elections

Election Day is near. Here's how you can cast your vote in California

Friday, October 18, 2024 7:58PM

ABC7 Eyewitness News

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Election Day is around the corner. Here's everything you need to know about voting in California.

The Presidential Election is on Tuesday, Nov. 5, and Californians have several ways to cast their votes.

Registered voters should have already received a ballot by mail. After submitting their ballot, California voters can track their ballot through a tool called "Where's My Ballot?" It sends notifications via email, text or voice call.

HOW TO VOTE

It's recommended that voters check local election websites, or resources from the National Conference of State Legislatures, to know what the rules of Election Day are for their state and region.

RETURN BALLOT BY MAIL

You can mail in your ballot as long as it is postmarked by Tuesday, Nov. 5, and arrives at your county registrar's office by Nov. 12. You can also drop it off at a secure ballot box by 8 p.m. on Election Day. You can find a ballot drop-off location by visiting caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov.

VOTE EARLY IN PERSON

Voting centers will open across California on Oct. 26 for residents to cast in-person ballots for the presidential election.

The centers will be open daily. Voters can cast their ballots at any center, regardless of where they live in the county. A list of nearby locations can be found on the Secretary of State's website Vote California.

RETURN BALLOT IN PERSON

You can drop off your ballot at any polling location or your local county elections office by 8 p.m. on Nov. 5. To find your polling location visit www.sos.ca.gov/elections/polling-place and enter your address.

VOTE IN PERSON ON ELECTION DAY

To vote on Election Day, you must go to a designated polling place. You can find where your polling place is located by putting in your home address in poll locators on websites including Vote.org, Google.com or on your local elections website.

Many states don't require you to bring your voter registration card to the polls; however, the majority of them do expect some form of identification to vote in person.

If you are not registered to vote, don't worry. You may register and cast a ballot on the same day. Just ask to fill out a form at your voting center.

If you're in need of accommodation for a disability or need help with voting in a different language at your polling site, your polling place will likely offer special assistance, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. The agency recommends contacting your local elections office for details.

DON'T FORGET YOUR RIGHTS

The American Civil Liberties Union advises voters that if the polls close while you're still in line, stay in line.

They say that many Election Day mistakes should be remedied quickly - if a mistake is made on your ballot, you can ask for a new one and if the voting machines are down at your location, you are allowed to ask for a paper ballot.

If a poll worker says a voter's name is not on the list of registered voters, the ACLU recommends that voters ask the poll worker to double-check the spelling of their name. The organization also recommends double-checking that the voter is at the correct polling place.

If a poll worker still cannot find your name or if you cannot travel to the correct polling place, ask for a provisional ballot. Voters are entitled to a provisional ballot even if they aren't in the poll book, ACLU states.

Election officials will investigate whether you are qualified to vote and registered - if you are, your provisional ballot will be counted.

If you are turned away or denied a provisional ballot, the ACLU recommends reporting the experience to local election officials or calling the Election Protection Hotline.

The hotline is run by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in case voters run into any issues on Election Day.

The hotline is available in several different languages - English, 1-866-687-8683; Spanish: 1-888-839-8682; Arabic: 1-844-925-5287; For Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, or Vietnamese: 1-888-274-8683.