VOTING -- What you Need to Know

The next election is on November 5, 2024. It is the presidential general election which also includes many local races and ballot measures.

Do you have general questions about voting in California? Check out the Easy Voter Guide which gives a clear overview on voter registration and voting. It is available in five languages: English - Spanish - Chinese - Korean - Vietnamese.

Election Calendar

Here are the important dates for the next election:

Mailing of vote-by-mail ballots begins: Monday, Oct 7
Early voting at the Registrar of Voters office: Monday, Oct 7-Monday, Nov 4
Last day to register to vote for Nov 5 election: Monday, Oct 21
Conditional voter registration at any Vote Center or Registrar of Voters office: Tue, Oct 22-Tue, Nov 5
Vote Centers open: Saturday, Oct 26-Tuesday, Nov 5
ELECTION DAY: Tuesday, November 5

Register to Vote

Are you already registered to vote at your current address?
Check your Registration.
(Re)Register to Vote Online. The deadline to register or re-register
to vote is 15 days before an election.
If you have moved, you should re-register. Young people who are 16 or 17
may pre-register to vote.
If you are not registered, you can still vote in person by going
to a Vote Center and submitting a conditional ballot.

Prepare to Vote

Before the next election, the League will help you get prepared.
Use the League's Vote411.org to help you decide your votes.
Also see our candidate forums and Pros & Cons of ballot measures.

You may also want to check LWV recommendations on some ballot
measures.

Mark your Ballot

Every registered voter is mailed a ballot starting about one month before the election..
Carefully mark the ballot and be sure you sign the envelope with the signature you used to register or the signature on your CA drivers license. You need not vote on everything.

Vote

You have several options to get your ballot to the Registrar of Voters:

Mail it. It must be postmarked on or before Election Day.
Find a drop box and deposit your ballot in its envelope.
Go to a Vote Center. You may deposit your mail ballot, vote on a machine, or register to vote starting four days before election day.

Track Your Ballot

Track your mail-in ballot. You can ask for an email, text, or phone call when your ballot status changes. Has your ballot been mailed to you? Has it been received? Did your vote get counted? If not, you may have a chance to fix the problem. Or you may track your ballot directly with the Santa Clara County ROV.

Voter Information

Go to Vote411 to find your complete ballot for elections with nonpartisan information about candidates, ballot measures including local measures, and your polling place.

If you have any concerns about your registration or voting, please contact the Registrar of Voters of Santa Clara County at 1-866-430-VOTE (8683).

More about Voting

Do you want to help us register people to vote? Especially several months before an election, we have voter registration projects.

League of Women Voters of California provides information about how to register, deadlines, requirements, political parties, registration drives, living overseas, and much more.