Register to Vote

League of Women Voters^®
of the Los Altos-Mountain View Area

How to register, how to re-register if you move or change party, how to vote absentee, ...

To Vote in California. How to Register - online!. Political Parties. Check Your Registration. If You Have Moved. How to Vote Absentee. More Info..

To Vote in California

You must:

be a U.S. citizen
be at least 18 years of age by Election Day
be a resident of the County at least 15 days before the election
be registered at least 15 days before the election
not be in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony.
not currently be judged mentally incompetent by a court of law.

You must be registered to vote in order to sign petitions to place initiatives on the ballot.

How to Register to Vote

Just do three things:

Obtain a mail-in voter registration form. Call the Registrar of Voters (1-408-299-8639) and ask to have one mailed. Forms are also usually available at city halls, post offices, libraries, or fire stations. And since the passage of the "Motor Voter" law, your Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) also has them.

Complete the form according to the easy-to-follow instructions.

Mail the form to the address provided in the instructions.

It's that easy to apply to register to vote! The election office will notify you when your application has been approved and will tell you where to go on election day to cast your ballot!
Online registration: You may now fill out a registration form online and it will be mailed to you for your signature.
Or you may submit an accepted facsimile of the official voter registration form. Download a copy of the form in English or in Spanish (PDF files). Print it, fill it out, and mail it to your local Registrar of Voters or the Secretary of State.
The registration form must be received on or before the last day to register (15 days before an election). You may also register in person at the Registrar's office at 1553 Berger Drive, Bldg.1, San Jose, CA 95103.
If you register 28 days or less before the election, the Registrar recommends that you vote at the Registrar's office.
You must re-register if you:

change your address (if you have moved within 14 days of an election, but are registered at your previous address, you may vote at your former precinct or by absentee ballot).
change your name
wish to change your party affiliation

Political Parties

You can register with a political party, or you can "decline to state" a party affiliation. Read details about the effect of party registration and voting in a primary election. In a General Election, all voters receive the same ballot regardless of party affiliation.
Parties Qualified for the State Ballot:
See the Secretary of State's list of parties and contact information.

How to Check Your Registration Information

The Registrar of Voters maintains voter rolls and conducts elections. Contact the Registrar's office if you have questions about your registration:
Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters
1553 Berger Drive, Bldg. 1
P.O. Box 1147
San Jose, California 95108
(408) 299-8639
Toll-free: 1-800-345-VOTE
TDD: (408) 288-9820
Monday-Friday 8am-5pm

If You Have Moved

If you have moved since the last time you registered to vote, the office of the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters prefers that you simply mail or fax them a note giving your name, your old and new address, your birthdate and your signature. The address of the Santa Clara County ROV is: P.O. Box 1147, San Jose, California 95108. The Fax number is 408-998-7314. If you have moved to a new county, you must obtain a registration form from that county.

How to Vote Absentee

If you are unable to vote at the polls on Election Day or want to vote by mail, you can apply for an absentee ballot. Applications may be obtained from the Registrar of Voters and are included with your sample ballot. You may also request an absentee ballot by writing to the Registrar of Voters. You may request a permanent absentee ballot.
If applying by letter, provide your home address and the address to which the absentee ballot is to be sent. It is important that you sign your request the same way you signed your affidavit of registration.
An application for an absentee ballot must be received by the Registrar of Voters not later than 7 days prior to the election. You may apply for an absentee ballot in person at the Registrar of Voters right up to election day. An individual application is needed for each person requesting a ballot.
VOTED absentee ballots may be:

Returned in person or by mail at any time as long as the ballot arrives in the Registrar's office before 8 p.m. on Election Day, or may be returned to any polling place in the county by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
OR, if you are ill or disabled, a designated family member may return the ballot for you as described.

For more information...

On this subject, see the fact-filled sections on registering to vote and elections from the League of Women Voters of California.

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: July 8, 2008 22:47 PDT.