California vote by mail for the 2024 election is now underway. Here's how to cast your vote.
Voting by mail in California is now underway for the Nov. 5 presidential election. Here's what voters need to know about how to cast their ballots, vote-by-mail deadlines.
When does vote-by-mail start and end in California?
California election officials were required to start mailing out ballots on Oct. 7.
Voters can mail back the ballot they receive as long as it is postmarked on or before Nov. 5. County elections offices must receive the ballot no later than Nov. 12
You can also return your ballot in person at any polling place in the state or at your county's elections office. Ballots that are delivered in person must be dropped off at one of the locations by 8 p.m. on Nov. 5.
When do ballot drop boxes open and who can return my ballot?
Starting on Oct. 8, ballots can be dropped off at a drop-off location or in a ballot drop box. They must be dropped off by 8 p.m. on Nov. 5.
Voters can authorize another person to return their ballot by filling out the authorization section on the outside of the ballot envelope.
When the county elections office receives your ballot, they will compare the signature on it to the one in your voter registration record.
When does early voting start and end in California?
Starting on Oct. 7, county elections officials can offer early voting at their office. You can locate your county's election office online.
In-person vote centers in 29 counties — including Alameda, Los Angeles, Marin, Orange, Riverside and Sacramento — will open on Oct. 26.
The California Secretary of State offers an online resource for people to look up their nearest early in-person voting location.
Where can California mail-in ballots be dropped off?
Mail-in ballots can be dropped off at your county elections office or any polling or drop-off location. Ballot drop-off locations open on Oct. 8. Ballots must be dropped off by 8 p.m. on Nov. 5.
Click on your county to find where you can drop off your ballot: Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Marin, Orange, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Francisco, San Joaquin, Santa Clara and Ventura.
How do I find the early voting locations in my county?
Alameda County has dozens of vote centers opening across the county on Oct. 26 or Nov. 2. They will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on Nov. 5 they will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Click here to learn where they are and when they're opening.
Contra Costa County has five regional early voting sites that open on Nov. 1. They're in Brentwood, Pittsburg, Richmond, Alamo and Walnut Creek. To find a list of locations, visit the Contra Costa County elections website.
Los Angeles County allows voters to vote early at county election headquarters at 12400 Imperial Highway, Room 3002 in Norwalk. The facility will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting on Oct. 7.
In Orange County, a select number of vote centers will open on Oct. 26 before all vote centers open on Nov. 2. You can find the vote center nearest you here.
Riverside County also offers early in-person voting starting on Oct. 26. A list of locations can be found here and an interactive map can be found here.
Sacramento County provides an interactive map that shows where people can vote early, drop off ballots or vote on Election Day.
Santa Clara County provides a list of voting locations that open on Oct. 26, Nov. 2 and Nov. 5.
Does California release early voting results before Election Day?
California does not release voting results before Election Day. Results will begin to be posted at 8 p.m. on election night, when the polls close. County election officials must begin reporting results to the Secretary of State within two hours from when they start tallying ballots after polls close.
County election officials can begin opening and processing vote-by-mail ballot envelopes 29 days before Election Day, but the results cannot be accessed or shared by the public.
Results will come in over the course of several days, with updates at 5 p.m. each day as counties continue to count ballots. It's worth noting that vote-by-mail ballots that are postmarked on or before Nov. 5 can be received to be counted up until Nov. 12 — one week after Election Day.
The official certified election results will be posted by Dec. 13.
Can I track my vote by mail ballot in California?
The California Secretary of State offers a way for voters to track their ballot after mailing it in. Voters can also receive notifications and track every step their ballot takes.
Voters can also call their county elections office to track their ballot.
What's on the ballot in California for the 2024 election?
Registered voters in California will vote on a host of statewide races in the 2024 election. There are 10 statewide propositions on the ballot. Californians will also select their next U.S. senator to fill the seat held by the late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
Proposition 2: Placed on the ballot by the Legislature, this measure will authorize $10 billion in general obligation bonds to repair, upgrade and construct facilities at K-12 public schools, including charter schools, community colleges and career technical education programs. It will require an annual audit and is expected to increase state costs by about $500 million annually for 35 years to repay the bond.
Proposition 3: This measure, which was also placed on the ballot by legislators, would remove language from the state Constitution that says marriage is only between a man and a woman. A yes vote would update the Constitution to recognize the the fundamental right to marry, regardless of sex or race. A no vote would prevent any change to the Constitution.
Proposition 4: This measure will authorize $10 billion in general obligation bonds for water, wildfire prevention, and protection of communities and lands. It's projected to increase state costs by about $400 million every year for 40 years to repay the bond. A yes vote will allow the funds to be used to conserve natural resources while also responding to the impacts of climate change. A no vote would deny using the funds for those purposes. This proposition was also placed on the ballot by the Legislature.
Proposition 5: This proposition, which was placed on the ballot by legislators, would allow approval of local infrastructure and housing bonds for low- and middle-income Californians. It would increase local borrowing to fund affordable housing, support housing and public infrastructure. However, the amount depends on how local government and voters decisions. A yes vote means certain local bonds and related property taxes could be approved with a 55 percent vote from local voters, rather than the current two-thirds approval requirement. The bonds would have to fund affordable housing, supportive housing or public infrastructure.
Proposition 6: A yes vote on this mesaure would end forced labor as a criminal penalty, including requiring people in state prison to work. This measure was placed on the ballot by the Legislature.
Proposition 32: Placed on the ballot by petition signatures, this proposition would raise the minimum wage in California. Employers with 26 or more employees would increase the minimum wage to $17 immediately and to $18 on Jan. 1, 2025. Employers with 25 or fewer employees would be required to increase the minimum wage to $17 on Jan. 1, 2025, and $18 on Jan. 1, 2026.
Proposition 33: This measure, which was placed on the ballot by petition signatures, would expand the authority local governments have over rent control. It would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995, which doesn't allow local governments to limit rental rates for new tenants or rent increases for existing tenants in certain properties. A yes vote means that state law would not limit city and county rent control laws, while a no vote would allow state law to continue to limit cities and counties' laws.
Proposition 34: A yes vote on this proposition would implement new rules for some health care providers over how they spend prescription drug revenues, requiring them to spend 98% of revenues from a federal discount prescription drug program on direct patient care. The measure, which was placed on the ballot by petition signatures, would also authorize statewide negotiation of Medi-Cal drug prices. A no vote would prevent those rules from going into effect.
Proposition 35: A yes vote on this proposition would make permanent an existing state tax on managed health plans that, if approved by the federal government, provide revenues to pay for Medi-Cal health care services. New rules would also direct the ways in which the state must use the income. A no vote on this proposition, which was placed on the ballot by petition signatures, would end the existing state tax in 2027 unless the Legislature continues it.
Proposition 36: This measure is intended to increase criminal penalties for possessing certain drugs and for thefts under $950, if defendant has two prior drug or theft convictions. In some cases where people are caught in possession of illegal drugs, they would be required to complete treatment or serve up to three years in prison. A no vote would leave current punishments in place.
U.S. Senate: Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of Burbank, who served as lead prosecutor in the first impeachment trial against President Donald Trump, and Republican Steve Garvey, a former Major League Baseball all-star for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, will face off to fill the remainder of the current Senate term ending on Jan. 3, 2025, and a new six-year Senate term that starts on Jan. 3, 2025.