Registering to Vote

Who May Register to Vote

You may register to vote if you meet the following criteria:
- You are a United States citizen
- You are a resident of California
- You are at least 18 years of age (or will be by the date of the next election)
- You have not been judged by a court to be mentally incompetent to register and vote

When to Re-Register to Vote
You will need to re-register to vote when:
- You move
- You change your name
- You change your political party affiliation
Additional Assistance

For additional assistance with voter registration, please contact the Secretary of State's office at any of the following toll-free numbers:
- English: 1-800-345-VOTE
- Spanish: 1-800-232-VOTA
- Chinese: 1-800-339-2857
- Vietnamese: 1-800-339-8163
- Japanese: 1-800-339-2865
- Tagalog: 1-800-339-2957
- Korean: 1-800-575-1558

The Deadline to Register to Vote

In California, the deadline to register to vote for an election is 15 days before each local and statewide election day, so please register now so you do not miss the chance to voter in your next election! The next state-wide election is the Presidential Primary on February 5, 2008. The deadline to register for the February 5, 2008 election is January 22, 2008. Check your county's election website to find out more about elections in your area. It is important that the completed voter registration form has a 15-day deadline postmark on it.

California Registration Deadlines

In order to be eligible to vote in the statewide election on:	Your registration must be postmarked no later than:
February 5, 2008 - Presidential Primary	January 22, 2008*
June 3, 2008 - Direct Primary	May 19, 2008
November 4, 2008 - General Election	October 20, 2008

*Asteriked date indicates that the deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday; in most cases, the deadline will move forward to the next business day.

Click here for more information on California's 15-day close of registration

Acquiring and Completing a Voter Registration Form

You can acquire a voter registration form either at your local county elections office, library, or U.S. Post Office, or download the form from various websites. To complete on-line voter registration or download a registration form, go to: http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_vr.htm. Once you have a completed form, it must be signed and mailed directly to your county registrar of voters.

Overseas Voting:

Overseas American citizens, State Department employees, and active duty uniformed service members and their accompanying families within and outside of the United States can register to vote at the Overseas Vote Foundation web site. For more information on overseas and military absentee voting in California click here.