Golden State Today

California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., is urging Californians to take advantage of early voting options for the upcoming General Election. In a statement, she highlighted the convenience of early voting, stating: “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?”

Weber outlined a simple five-step process for returning vote-by-mail ballots: complete the ballot, seal it in the return envelope, sign the envelope with a matching signature from their driver's license or voter registration, and then return it via mail, drop box, or in person at designated locations.

Voters can utilize secure drop boxes across California from October 8 through November 5 at 8:00 p.m. Alternatively, they can mail their ballots without needing postage as long as they are postmarked by November 5. In-person drop-offs can be made until 8:00 p.m. on November 5 at any polling place or vote center.

To track their ballots' status, voters are encouraged to sign up for updates at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov.

The deadline to register to vote online is October 21, but those who miss this deadline can still participate through same-day voter registration at local county elections offices or in-person voting locations.

Secretary Weber reminded voters that they will receive two information guides detailing candidates and measures on the ballot. Voter information hotlines are available in multiple languages for any questions regarding the process.

Important dates include October 21 as the last day to register online and November 12 as the final date for mailed ballots to be received if postmarked by Election Day.