Is It Safe To Register To Vote Online

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If you are a US citizen and resident of the state of California over the age of 18, registering to vote allows you to exercise your right to vote in all national, state, and local elections. The deadline for registration is 15 days before Election Day. However, if you fail to register before the deadline, you can still vote by filing a provisional ballot.^[1]

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Visit the online voter registration site. The California Secretary of State's office maintains a website where you can complete an application and register to vote. To access this site, go to https://registertovote.ca.gov/.^[2]
- To proceed with the application in English, click the button that says "Register to Vote Now."
- If you would prefer the application in another language, you can choose from Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, or Vietnamese.
Tip: If you are 16 or 17 years old, you can also pre-register to vote online. When you turn 18, you will automatically be registered to vote.
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Choose the option that matches your citizenship and residency. Most commonly, you would choose the first option to classify yourself as a US citizen and resident of California. However, while you must be a US citizen to register to vote, you don't necessarily have to reside in California to register to vote in California.^[3]
- There are additional options if you are a service member stationed overseas, or if you are a US citizen who resides outside the US.
- When you have chosen the correct option, click the "Next" button to continue the application.
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Provide your personal information and identification number. Fill in your first and last name, email address, and phone number. Then scroll down and provide your date and place of birth. Further down, the form requires your home address.^[4]
- For identification, you can enter either your California driver's license number, your California identification card number, or the last 4 digits of your Social Security number. If you don't have a state identification card or Social Security number, check the appropriate boxes. You will be assigned an identification number by your county elections official.^[5]
- It is optional to provide your phone number and email address. If you provide your telephone number, it becomes a matter of public record. Your email address does not.^[6]
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Complete the optional sections of the form. Below the identification section, you have the option of identifying your race or ethnicity and choosing the language in which you prefer to receive any election materials. below the mailing address section, you can choose your political party preference.^[7]
- The questions regarding race or ethnicity and language preference do not require any response.
- While the political party question does require a response, you can choose "No party" to indicate that you don't want to choose a party affiliation. Keep in mind that if you don't choose a party, you may not be able to vote in primary elections.
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Use your DMV signature to sign the application. When you register online, you can use the signature on your California driver's license or identification card to sign your application. The system will search for your information in the DMV database automatically.^[8]
- If you do not have a driver's license or state identification card, or the DMV does not have your signature on file, you will have to print your completed form, sign it, and mail it to your county elections office. The address for your county elections office is available at https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices/.
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Wait for your voter registration card to arrive in the mail. Within 3 weeks after you complete your registration application, you should receive notice from the Secretary of State's office that you are a registered voter in the state of California. If you don't receive anything after 3 weeks, contact your county elections official and ask if you are registered to vote.^[9]
- Contact information for your county elections office is available at https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices/.
- You can also check your voter status online at https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/. You will need to enter your first and last name, California driver's license or identification card number, the last 4 digits of your Social Security number, and your date of birth.
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1
Pick up a paper application at a convenient location. Paper voter registration applications are available at any DMV office, your county elections office, and at many post offices, public libraries, and other government offices. You can also call the voter hotline at (800) 345-VOTE and have one mailed to you.^[10]
- To find contact information for your county elections office, go to https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices/ and scroll to find the county where you reside.
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Fill out your application using black ink. Check the boxes classifying your citizenship neatly, and print your name, date of birth, and mailing address legibly in the spaces provided. Include the number for your California driver's license or identification card, along with the last 4 digits of your Social Security number.^[11]
- If you don't have a California driver's license or identification card, or a Social Security number, leave these fields blank. Your county elections official will assign you a voter identification number.^[12]
- Sign and date your application after you've finished filling it out. You may want to make a copy for your records.
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Mail your application to your county elections office. Once you've completed your application, fold it and seal it in a regular envelope. Affix postage and place in the mail. If you don't want to mail your application, you can also take it to your county elections office in person to turn it in.^[13]
- If the address isn't listed on the application, you can find it at https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices/.
Tip: If you're close to the 15-day deadline, you may want to hand-deliver your application. However, as long as your application is postmarked before the deadline, you'll still be registered to vote.
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Receive notice that you are registered to vote. Within 3 weeks of the date you mailed your application (or hand-delivered it), you should receive notice from your county elections office that you are officially registered to vote. If you don't get this notice, you can call your county elections office and ask if your registration has been completed.^[14]
- You can also check your voting status at https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/. If you mailed in your application, allow at least a week for it to be received and processed before you use this site.
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1
Find a conditional voter registration location. If you missed the 15-day deadline, you can still register and vote during the early voting period. You must vote at an early voting location that offers conditional voter registration.^[15]
- Go to https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/ to find the location nearest you. You can search by county, or by city and zip code.
- Bring along your California driver's license or identification card if you have one.
Tip: If you live in Madera, Napa, Nevada, Sacramento, or San Mateo County, you can access conditional voter registration at any Vote Center in your county – not just early voting locations.
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Complete a voter registration card. At the early voting location, you'll be given a registration form to fill out. You must provide your full name, mailing address, date and place of birth, citizenship and residency status. There are also fields for your California driver's license or identification card number, as well as the last 4 digits of your Social Security number.^[16]
- If you don't have a California driver's license or identification card, or Social Security number, you can leave these fields blank. An election official will assign a voter identification number for you to use.
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Vote your provisional ballot. Once you've completed the voter registration card, you can also vote on a provisional ballot on the same day. Once your registration is completed, your provisional ballot will be counted.^[17]
- You don't have to re-register for the next election. Through this process, your registration becomes permanent.
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Confirm your registration status. When you are certified as a registered voter, your county elections office will mail you a notice informing you of your status. If it's been 3 weeks since you completed conditional registration and you still haven't received a notice, call your county elections office and ask if you're a registered voter.^[18]
- You can also check your voting status online at https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/.
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Once you are registered to vote, you don't need to register again unless you change your name or want to change your party affiliation. If you move, you can update your residence online or on the paper application.^[19]
If you are enrolled in a confidential address program, such as California's Safe at Home program, call (877) 322-5227 instead of completing a normal voter registration. If disclosing your address would threaten your safety, you may be able to register to vote confidentially.^[20]
California state law defines your voting domicile as any place where you physically reside. While you may have more than one house, you only have one domicile. If you are a college student, you can register either at your college residence address or your permanent home address, but not at both.^[21]

You are not eligible to vote if you are currently in state or federal prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony.^[22]
If you do not include your California driver's license or identification card number on your registration application, you will be asked to provide identification the first time you vote.^[23]

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To register to vote in California, visit registertovote.ca.gov to complete an online application. You'll need to have a California driver's license to register online. If you don't, you can print your filled-out form and mail it to your county elections office instead. Alternatively, you can register to vote by picking up a paper application from any DMV office, your county elections office, or at most post offices, libraries, and government offices. To learn how to register to vote in California if you missed the 15-day deadline, scroll down!

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