Vote by Mail

In California, all active registered voters are mailed a ballot before each election.

• Mail ballots for the November 3, 2026, General Election are delivered to the U.S. Postal Service on October 5, 2026.

If you lose, damage, or mismark your ballot, you may request a replacement ballot by:

• Submitting a Replacement Mail Ballot Application [pdf]
  • This application may be returned in person, by mail, by fax or by email.
  • Official ballots may be picked up beginning Monday, October 5.
• Visiting the Registrar of Voters office, October 5 through November 3
  • Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Visiting an Early Voting Location
• Authorizing another person to pick-up your mail ballot with an Application to Provide Vote-By-Mail Ballot to an Authorized Representative [pdf]
  • Official ballots may be picked up beginning Monday, October 5.

Mail Ballots delivered to the U.S. Postal Service:

• October 5 for the November 3, 2026, General Election

Voters with disabilities may vote independently, using their computer, to mark an accessible ballot.

• Vote on an accessible ballot for the November 3, 2026, General Election.

Request a translated sample ballot to be mailed to you for the November 3, 2026, General Election:

• 申請中文翻譯樣本選票
• ह िंदी में अनुवाहदत सैंपल बैलट का अनुरोध
• Permintaan Terjemahan Sampel Surat Suara dalam Bahasa Indonesia
• សំណ ើស ំសន្លឹកណនោតគំរូបកប្របជាភាសាប្មែរ
• 한국어로 번역된 견본 투표용지 요청서
• ຄໍາຮ້ອງຂໍຕົວຢ່າງບັດລົງຄະແນນສຽງທ ່ແປເປັນພາສາລາວ
• Permohonan Undian Sampel Terjemahan dalam Bahasa Melayu
• नेपालीमा अनुवादित नमूना मतपत्रको लागि अनुरोध
• Kahilingan para sa Isinalin na Halimbawang Balota sa Tagalog
• คำขอรับบัตรลงคะแนนตัวอย่ำงฉบับแปลเป็นภำษำไทย
• Yêu Cầu Mẫu Lá Phiếu Đã Dịch bằng Tiếng Việ

View a translated sample ballot with all contests for the November 3, 2026, General Election:

• 為幫助選民使用官方選票進行投票，這份說明包含中文版的選票樣本。
• आधिकारिक मतपत्र पर मतदान करने में मतदाताओं की सहायता के लिए, इस गाइड में हिंदी में अनुवादित नमूना मतपत्र पृष्ठ शामिल हैं।
• Untuk membantu pemilih dalam memilih Surat Suara Resmi, panduan ini berisi contoh halaman surat suara yang diterjemahkan ke dalam Bahasa Indonesia.
• ដើម្បីជួយអ្នកបោះឆ្នោតក្នុងការបោះឆ្នោតលើសន្លឹកឆ្នោតផ្លូវការ មគ្គុទ្ទេសក៍នេះមានទំព័រគំរូ  សន្លឹកឆ្នោតដែលបានបកប្រែជាភាសាខ្មែរ។
• 유권자가 공식 투표 용지로 투표하는 것을 돕기 위해 본 안내서에는 한국어로 번역된 샘플 투표 용지 페이지가 포함되어 있습니다.
• ເພື່ອຊ່ວຍເຫຼືອໃຫ້ຜູ້ມີສິດເລືອກຕັ້ງສາມາດລົງຄະແນນສຽງຢ່າງເປັນທາງການໄດ້ ຄູ່ມືນີ້ຈຶ່ງມີຕົວຢ່າງໜ້າບັດເລືອກຕັ້ງທີ່ແປເປັນພາສາລາວໃຫ້ໄວ້ເຊັ່ນກັນ.
• Untuk membantu pengundi dalam mengundi melalui Undi Rasmi, panduan ini mengandungi contoh muka surat undi yang diterjemahkan ke dalam bahasa Melayu.
• आधिकारिक मतपत्रमा मतदान गर्न मतदाताहरूलाई सहयोग गर्न, यस निर्देशिकामा नेपालीमा अनुवाद गरिएका नमूना मतपत्र पृष्ठहरू समावेश छन्।
• Para matulungan ang mga botante sa pagboto sa Opisyal na Balota, naglalaman ang gabay na ito ng mga pahina ng sample na balota na nakasalin sa Tagalog.
• เพื่อช่วยเหลือผู้ลงคะแนนในการลงคะแนนเสียงบัตรเลือกตั้งของทางการ คู่มือนี้มีตัวอย่างหน้าบัตรลงคะแนนที่แปล เป็นภาษาไทย
• Để hỗ trợ các cử tri trong việc bầu Lá Phiếu Chính Thức, hướng dẫn này bao gồm các trang lá phiếu mẫu được dịch sang tiếng Việt.

Return a voted mail ballot for the November 3, 2026, General Election:

• At a Ballot Drop Box Location
  • View the list of Ballot Drop Box Locations [pdf]
  • View a map of Ballot Drop Box Locations
  • Ballots must be delivered no later than 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2026
• By mail via the U.S. Postal Service
  • No postage required
  • Ballots must be postmarked on or before Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and received by the Registrar of Voters within seven days following the election.
    • Voters that mail their ballot on or close to Election Day, should go inside any U.S. Post Office and request a manual postmark to ensure their ballot is dated on time.
• Drop off at an Early Voting Location
• Drop off at any Polling Place [pdf] on Election Day

Check the status of your voted Mail Ballot using the Mail Ballot Status option in the My Elections Gateway online application.

Sign up for Where’s My Ballot? to receive email, text, or voice call notifications to track your ballot.

When the Registrar of Voters receives a voted mail ballot or provisional ballot without the voter’s signature on the identification envelope or is unable to compare the voter’s signature on the return envelope with the signature on file in the voter’s record, the Registrar of Voters is unable to count that ballot. However, California law allows voters another chance to correct their mail ballot or provisional ballot up until November 25, 2026. These voters are notified by mail that they may:

• Go to the Registrar of Voters in person to sign the mail ballot or provisional ballot identification envelope or sign the Signature Verification and Unsigned Identification Envelope Statement;
• Complete and return a Signature Verification and Unsigned Identification Envelope Statement; or
• Fix the ballot identification envelope online.

If you received a letter from the Registrar of Voters stating that your mail ballot or provisional ballot return envelope was not signed or your signature did not compare with your signature on file, complete and return a Signature Verification and Unsigned Identification Envelope Statement immediately.

For mail ballots:

• Signature Verification and Unsigned Identification Envelope Statement – 2026 General Election [pdf]

For provisional ballots:

• Signature Verification and Unsigned Identification Envelope Statement – 2026 General Election [available soon]