are still in line when the polls close.
  • The right to cast a secret ballot without anyone bothering you or telling you how to vote.
  • The right to get a new ballot if you have made a mistake, if you have not already cast your ballot.
  • The right to get help casting your ballot from anyone you choose, except from your employer or union representative.
  • The right to drop off your completed vote-by-mail ballot at any polling place in California.
  • The right to get election materials in a language other than English if enough people in your voting precinct speak that language.
  • The right to ask questions to elections officials about election procedures and watch the election process.
  • The right to report any illegal or fraudulent election activity to an elections official or the Secretary of State’s Office.