Voting in California

To register to vote in California, you must:
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Be a resident of California
- Be at least 18 years old, or turning 18 by the election
- Not have been declared “non-compos mentis” or “mentally incompetent” by a court of law
- Not currently in state or federal prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony

You must register to vote at least 15 days before the election you wish to vote in, or you can register during the early voting period or on Election Day (see more under “Election Day Registration”).

If you’re eligible to vote in California but have not yet registered, you can register and vote at your polling place during the early voting period or on Election Day.

You can pre-register to vote in California when you turn 16.

California does remove voting rights for people with felony convictions. The right to vote is automatically restored once residents have finished serving their state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony.

If you have a past conviction, learn more about your eligibility to vote here.