Frequently Asked Questions for the November 5, 2024, General Election

About Election Results

When will the election results be posted?

On Election Night, the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters releases unofficial results of ballots received from polling places and mail ballots received prior to Election Day.

These results are cumulative, and updates are released throughout the night. The first results will be posted by 8:30 p.m. on Election Night.

Election Night ballot counting continues until all regular ballots cast at polling places have been counted. Though ballot counting may be completed for the night, the Registrar of Voters will continue to process and count additional ballots in the weeks following the election.

What happens after Election Day?

The canvass for the 2024 General Election begins the day after Election Day on November 6, and the results will be certified by the Registrar of Voters on December 3, 2024.

When will the election results in California be “certified?”

The Registrar of Voters must certify election results on December 3. The California Secretary of State is required to certify election results no later than December 13.

About Mail Ballots

When will mail ballots be sent out?

Pursuant to California Elections Code section 3000.5, every active registered voter in the county will be mailed a ballot. Mail ballots will be delivered to the United States Postal Service beginning October 7.

How can I get a replacement ballot if I do not receive a ballot in the mail?

If you do not receive a mail ballot, you can request a replacement ballot by mail or in person at the Registrar of Voters, an Early Vote site or a polling place using a Replacement Mail Ballot Application [pdf]. Alternatively, you may authorize another person to pick-up your mail ballot at the Registrar of Voters or an Early Vote site with an Application to Provide Vote-By-Mail Ballot to an Authorized Representative [pdf]

Note: If you request a replacement ballot, the Registrar of Voters will suspend the mail ballot you did not receive so someone else cannot use it to vote.

When do I need to return my completed mail-in ballot?

For your mail ballot to be counted, your ballot must be:

Postmarked no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 5, 2024;
Dropped-off at any polling place by 8 p.m. on Election Day;
Delivered to the Registrar of Voters by 8 p.m. on Election Day; or
Deposited into a mail ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Where can I track the status of my ballot?

You can track when your ballot is mailed, received, and accepted for counting through the Secretary of State’s Where’s My Ballot tracking system. You can sign up to receive notifications about the status of your mail ballot via email, text message, and/or telephone call. Sign up at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov.

Where can I check on the status of my ballot if I did not sign up for Where’s My Ballot?

Yes, you may use one of the following two websites to look up the status of your ballot:

My Voter Status on the Secretary of State’s website allows you to look up the status of your ballot. This service provides similar messages to the notifications sent by California BallotTrax from “ballot mailed” to “accepted” or “rejected.”
My Elections Gateway on the Registrar of Voters’ website allows you to look up the status of your ballot if you voted by mail.
- If you have cast a mail ballot, the status of your ballot will remain “received” until we certify the election results (on or before December 8). After certification, your mail ballot status will update to “counted” or “not counted.”
- If you voted at a polling place, your voting history will not be immediately available on My Elections Gateway. You will be able to view your voting history after the election results are certified to see that you voted in this election.

I received a notification that the Registrar of Voters was having trouble processing my ballot. What can I do to make sure my ballot is counted?

If you receive this message, you will have an opportunity to resolve the issue with your mail ballot up until two days before the Registrar of Voters certifies the results of the election.

The most common mail ballot issues are:

Voter did not sign the mail ballot return envelope
Signature on the mail ballot return envelope does not compare to the signature in the voter’s registration record
First-time voter did not provide sufficient identification information when registering to vote and must provide ID when voting the first time

Voters may return an Unsigned Ballot Statement, Signature Verification Statement, or a copy of their ID by dropping a copy off at the Registrar of Voters office, by mail, by fax, or by emailing a photographed or scanned copy of the statement or ID.

About Voting

Who can vote in this election?

Any registered voter in California may vote in the general election. If you are registered to vote in San Bernardino County, you can check your voter registration status at My Elections Gateway on the Registrar of Voters website or visit VoterStatus.sos.ca.gov.

What offices are up for election? Who are the candidates?

View the List of Offices Up for Election
View the Unofficial List of Candidates

For the General Election, what will appear on the ballot for us to vote on?

On the ballot, voters will see three different types of offices: Party-Nominated Offices, Voter-Nominated Offices and Nonpartisan Offices. Your ballot will include candidates for U.S. President, U.S. Senate, U.S. Representative in Congress, State Senate, State Assembly, as well as County, School District, City and Special District offices.

For more information, view the List of Offices Up for Election and Unofficial List of Candidates.

Why are there two U.S. Senate races?

There are two contests for U.S. Senate on the ballot. You may vote for one candidate in each contest.

The first contest is the regular election for the full 6-year term ending January 3, 2031.
The second contest is a special vacancy election (the current officeholder is temporarily filling a vacancy) for the remainder of the current term ending January 3, 2025.

Because these are two separate terms of office, you will see the same candidates running in both contests.

Will candidates’ political party preference be listed on the ballot?

For party-nominated offices, the candidates political party preference is listed on the ballot.

Political party preferences are not included for nonpartisan offices, such as County offices, School District offices, City offices and Special District offices.

How do I cast a vote?

You have four ways to cast a voted ballot this election.

The back cover of your Voter Information Guide will list your assigned polling place. Please note that you may have a new assigned polling place.

In addition to voting by mail or at a mail ballot drop-box location, the Registrar of Voters office opened for early voting on Monday, October 7.

Early voting at additional locations will be available:

Tuesday, October 29 through Saturday, November 2, and
Monday, November 5.

Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5. Voters are encouraged to vote before Election Day as polling places may have significant lines on November 5.

About Election Technology

What technology will voters use to cast their votes?

At polling places, voters will be able to mark their choices on a paper ballot. Voters who cannot mark a paper ballot without assistance may use an accessible ballot-marking device that will print the voter’s ballot after the voter makes their choices.