Too Late To Register To Vote?

As well Tardily to Annals to Vote? And Other Final-Minute Voting Questions, Answered

Oct xxx, 2020

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Ophelia Williams and her blood brother Leopold Parker practise a final bank check of their mail-in ballots before turning them in at the San Francisco Voting Center virtually City Hall on Oct. 30, 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Aye, Nov. 3 is Election Twenty-four hours, and information technology'southward here. But it'south more than authentic to think of this day as your final risk to vote.

If you haven't nonetheless submitted your election, or are hoping to vote in person, hither's what to know right at present. Is it too late to register to vote? What if you've made a fault on your ballot? Where can yous find your voting location?

And if you've already voted and don't need these tips, why not pass them on to someone you know?

'Is information technology as well belatedly to register to vote?'

If you lot aren't registered to vote in California, yous won't take been sent a election — but that doesn't stop you from being able to vote before or on Ballot Day.

Y'all tin can register via what'southward called Same Day Voter Registration (also known as conditional voter registration.) If you're doing this on Ballot Twenty-four hour period itself, you tin annals and vote at the same time at your polling place — detect your voting location here.

'I got a ballot merely I want to vote in person'

Y'all take several options. In-person voting became bachelor on Oct. 5 at every canton registrar's role in the Bay Area, and way more early voting locations opened across the Bay Area on Oct. 31 (or Oct. xxx in Contra Costa County) until Election Day. Discover where to vote early in your county.Bring your face roofing and be prepared to maintain social distancing.

If you live in Alameda, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara or Sonoma counties, you have the near choice — because you lot can utilize any voting location in your county. If you're non in i of those counties, you'll still have to use the polling place you've been assigned (it'll be listed on your election.)

Retrieve: Bring the ballot you lot were mailed along with you when yous go to vote in person. (Why? People who opt to vote by postalways accept to bring their ballot with them if they make up one's mind to vote in person, as proof they didn't already mail information technology and aren't therefore voting twice. And this yr, because all registered voters in California got a ballot in the mail, they all became postal service-in voters past default. Some counties can do a alive cheque to see if your mailed ballot has already been cast, but better to exist rubber and bring in your blank ballot.)

If you forget your ballot, or didn't receive one, yous can still vote in person, but you may be required to vote provisionally (a vote that's subject to actress checks, i.e., that you're really registered to vote in California, or that you lot didn't already complete and post your ballot.) This extra layer of confirmation takes time and therefore means your vote might not be counted on Election Day — although information technology'll eventually exist counted.

'I filled out my ballot simply haven't submitted information technology yet'

If you haven't submitted your ballot all the same, at this stage it'due south recommended y'all submit information technology by manus at a drop box specifically for vote-by-post ballots, rather than using a U.S. Mail drove box. You can as well return your ballot in person to your county election office, whatever voting site or a drive-through ballot drop-off location upwards to Election Twenty-four hours at eight p.g. Detect your nearest drop box.

Youcould still mail your completed election via the USPS at any collection box — the envelope doesn't crave a stamp, and it'll be counted equally long as information technology'south postmarked by Election Day (i.east., it makes the last postal collection on Election 24-hour interval.) But because the U.s. Postal Service is recommending mailing your ballot no less than 1 week before Ballot Day, and that date has now passed, using a drop box or another in-person method is now the best way to really ensure your ballot reaches your county elections office in time to exist counted.

We've had a lot of people asking us if you can drop off your ballot in a drop box that isn't in your county if that'due south more convenient to you. Yes, you can! California election officials say they accept eight days afterward receipt to forward the ballot to your actual county to be processed. (This will, of grade, requite your ballot another journeying to make and will mean it doesn't get to your ain county'southward ballot officials as fast every bit information technology could — which may affect your decision.)

Election worker John Ferdon transfers a post-in ballot from a vehicle to a drop-box at a drive-up voting station outside of City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

'I made a mistake on my ballot and don't know what to do at present'

Don't panic. Nosotros have two explainers on the common errors that initially become ballots rejected in California, so accept a look to meet if the mistake you believe yous've made is covered:

How to Make Sure Your Mail-In Ballot Isn't Rejected in California
I Made a Error on my Ballot. How Do I Prepare It?

Remember: Even if you do submit a ballot and at that place's an upshot with it, there'south a whole arrangement in identify to then help you correct your mistake. For example, if your canton'south election part detects a signature mismatch on your ballot envelope, they'll reach dorsum out to you via mail to verify and work with you lot to correct it, and then that your ballot can be counted later on all. A mistake on a submitted ballot doesn't mean that ballot is rejected outright: It's the start of a procedure between you and ballot officials to resolve that issue and get your vote counted.

And you should know this: If you're seriously concerned about a mistake on your ballot, you tin can take your ballot to your county elections function, tell them it's spoiled, and vote right there at the counter. Yous can also take information technology to an early on voting site in your county (find locations here) and practice the same. Or you could even go to a voting site on Election Twenty-four hours, turn in your spoiled election at that place and get a new ballot so — although that would exist your last possible chance to practise so. Messing up your unsent election does non hateful you lot've messed up your hazard to vote.

'I'thou registered to vote merely never got my ballot'

Ballot were sent out in California by Oct. 5, and then if you're registered to vote, yous should take received it a while back. Offset, check to encounter if you're registered at the right accost. This is a common reason folks don't receive their ballots.

Your county election part won't mail y'all a ballot inside six days of Election Twenty-four hour period because it can't be sure it'll attain you in time. So if you're trying to get a election in the firsthand run-upwardly to Nov. three, go to your county elections function in person as soon as possible and request i at the counter. If the issue was an wrong address, any ballot previously issued for y'all would be canceled in this instance.