Voting is one of the most important rights we hold as an American citizen. It gives us the power to make our voices heard and influence our democracy. But according to U.S. Census data from 2020, as many as 1 in 4 eligible Americans are not registered to vote. Every year, millions of Americans fail to vote because they either miss a registration deadline, don’t update their registration, or aren’t sure how to register. Consider the below information your Voting 101 tips and tools.

Voting isn’t just about picking our nation’s leader; there are a number of local and state issues to consider. Election Day 2024 is Tuesday, November 5. Use these tips to make sure you’re prepared to vote and knowledgeable about the issues.

Who Can Vote

To register to vote in California, you must be:

• A United States citizen and a resident of California (for information on voters in the military or overseas, please see Military and Overseas Voters),
• 18 years old or older on Election Day,
• Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony (for more information, please see Voting Rights Restored: Persons with a Prior Felony Conviction), and
• Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court (for more information, please see Voting Rights: Persons Subject to Conservatorship).

How to Vote

Register to vote by filing with the County Elections Office. Registration is easy and can be completed online (click here). Voters must register 15 days before the election (October 21), otherwise they will have to complete a same day registration form at a voting location. When you register to vote, you are asked to fill in your driver license number, California identification number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you are a first-time voter in a federal election and do not include this information when you register, send a photocopy of some personal identification to your county elections office before the election.

If you’re already registered, check your registration status to ensure your address and name are correct (click here).

Where to Vote

Polling locations will be open on Election Day, which is Tuesday, November 5. Dodgers Stadium is a unique voting location for Los Angeles County voters. Find your nearest polling place by clicking here. Check the hours and plan ahead.

Vote by mail is a good option for those who want to vote early and skip the lines at polling locations. Complete the ballot, seal and sign it, then be sure to drop it off in a ballot collection box or have it postmarked by Election Day to be counted. Vote-by-mail ballots that are mailed must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by your county elections office no later than 7 days after Election Day. 

If you are not sure your vote-by-mail ballot will arrive in time if mailed, bring it to any polling place in the state between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. If you do not have internet access, you can find your assigned polling location by calling (800) 881-VOTE (8683).

Once you’ve submitted your ballot, you can track its status using WheresMyBallot. It will show when the ballot was mailed, received and counted.

And did you know that California employers are required to provide paid leave for voting in nationwide elections. Check with your employer for more information.

Know What’s on the Ballot

There are many different candidates running for local, state and federal office. Learn more about who is on the ballot and determine if they share your values and priorities.

Propositions are statewide measures that have qualified for the ballot. Read more about each by clicking the links next to the descriptions below.

Proposition 2	Issue $10 billion in bonds to fund construction and modernization of public education facilities
Proposition 32	Increase the state’s minimum wage to $18 per hour
Proposition 33	Repeals Costa Hawkins Rental Housing Act
Proposition 34	Requires health care providers to spend 98% of revenues from federal discount prescription drug program on direct patient care
Proposition 35	Permanently authorizes a tax on managed care organizations to fund Medi-Cal programs
Proposition 36	Increase penalties for certain drug crimes and theft convictions and allow a new class of crime to be called treatment-mandated felony
Proposition 3	Repeal Proposition 8 and establish a right to marry
Proposition 4	Issue $10 billion in bonds to fund state and local parks, environmental protection projects, water infrastructure projects, energy projects, and flood protection projects
Proposition 5	Lower the vote threshold from 66.67% to 55% for local bond measures to fund housing projects and public infrastructure
Proposition 6	Remove involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime from the state constitution