October 7, 2025 - Sacramento, Calif. – California county elections officials have begun mailing vote-by-mail ballots for the November 4, 2025 Statewide Special Election to each active registered voter. California voters can expect to see their ballots arriving in the coming days.

“Voting by mail is secure, reliable, and part of California’s tradition of giving voters more days and more ways to cast their ballot.” said Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. “As ballots begin to arrive, Californians should think about filling out, signing, and mailing their ballot immediately which saves a trip to the polls on Election Day.”

California provides many options to vote including voting by mail, dropping ballots at drop-box locations, and voting at polling places or vote centers. “I encourage all active, eligible voters to vote so they can ensure their voice is heard,” added Weber.

The vote-by-mail ballot voting period begins as soon as ballots are in the mail. Voting by mail is easy. Voters can follow these five easy steps to vote using the vote-by-mail ballot:

Complete it. Mark your choices on the vote-by-mail ballot.

Seal it. Secure your ballot inside the vote-by-mail ballot return envelope.

Sign it. Sign the outside of your vote-by-mail ballot return envelope.

Make sure your signature matches the one on your California driver’s license/state ID or the signature provided when you 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 Statewide Special Election:

• By drop box—Drop off the completed vote-by-mail ballot at a secure official drop box in your county or anywhere in the state at any time between October 7 through 8:00 p.m. on November 4.
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• By mail—Place the completed vote-by-mail ballot into a mailbox. Ballots must be postmarked by November 4. No stamp needed!
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• In person—Drop off the completed vote-by-mail ballot at any polling place, vote center, or county elections office in the state by 8:00 p.m. on November 4. 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 your vote-by-mail ballot. Voters can track a ballot they have mailed or dropped off at a polling place, vote center, or drop box by signing up at: wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov to receive text, email, or voice status alerts.

California voters can register to vote or update their voter registration online at: registertovote.ca.gov.

Voters who are unsure of their voter registration status can quickly check it online at: voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.

NOTE: The Secretary of State’s office does not issue, receive, or count ballots. Elections officials in each of California’s 58 counties print, process, and count ballots. 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 4, 2025, Statewide Special Election can be found at  https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/statewide-special-nov-4-2025/key-dates-and-deadlines.

The California Complete Statewide Special Election Calendar for the November 4, 2025, Statewide Special Election can be found at  https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/statewide-elections/2025-special/statewide-special-election-calendar.pdf.

Source: CA. SoS