County election officials have mailed ballots to all registered voters, and it’s time for voters — officially kicking off the 2026 general election.
Aside from navigating what’s on your ballot, figuring out the logistics of voting can be tricky. From how to participate in the election if you’re not yet registered to vote, to ways to check if your ballot has been received, here are some last-minute election questions answered.
How do I vote in person?
Options to vote in person depend on the county where a voter lives.
If a voter lives in a county that has opted into the Voter’s Choice Act model, they can bring their completed ballot to any voting center in their county and drop it off, or they can bring their unused ballot and exchange it there for an in-person ballot.
For voters who live in VCA counties, if they forget to bring their ballot, they can cast a provisional ballot that will be counted after election officials confirm registration and that it is the only ballot for that voter.
But if a voter lives in a county that has not opted into the VCA model, they are assigned a specific polling location based on their address.
To learn more about the VCA model and find out whether you live in a participating county, visit: https://www.sos.ca.gov/voters-choice-act/.
Voters can find their nearest polling place or vote center by visiting their county registrar’s office website or sos.ca.gov/elections/polling-place.
Do I need an ID to vote in person?
California generally does not require voters to show their ID at the polls. But if you’re voting for the first time in a general election, you registered by mail or online, and you did not provide your California ID or your Social Security number when you registered, then you may have to show your ID when voting in person.
If you need to show your ID when voting in person, you can present any of the following: your driver’s license or state ID card, passport, student or military ID, a utility bill, a bank statement, your paycheck or official mail you received from a government agency.
Can I check to see if my ballot has been received and counted?
The secretary of state’s office has a “Where’s My Ballot” tracking tool. Found at california.ballottrax.net, you input your name, date of birth and ZIP code to register for the service. It will tell you the status of your ballot, and you can sign up to receive information about your ballot’s process via email, text message or call.
Your county elections office may also have a tool to track your ballot. In Orange County, for example, the registrar has a tool that requires you to input your date of birth and the last four digits of your driver’s license, California ID or Social Security number. You can find that tool at ocvote.gov/vlt.
When can I vote in person? What is the deadline for voting in person?
Counties that have opted into the Voters Choice Act model will open their vote centers up to 10 days before Election Day. This year that’s Oct. 24. And under the VCA model, voters have the freedom to cast their ballots in person at any vote center in their county, instead of being assigned to a single polling location.
Each vote center is required to have a minimum of three voting machines accessible to those with disabilities.
In-person early voting locations throughout California will be open on Saturday, Oct. 31. Check with your local election office.
The polls will open on Election Day at 7 a.m. Polls will close at 8 p.m., but election officials encourage anyone in line at that point to remain in line because they will still be allowed to vote, even if it takes place after 8 p.m.
Although state and many local election officials maintain that all voting options, including vote-by-mail, are safe and secure, they do encourage those who choose to vote by mail to do so early to ensure adequate time for a ballot to be postmarked and delivered.
In California, as long as a ballot is postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by county election offices within a week of Election Day, it will count.
But there is no guarantee that a ballot dropped in a mailbox on Election Day will get postmarked the same day – hence the urgings by election officials for voters to mail their ballots back early. Election officials encourage those who do vote by mail on or close to Election Day to go inside a post office and request an employee postmark the ballot then and there.
Can I wear a hat, a T-shirt or any other apparel to represent my favorite candidate when I vote?
No. Under state law, this is considered electioneering.
You cannot be “within the immediate vicinity of a person in line to cast their ballot or within 100 feet of the entrance of a polling place” while wearing any clothing that includes a candidate’s name, image, logo, or supports or opposes any candidate or ballot measure, according to the California secretary of state’s office.
Starting with the Nov. 3 election, county election officials can expand the area of that prohibited zone from 100 feet to 200 feet under new state law signed in September by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Additionally, in that vicinity, you cannot display a candidate’s name, image or logo within that vicinity, such as on a sign. You can’t provide other voters with any material “or audible information” in support of or opposition to any candidate or ballot measures. You can’t circulate petitions or candidate nomination papers, nor can you display information or speak to voters about a voter’s eligibility to vote, the secretary of state’s office says.
Can I use my phone in a voting booth? Can I take a selfie?
California is one of the states where it’s OK to take a photo with your ballot (completed or not) and post it publicly on social media or elsewhere. However, voters should still be cautious about using cameras at voting centers, where recording video, photographing or otherwise recording other voters entering or exiting a polling place is not allowed.
As for bringing your phone into the polling place, individuals are allowed to bring tablets, smartphones and other electronic devices with them while voting.
How can I report any issues I see at a voting center?
If you witness someone violating the electioneering rules above or any other part of the state’s Election Code, you can report it to a local election official or to the secretary of state online at sos.ca.gov/elections/election-voter-complaint-form or by mail with a form available at sos.ca.gov/elections/publications-and-resources/voter-complaint.
You can also call the statewide Voter Hotline at 800-345-VOTE (8683).
Kaitlyn Schallhorn contributed to this report.