Still Need to Register to Vote in California? It's Not Too Late

Monday, Oct. 21, was your last chance to register to vote online in California.

But don’t panic: this was the online deadline, not the absolute deadline. And if you missed it, you still have several in-person options that will allow you to register to vote and cast your ballot before polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5.

• Jump straight to: If I miss the Oct. 21 deadline to register to vote, what do I do?

Remember, it’s not just first-time voters who need to register to vote — and there are several reasons that folks who are already registered to vote might need to update their registration.

Keep reading for everything you need to know about registering —or re-registering — to vote in person in California. And if you’ve already registered to vote and maybe even submitted your ballot already, send this PSA to someone you know who might appreciate the heads-up.

How to register to vote in person if you missed the Oct. 21 online deadline

If you weren’t able to register to vote online at registertovote.ca.gov by midnight on Monday, you can register to vote in person right up until when polls close on 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5, through Same Day Registration (also called “conditional registration.”)

You can register to vote in person at your county elections office during business hours, which is now open for early voting.

You can also ask for Same Day Registration at an open voting location near you when many early voting locations open around the Bay Area on Oct. 26. Read more about how to find your closest voting location.

Who needs to register in person after Oct. 21?

Register to vote if: you’re a first-time voter

You can register to vote if you’re:

• A United States citizen and a resident of California
• 18 years old or older on Election Day

People who are currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony cannot vote or register to vote, but many other people who are currently involved with the justice system can still vote. Read our guide to your voting rights if you’re currently or formerly incarcerated.

If you’re unhoused or have no fixed address, you can still register to vote by describing where you spend most of your time if you don’t have a street address, including cross streets.

• Jump straight to: What to do if you missed the Oct. 21 deadline to register to vote online

Who needs to re-register to vote in person after Oct. 21?

Updating your registration is also known as “re-registering” to vote because to update elements of your voter record you’ll need to register to vote again as if you were making a new application.

Because your voter registration is tied to your social security number and your driver’s license or state ID card number, your new voter registration will be matched with your existing voter registration and your details will be updated that way. (The state won’t think you’re fraudulently trying to register to vote twice, in other words.)

Re-register if: your ballot was sent to your old address

You can use both voterstatus.sos.ca.gov and the state’s Where’s My Ballot? Tool to check whether your ballot has been sent out, and to which address. You can also double-check your voter registration status itself at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.

If you find your ballot has been sent to your old address, first off, don’t feel bad. People move all the time and forget to update their registrations accordingly.

You’ll now need to update your voter registration with your new address by re-registering in person through Same Day Registration. Your county will cancel the ballot that went to your old address and send you a new one.

Re-register if: your ballot arrived but with your ‘old name’ on it

If you’ve legally changed your name since you last voted in California, you’ll need to re-register to vote with your current (new) name.

You can update your voter registration with your new name (and signature) by re-registering in person through Same Day Registration, and your county will cancel the ballot that was sent out under your previous name and send you a new one.

And if you’re registered correctly but your ballot still hasn’t shown up yet…

Oct. 7 was the deadline for Bay Area counties to start mailing out ballots. And if your ballot hasn’t shown up yet this relatively close to Election Day, it’s probably time to check up on it.

You can use both voterstatus.sos.ca.gov and the state’s Where’s My Ballot? Tool to check whether your ballot has been sent out, and to which address. You can also double-check your voter registration status itself at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.

If your voter registration shows as active, and your address and name are all up-to-date, but your ballot still doesn’t show up soon, you can call your county elections office to ask them to cancel that ballot and send you a fresh one. Read more about what to do if your ballot doesn’t show up.

How can I contact my county directly about voting?

Across the Bay Area, elections officials are encouraging voters to reach out — early — with any questions or concerns. Here’s the contact information for your county:

• Alameda: For information about voting by mail, registration and polling place lookup, call 510-267-8683
• Contra Costa: Call 925-335-7800 or email voter.services@vote.cccounty.us
• Marin: Call 415-473-6456 or go to the Marin County elections webpage to send a form email
• Napa: Call 707-253-4321 or email the elections office at elections@countyofnapa.org
• San Francisco: Call 415-554-4375 or email sfvote@sfgov.org
• San Mateo: Call 888-762-8683 or email registrar@smcacre.org
• Santa Clara: Call toll-free at 866-430-VOTE (8683)​ or email registrar@rov.sccgov.org
• Solano: Call 707-784-6675 or 888-933-VOTE (8683). You can also email elections@solanocounty.com
• Sonoma: Call 707-565-6800 or toll-free at 800-750-8683

The state also has a full list of every county elections office in California.

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This story was originally published on Oct. 21