Student Voter Information (FAQs)

1. To register to vote in California, you must be:
   • A United States citizen and a resident of California
   • 18 years old or older on Election Day
   • Not currently in a state or federal prison for the conviction of a felony
   • Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court

1. You can register online at RegisterToVote.ca.gov/?t=s. To register online, you will need
   the following information:
   • California driver’s license or California identification card number
   • Last four digits of your social security number
   • Date of birth
   • Visit RegisterToVote.ca.gov/?t=sto register or update your information
   • Note: If you do not have a driver’s license or identification card, you can still register. You will need to verify your identity when voting for the first time
   
   To register by paper:
   • Visit your county elections office or library for paper voter registrations
   • Visit sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices to find the contact information for your county elections official
   • Note: It is important that your voter registration application be filled out completely and be postmarked or hand-delivered to your county elections office at least 15 days before the election

1. • You can register to vote with your permanent home address or your campus address
   • You may not register to vote in two places during the same election cycle
   • A vote-by-mail ballot and Voter Information Guide will be mailed to the address you used to register

1. • You may choose to register to vote using your home-away-from-home address you use while at school or your traditional home address
   • Choosing which address to use when you register to vote is a personal decision
   • You can only register in one state

1. • In most cases, a California voter is not required to show identification before casting a ballot
   • If you did not provide identification when you registered to vote, you may be asked to provide identification when you cast your ballot. Types of certified identification include:

• • Government issued photo identification card
  • Student identification card
  • A copy of a recent utility bill
  • The county voter information guide sent to you by your county elections office

1. The Voter Information Guide is available in 10 languages on the SOS website:
   • English
   • Spanish
   • Chinese
   • Hindi
   • Japanese
   • Khmer
   • Korean
   • Tagalog
   • Thai
   • Vietnamese
   
   Note: You may also request language assistance at in-person voting locations.
   Visit VoterGuide.sos.ca.gov for more information.

1. • California counties must start mailing ballots to active registered voters about 29 days before statewide election
   • Insert your completed ballot in the envelope provided, make sure you complete all required information on the envelope
   • You may return your completed ballot on or before Election Day by:

• • Mailing it to your county elections official
  • Returning it in person to any polling place within the state or the office of your county elections official
  • Dropping your ballot off at a drop-off location or into a ballot drop box within the state; or
  • Authorizing someone to return the ballot on your behalf

• Visit sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail for more information

1. Early in Person
   • Counties in California will be offering early in-person voting opportunities
   • VisitCAEarlyVoting.sos.ca.gov to find your nearest polling location
   
   Early by Mail
   • Sign and mail your ballot as soon as you complete it
   • Completed vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day
   
   Secure Drop Box
   • The secure drop box shall be clearly and visibly marked as an “Official Ballot Drop Box” that shows language stating that tampering with the drop box is a felony
   
   Election Day
   • Polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day
   • If you are in line by the closing time, then you have a right to vote

1. Sign-up at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov to track if your ballot has been mailed, received,
   counted, or if there were any issues. You can choose to receive updates by:
   • Email
   • Text message (SMS)
   • Voice call

1. Following the 2020 Census, updated information about California’s population was used
   to redraw county and electoral lines. These changes were made by the California Citizens
   Redistricting Commission. Visit www.sos.ca.gov/elections/california-redistricting for
   more information.

1. The 2024 General Election ballot will have the following contests:
   
   1. Federal
   • United States President
   • United States Senator (Full and Partial Term)
   • United States Representative
   
   2. State
   • State Senator
   • Member of the State Assembly
   
   3. Local
   • Local Candidates Check with your county for more information regarding local contests
   • Local Measures sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices