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October 16, 2024 - Sacramento, Calif. – California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., is encouraging voters to return their ballots early.
“California voters are no longer limited to a single day of voting. Why wait in line on Election Day when you have early voting options?” said Secretary Weber. “Once you receive your ballot, complete it, sign the back of the envelope, and then you can return it by mail, drop box, or at any early voting location.”
Voting your ballot is easy. Voters can follow these five easy steps to vote their vote-by-mail ballot: Complete it. Mark their choices on their vote-by-mail ballot.
Seal it. Secure their ballot inside the vote-by-mail ballot return envelope.
Sign it. Sign the outside of their vote-by-mail ballot return envelope.
- • Each voter should make sure their signature matches the one on their California driver’s license/state ID or the signature they provided when they registered to vote. County elections officials will compare the signatures before ballots are counted.
- Return it. There are three ways voters can return a vote-by-mail ballot in the General Election:
- • By drop box—Drop off the completed vote-by-mail ballot at a secure official drop box in their county or anywhere in the state at any time between October 8 through 8:00 p.m. on November 5.
- • By mail—Place the completed vote-by-mail ballot into a mailbox. Ballots must be postmarked by November 5. No stamp needed!
- • In person—Drop off the completed vote-by-mail ballot by 8:00 p.m. on November 5 at any polling place or vote center in the state, or at the voter’s county elections office . Voting locations will be available in all counties before Election Day. Voting locations offer voter registration, replacement ballots, accessible voting machines, and language assistance.
Track it. Sign up to receive updates on the status of their vote-by-mail ballot. Voters can track a ballot they have mailed or dropped off by signing up at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov to receive text, email, or voice status alerts.
A complete list of drop box locations can be found on the Secretary of State’s Early Voting and Vote-by-Mail Ballot Drop-off Locations webpage at caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov.
Eligible citizens can register to vote or update their voter registration online at registertovote.ca.gov. The last day to register to vote for the November 5, 2024, General Election is October 21, 2024.
Eligible citizens who miss the October 21 deadline have the option to participate in the “same day” voter registration process at their local county elections office or any in-person voting location. Californians who participate in same day registration will be asked to fill out a voter registration form and be provided a ballot. Questions about the same day voter registration process should be directed to their county elections office.
Voters who are unsure of their voter registration status can quickly check it online at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov. All active registered voters will receive two voter information guides:
- • Official Voter Information Guide (state VIG) - contains information about federal and statewide candidates and statewide ballot measures. The state VIG can be accessed electronically in 10 languages at voterguide.sos.ca.gov.
- • County Voter Information Guide - contains a sample of your ballot and information about local candidates and ballot measures, and, for some counties, the location of your polling place.
The Secretary of States Voter Information Hotline is available for all voters if they have questions about the voting process, early voting and drop box locations and to request voter registration forms or the VIG. Voters can call one of the toll-free voter hotlines listed 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
Important Dates
- • The last day to register to vote for the November 5, 2024, General Election is October 21, 2024.
- • Ballot drop-off locations opened on October 8, 2024.
- • Vote centers open for early in-person voting in all Voter’s Choice Act counties beginning on October 26, 2024.
- • Mailed vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by November 12, 2024.
Information about county elections offices can be found at sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices.
Upcoming California key deadlines and dates for the November 5, 2024, General Election can be found at sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-nov-5-2024/key-dates-deadlines.
The November 5, 2024, General Election Calendar can be found at elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/statewide-elections/2024-primary/section-08-general-election-calendar.pdf.
Source: CA. SoS
