How to get your vote-by-mail ballot if you lost your home in the LA fires
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- As thousands of Southern California residents continue to recover and rebuild from the January wildfires, the last thing on their minds are upcoming elections.
That includes the Nov. 4 special election on redistricting, the 2026 midterms, the Los Angeles mayoral race and California gubernatorial election.
But L.A. County Registrar Dean Logan has an important message for voters displaced by the Palisades and Eaton fires.
"We don't forward ballots because they are specific to where you're registered to vote," Logan said.
Don't expect your vote-by-mail ballot to just show up wherever you're currently living. Some Altadena residents who spoke with Eyewitness News are concerned this could impact turnout.
"People are far away. They don't know the issues," Altadena resident Diana Lee said. "They didn't receive the booklet to be able to tell them what it is they're voting for, what it is they're voting against."
Altadena resident Angel Perez, who lost his home in the fire, also expressed concern.
"I really hope people don't sit this one out, but I can see how that would be a huge problem," Perez said. "A lot of these mailboxes aren't even deliverable up here."
Here's what you need to do to receive your ballot in the mail, even if you're currently living elsewhere.
Keep your home address the same and add a temporary mailing address. You can do this by re-registering online at lavote.gov or registertovote.ca.gov - and check the box that says "my mailing address is different from my home address."
You can also call the voter information hotline at (800) 815-2666.
"In the event a ballot doesn't get to you, again, that's that fail-safe method of having those vote centers located throughout the county for that 11-day voting period," Logan said.
If you've permanently relocated following the fires, you should update your home address. This will determine your ability to vote in local elections tied to your new residential address.
