State law has long clarified the right to vote for any incarcerated person who is not held in a federal or state prison. And California election code requires probation departments to identify voting-eligible youth and help them register.
Youth Law Center proudly joins activists and advocates statewide to include incarcerated youth in voting outreach efforts, and has compiled essential voter registration information. Keep reading for specific steps for registering to vote in California.
Voting rights posters were illustrated by Jose “Peps” Garcia, Akonadi’s 2024 Racial Justice Poster project artist.
- U.S. citizen
- California resident
- Age 18 or older on Election Day
- Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for an adult felony conviction (See Voting Rights Restored: Persons with a Prior Felony Conviction), and
- Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court (See Voting Rights: Persons Subject to Conservatorship)
To register online, you will need:
- CA driver’s license # or CA identification card #
- Last 4 digits of your Social Security Number (SSN)
- Date of birth
If you don’t have a license or ID #, you can still use the online form. At the end, you will print and mail in your voter registration application, and may need to take additional steps to complete your registration.
To register by paper:
- Instructional video available here.
- Obtain a paper registration form from your county elections office, public library, Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) offices, or U.S. post office.
- The paper registration form will ask for your CA license or ID #, or your Social Security Number (SSN).
- Your signature on your registration form will be used to match the signature on your ballot.
You do not need to show ID when you vote in California. But, you must verify your identity when you register to vote.
If you don’t provide any identifying numbers (CA driver’s license, ID, or SSN), or if the state can’t match the number you provide to official records, you will have to show an accepted form of ID the first time you vote.
You can use any unexpired photo ID or a non-photo document with your name and address. Common examples include:
- California driver’s license
- California state ID card
- US passport or passport card
- Student ID
- Military identification
- Insurance card
- Public housing or assistance card
- Utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document (dated after November 2022)
- Sample ballot or election document (dated for the specific election)
- Voter notification card
- Vehicle registration
For guidance on voter ID requirements, visit VoteRiders.org.
Choose the voting option that works best for you.
Vote in person at a polling place or Vote Center. Look up your polling location here. Vote Centers are open at least 3 days before the election. All locations are open from 7am – 8pm on Election Day, Nov. 5.
Put your ballot in the mail. Postage is not required. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 5 and received by Nov. 12 to be counted.
Remember to sign the outside of the envelope.
Drop off your ballot in a ballot drop box or at any open voting location on or before 8pm on Nov. 5.
Remember to sign the outside of the envelope.
Resources for Registration & Voting
- Vote411 – personalized ballot information
- League of Women Voters, Easy Voter Guide
- Rock The Vote
- VoteRiders
- Secretary of State’s Guide to Voting in California
- Secretary of State’s Official Voter Information Guide
- Find Your Polling Place
- Secretary of State, Voter Hotline: 800-345-VOTE (8683)
- Disability Rights California, Voter Hotline: 888-569-7955
