8 Things Streetsbloggers Who Haven’t Voted Yet Should Know Before November 3

1. Know the key dates

October 24

Early in-person voting begins in Voter’s Choice Act counties.

Some counties offer in-person voting earlier. Check your county’s schedule or visit the California Secretary of State’s voting website.

October 31

In-person voting expands statewide. If your county hadn’t already started, today’s the day.

November 3

Election Day

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can also drop off a completed ballot by 8 p.m. or mail it with an Election Day postmark.

Personally, given the shenanigans that are going on at the federal level, Streetsblog recommends avoiding the post office and voting in-person or at a ballot dropoff. Don’t know how to find a dropoff? Check your county’s schedule or visit the California Secretary of State’s voting website.

November 10

Deadline for mailed ballots to arrive.

A ballot postmarked on or before November 3 must be received by county election officials no later than seven days after Election Day. Remember, just because a ballot is put in the mail on November 3, does not mean it will be postmarked that day given changes in rules by the Trump Administration. Streetsblog made this video last year explaining the issue. It includes a map telling you what areas you can put your ballot in the mail on election day and have it postmarked correctly.

When in doubt, use a drop box. Again: check your county’s schedule or visit the California Secretary of State’s voting website to find a drop box near you.

2. If you haven’t registered, you can still vote

The regular registration deadline was October 19, but eligible Californians can use same-day voter registration, also called conditional voter registration, through Election Day.

Go to your county elections office or an eligible in-person voting location in your county.
Register or update your registration there.
Cast a provisional ballot. Election officials will verify your eligibility before counting it.

You can check your registration status at My Voter Status. You can find information on how to register at, you guessed it, the California Secretary of State’s voting website.

3. Fill out the ballot and envelope correctly

A completed ballot can run into problems if the return envelope is not completed properly.

Sign the return envelope where indicated. Your signature is compared with the signature on your voter registration record.
Follow the envelope instructions, including any required information.
Keep the ballot itself secret. Your ballot is separated from the envelope before it is counted.
If you make a mistake marking your ballot, contact your county elections office about getting a replacement. Do not assume you need to start over with a new registration.

If officials find a missing or mismatched signature, you may be able to correct it. Watch for notices from your county elections office and respond promptly.

California disqualified over 150,000 mail-in and dropboxed ballots in the spring. Don’t let yours be one of them.

4. Track your ballot after returning it

Don’t assume your job is finished just because you dropped your ballot in a box or mailed it.

Get email, text or phone notifications about ballot delivery, receipt, acceptance and potential problems. Once the ballot is received, you’re still not done. Use the state’s voter-status system to check whether your ballot was counted.

If your ballot is rejected or requires a signature correction, follow the instructions from your county elections office. Tracking helps you identify a problem while there is still time to address it.

5. What if your ballot never arrived, or you lost it?

You still have options.

Contact your county elections office to request a replacement ballot.
Visit an in-person voting location to get help.
If you have a mail ballot but want to vote in person, bring it with you if possible. If you cannot surrender it, tell the election worker. You may be asked to vote provisionally while officials verify that you have not already voted.

Don’t cast a second ballot expecting both to count. Election officials check for duplicate voting.

6. Know your rights if something goes wrong

Is your name isn’t on the voter list? Ask an election worker about a provisional ballot or same-day registration.
Have you moved? If you moved within California, ask your county elections office how to update your registration and vote at your current address.
Do you need disability accommodations? Contact your county elections office about accessible voting equipment and other assistance.
Do you need language assistance? Ask about translated materials and assistance in your preferred language.
Are you unsure what to do? Call the California Secretary of State’s voter hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683) or visit the California Secretary of State’s voting website.

A provisional ballot is not automatically rejected. Election officials verify eligibility and count the ballot if the requirements are met. You have the right to find out whether it was counted and, if not, why.

7. You don’t have to vote on every race or measure

If there are candidates or ballot measures you don’t feel prepared to decide, you can leave those selections blank. Your other valid votes can still be counted.

Review the official voter guide and your local ballot before voting if you can, especially if your ballot includes city, county, school board or special district contests.

That Being Said…

8. Here are Streetsblog endorsements

As mentioned at the start, Streetsblog can’t endorse candidates for office, but Streetsblog can endorse ballot measures if they are related to our mission. Here are the endorsements that Streetsblog has made in this election.