California Absentee Voter Guide

Military and overseas voters should check out the Overseas Vote Foundation.  Long Distance Voter's forms and deadlines should only be used by voters with US mailing addresses.

Mail-in Deadlines

General Election: Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Voter Registration

In order to register to vote in California, you must

• be a citizen of the United States
• be a resident of California
• be at least 18 years of age as of the day of the next election;
• not be in state prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony; and
• not be deemed by an appropriate court to be mentally incompetent

How to register to vote:

• Recommended: Use our Voter Registration Widget.  Enter your information, print and sign the completed form, and mail it to the address printed on the form.  For faster processing, mail the form directly to your County Elections Official. 
• If you'd prefer, you can use the California's voter registration form.  Mail the completed form to your County Elections Official.

ID requirements for first-time voters:

If you are a first-time California voter, and you register by mail, and you do not have a California driver's license number or state ID number, you'll need to include a copy of your ID with your form.  If you don't, you'll need to provide ID the first time you vote in person or by absentee ballot.  Acceptable forms of ID include a current and valid photo identification OR a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, or other government document that shows your name and address.

Note: military voters, overseas voters, and elderly or handicapped voters are exempt from these requirements.

Voter registration verification:

You should receive written confirmation that your voter registration was processed in 2-3 weeks.  Don't panic if you never receive your voter registration card: you don't actually need it to vote.  If you not sure if your registration was processed - or if you can't remember if you're registered to vote - you can verify your voter registration here.

Absentee Voting (aka Vote-By-Mail Voting)

Good news! Any registered voter may vote by absentee ballot in California.

How to apply for your absentee ballot:

You can request your vote-by-mail ballot by printing and completing the California Vote-By-Mail Application (for general and special elections).  You can ignore section 7 (the "provided by..." section) - we downloaded the form directly from the Secretary of State's website, so Long Distance Voter isn't technically providing the form to you.  Mail, fax, or hand-deliver your completed application to your  County Elections Official.  Once they process it, they'll mail your ballot to you. 

You can also request an absentee ballot by submitting a written request to your County Elections Official.  The request must contain (1) your name and residence address as stated on your registration card, (2) the address to which the vote-by-mail ballot should be sent - if different than your registered address (3) the name and date of the election in which the you would like to vote by mail and (4) the date and your signature.

Election officials start mailing the ballots 29 days before the election. You can apply before then, but the election officials will hold your application until the 29th day before the election.  Election officials cannot accept any applications received in the mail less than seven days before the election. 

If you omit any of the required information from your vote-by-mail ballot application, the elections official will send you a ballot, but will also include a notice that the missing information must be provided in order for the ballot to be counted.

ID requirements for absentee voters:

You do not need to provide ID if you've already voted in California at least once. If you are a first-time California voter and you registered to vote by mail and you did not include identifying information with your voter registration form (such as your driver's license number, your state ID number, or a copy of your ID), then you then you must submit a copy of one of the following documents with your absentee ballot application: a current and valid photo identification that shows your name OR a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and California address.

Emergency absentee ballots:

The deadline for a regular absentee ballot is 7 days before the election.  During the 6 days before the election you may go to the office of your County Elections Official, apply for and vote an emergency absentee ballot at that office.  If you can't go yourself, you can designate someone else to go for you.  You'll need to designate a representative in writing, so call your County Elections Official and ask them what information you need to put on your letter.

Permanent absentee voter status:

California is one of the few states in the nation that offers permanent absentee status to all voters. You can use the California absentee ballot application to sign up for the permanent by-mail voter list. California will then mail you an absentee ballot for every eligible election.  This is a great way to make sure you never miss another election. 

You can also contact your County Elections Official for more information on permanent absentee voter status.

You will retain permanent absentee voter status as long as you vote in all statewide primary and general elections. If you fail to cast a ballot in two consecutive statewide general elections, you will be removed from the permanent absentee voter list and will need to reapply in order to restore status.

Absentee ballot instructions:

Follow the instructions that your county elections official provides with your ballot. Failure to complete your ballot correctly could jeopardize your vote. If you have any questions, please call your County Election Official. You will receive all the supplies necessary for the use and return of the ballot.

You must sign the return envelope. The elections official will compare your signature to the signature on your voter registration card to make sure that someone else isn't trying to vote your ballot for you.  Once your signature has been verified, the ballot is separated from the envelope and the ballot becomes as anonymous and secret as any other ballot.

Absentee ballots must be received by the elections official no later than the close of polls (8:00 pm) on Election Day. You can return your absentee ballot by mail or in person to your County Election Official.  You can also return your ballot to any polling place in your county or by 8pm on Election Day. 

If you are ill, or have a physical disability, you may designate a spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister or a person residing in the same household as the vote-by-mail-voter to return your voted ballot for you. Your designated person may return your voted ballot in person to the election office, or they can bring it to a polling place in your county, or they can mail it to your County Elections Official. Contact your County Elections Official if you have any further questions.   

Can you change your mind and vote in person:

YES. You must bring your non-voted vote-by-mail ballot and give it to the polling place worker before voting a regular ballot.

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