Voting, Step By Step
Elec. Code 2102 — registered by the 15th day before, and Elec. Code 2170 — conditional registration after that, through election day
The 15th day. A properly executed affidavit of registration is effective if it is received by the county elections official, postmarked, submitted to the Department of Motor Vehicles or another registration agency, or submitted online, on or before the 15th day before the election.
The last 14 days, and election day. An otherwise qualified elector may complete a conditional voter registration during the 14 days immediately before an election or on election day, and cast a provisional ballot, or a nonprovisional ballot where the section allows.
When it counts. A conditional registration is deemed effective if the county elections official determines, before or during the canvass, that the registrant is eligible and the information matches state motor vehicle or federal Social Security records.
Absentee and early voting, and what a provisional ballot needs in order to be counted, are set out in other sections that are not on this page. Whether a particular person is registered is a question for the local election office.
Sources for this section (2)
- Elec. Code 2102 — Registration by affidavit, effective by the 15th day before
- Elec. Code 2170 — Conditional voter registration in the last 14 days and on election day
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed California attorney.