Mail-in ballots can still be mailed in for the Nov. 5 General Election. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 5 or can also be dropped off at designated polling places by the same date.
The 14-day deadline has passed for those wishing to register for the Nov. 5 General Election and now, if you are registered to vote, it is time to vote either by mail by voting day or in person at your designated polling place.
In California, early voting began with mail in ballots sent to every registered voter in the state. If you did not receive one, call the Riverside County Registrar’s office at 951-486-7200 for more information Monday through Friday. The office is located at 2720 Gateway Drive in Riverside.
If a registered voter has already filled out his or her ballot, it can now be placed in the envelope sent with the ballot and mailed for no charge before November 5. On voting day the filled out ballots may be dropped off at your designated polling place.
The ballots will have your choice of candidates for elected federal, state and elected offices. Some cities have their municipal elections at the same time for their open elective offices, at large or for specific offices and for local propositions, initiatives and tax measures.
Recently, Murrieta City Clerk Cristal McDonald outlined her and the registered voters’ responsibilities in voting in the Nov. 5 general and municipal elections. Her comments hold for most city clerks in the Southwest Riverside County area.
She explained potential voters aged 16 and 17 in California were able to register to vote and be eligible to actually vote on their 18th birthday while adult voters had until October 21 to register. Voting in person at their designated precincts began on October 26 if they wished. They have through Nov. 5 to make or mail in their voting choices.
The California Attorney General’s office gave answers to some questions voters may have for this election.
Can I vote online?
No. For security reasons, California law prohibits casting a ballot over the Internet. This also means that county elections officials cannot accept marked ballots sent via email. If you are a military and overseas voter, as defined by the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, you may return your voted ballot to your county elections office only by mail or fax (in certain limited circumstances).
Am I already registered to vote?
To find out if you are currently registered to vote, please refer to My Voter Status at www.sos.ca.gov/elections/registration-status.
I did not vote in the last election. Do I need to re-register to vote?
In general, you do not need to re-register because you are registered to vote for as long as you remain at the same address. However, there are cases in which voter registration can be canceled if a voter has not voted in several consecutive general elections.
What should I do if I have just moved within California?
Your voter registration record should always reflect your current residence. If your move is permanent, you can update your California residence address by re-registering online at registertovote.ca.gov or by submitting a paper voter registration application.
You can also send a signed letter to your current county elections official, informing them of your move and providing them with your date of birth and current address, even if it is in a different county. However, if you have already updated your residence address at the Department of Motor Vehicles or the U.S. Postal Service, your registration will be automatically updated with your new address.
If your move is temporary, you can continue to use your prior permanent residence where you were registered to vote as your address for the purpose of voting.
What should I do if I change my name?
If you have legally changed your name, you must re-register to vote so that your voter record reflects your current name. The Secretary of State recommends that before you update your voter record with your current name, you first update your California driver license or identification card with DMV. More details at www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/dmv/dl.
If you are re-registering online and you have not updated your DMV record with your new name, select “decline” on the application when asked to use your DMV signature to register to vote. If you do not decline use of your DMV signature, your application will be rejected by your county elections official because your DMV signature for your prior name will not match your voter signature with your new name. After you decline to use your DMV signature, continue filling in your information. Print, sign, and mail the paper application to your county elections office.
What is the deadline to register to vote?
The deadline to register to vote is 15 days prior to Election Day, often called E-15. You must submit the voter registration application by midnight on the registration deadline day. A timestamp will be attached to your online voter registration application. If you register to vote using a paper application, it must be postmarked or hand-delivered to your county elections office by E-15. After the registration deadline, in most elections any individual may conditionally register to vote and cast a provisional ballot by visiting their county elections official. For more information, please refer to Same Day Voter Registration at www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg.
If I started to fill out the online voter registration application before midnight on E-15 but didn’t finish until after midnight, am I too late?
Yes, you must submit the voter registration application online by midnight on the registration deadline day. However, in most elections you may go in person to your county elections office during the 14 days immediately following the registration deadline to conditionally register to vote and vote a provisional ballot. If you do not conditionally register to vote, your voter registration application will still be processed and, if it is approved, you will be able to vote in future elections.
I missed the deadline to register to vote. Is there any way I can still vote in this election?
In most elections, during the period of 14 days prior to Election Day and including Election Day, an individual can go to the office of their county elections official to conditionally register to vote and vote a provisional ballot. For more information, please refer to the Same Day Voter Registration webpage at www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg.
I registered to vote a while ago but I never got a postcard confirmation from my county elections official. Am I registered?
You may check the status of your voter registration by visiting My Voter Status at www.sos.ca.gov/elections/registration-status or by contacting your county elections official.
I submitted a voter registration application through another agency, but my county elections office says I’m not registered. What can I do?
Give your county elections official any documentation you have to help establish when and where you submitted your voter registration application, such as a receipt with a tracking number or timestamp, or whether you were previously registered to vote elsewhere. County election offices are listed online at www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices.
How can I cancel my California voter registration?
If you are currently registered to vote in California and would like to cancel your voter registration, you can complete the California Voter Registration Cancellation Request Form found online at https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/pdfs/cancellation-request-form.pdf and submit it to your county elections office. If you have any questions, you can contact your county elections office or the Secretary of State’s Voter Hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683).
