Who can vote, and how the whole family can take part in civic life

This page explains who can vote in California and how everyone in a family can take part. It is general information, not legal advice. For citizenship itself, see Can I become a US citizen? Check these warning signs first.

Who can vote in California?

You can register and vote in California if you are all of these:

• a U.S. citizen
• a resident of California
• 18 or older on Election Day
• not currently serving a state or federal prison term for a felony
• not currently found by a court to be mentally incompetent to vote

That is the full list. A green card, DACA, TPS, a work permit or a visa does not make you eligible. Only citizenship does.

The state explains that you are a citizen at birth if you were born in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction, or if you were born abroad to a citizen parent and meet other rules. You can also become a citizen later through a parent or by naturalizing. See Is my child born outside the US a citizen? and Did my child become a citizen when I did? Not sure? Do not guess. Check before you register.

How do I register?

Choose one:

• Online: RegisterToVote.ca.gov, in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese.
• On paper: pick up a form at your county elections office, a public library, a DMV office or a post office.
• At the DMV: eligible people doing a driver license, ID card or change of address are registered automatically unless they opt out.

You will be asked for your California driver license or ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you have neither, you can still register. You will get a unique number instead.

Deadline: for most elections, register 15 days before Election Day. For the November 3, 2026 election, that is October 19, 2026.

Missed it? You can still register and vote. California calls it Conditional Voter Registration, or same day registration. Go to your county elections office, a vote center or a polling place within 14 days of the election. Your ballot is counted after the county checks your registration.

Register again when you move, change your name or change your party.

Can I sign up before I turn 18?

Yes. If you are 16 or 17 and meet every other rule, including citizenship, you can preregister. You are then registered automatically on your 18th birthday. Teens who get a learner's permit or ID at the DMV and say they are eligible are preregistered unless they opt out.

High school students: this is one of the easiest ways to help your family. Even if your parents cannot vote, you may be able to.

How do I vote once I am registered?

Every active registered voter in California gets a ballot in the mail. You can return it three ways:

• Drop box: any official county drop box, until polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.
• In person: at a drop box, vote center, polling place or county elections office by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
• By mail: postmarked on or before Election Day and received within 7 days. The state suggests mailing it at least five days early.

You can also vote in person instead. Voting locations offer replacement ballots, accessible machines and language help.

First time voting in a federal election? Most voters do not need ID at the polls. You may be asked for ID only if you registered by mail or online without giving a California ID number or Social Security digits. A utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or official government mail can count.

Can immigration agents or police be at my polling place?

A new California law limits arrests near polling places on Election Day. It does not promise that no officer will be nearby, and it does not change anyone's immigration case.

What the law says. On Election Day, while a polling place is open, a law enforcement officer may not arrest anyone within 200 feet of it. "Polling place" includes vote centers. The law is SB 884 (Elections Code section 403). It was signed September 19, 2026 and covers elections from November 3, 2026 through 2029 (SB 884; Secretary of State memo).

The exceptions are part of the same rule. An officer can still arrest someone within 200 feet for:

• a crime that disrupts the polling place
• a crime against a person
• a crime against property

The law also says it is not amnesty for any crime committed inside the 200 feet.

What it does not cover.

• Only Election Day, only while the polling place is open. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The rule does not cover the days of early voting before Election Day.
• Only arrests. It does not stop officers from being in the area.
• Federal agents. The law's author says it covers federal agents, including ICE (Senator Umberg, September 19, 2026). A Senate committee analysis notes that a court could be asked whether a state law can limit federal officers (Senate Judiciary Committee analysis). Keep a backup plan, such as voting by mail or using a drop box.

If voting is disrupted. If the county elections official finds that voting at a polling place was disrupted by a violation of this rule, the county can keep that polling place open later. Votes cast in the extra time are provisional ballots (Secretary of State memo).

If you feel unsafe or see someone being pressured.

• You have the right to a secret ballot without pressure, and the right to report illegal election activity to your county elections office or the Secretary of State. Secretary of State voter hotline: (800) 345-VOTE (8683) (Voter Bill of Rights) (checked October 23, 2026).
• You do not have to vote in person. Return the ballot that came in the mail at an official drop box or by mail (see How do I vote once I am registered?).
• If anyone going with you is not a citizen and is worried about agents, read If immigration agents come, what you can do before Election Day.

Can family members who cannot vote still help?

Yes. This is where the whole family comes in.

• Return a ballot. Anyone may return a voter's sealed ballot for them, as long as they are not paid per ballot.
• Help at the polls. A voter who cannot mark the ballot alone may bring up to two people to help. The helper cannot be the voter's employer or union officer, and must keep the vote private.
• Read and talk together. Go over the county voter guide as a family. County guides come in several languages. Ask your county which ones.
• Get rides and child care lined up so the voters in your family can get there.

What happens if a noncitizen registers or votes?

This is serious, and there is no easy fix afterward.

• Under federal law, a noncitizen who votes in violation of any federal, state or local law can be deported. That includes green card holders.
• Falsely claiming to be a citizen to register or vote is also a ground for deportation. California's registration form requires you to check that you are a citizen.
• Voting in an election for President or Congress as a noncitizen is a federal crime, with up to one year in prison.
• The citizenship application asks whether you have ever registered or voted in any U.S. election.

The law has a narrow exception for a person whose parents were all citizens, who lived in the U.S. before age 16, and who truly believed they were a citizen. Do not count on it. Talk to a lawyer.

People with AB 60 licenses: the DMV does not send AB 60 license information to the Secretary of State, so you should not be registered through the DMV. If you ever get a voter card by mistake, do not use it. Talk to a lawyer about cancelling it. Free legal help in the Bay Area

If someone tells you that a green card, DACA or a work permit lets you vote, they are wrong. If they pressure you to register, walk away. See also Driver's license without papers.

What about San Francisco school board elections?

San Francisco is different, but only for one kind of election. Since a 2016 city vote, some noncitizens may vote in San Francisco Board of Education elections only. The next one is November 3, 2026. You must live in San Francisco, be the parent, legal guardian or caregiver of a child who lives there, be 18 or older and not be disqualified for imprisonment or mental incompetence. Your child does not need to attend public school.

You must use a special noncitizen form, not the state form, and register again for each school board election. It does not let you vote in any other election.

San Francisco itself warns that what you give its elections office, including your name and address, may be obtained by ICE. It also says the city can give you a letter showing you voted only in a school board election, which may help if you apply for citizenship later. Talk to an immigration lawyer before you register. This San Francisco rule does not apply in San Mateo or Santa Clara County. Non-citizen voting in Board of Education elections (SF.gov)

How can I take part if I cannot vote?

Your voice still counts. California law opens many doors to everyone.

Speak at public meetings. City councils, school boards and county boards must let the public speak on items they are deciding. No one may require you to sign in or give your name to attend. If you speak through an interpreter and there is a time limit, you get at least twice the time, unless the board uses live translation equipment. East Palo Alto, your school district and your county all hold public meetings.

Serve on a city or county board or commission. In California, anyone 18 or older who lives in the state can be appointed to a board or commission, whatever their citizenship or immigration status. Examples include parks, library, youth, housing or planning commissions. Ask your city clerk what openings exist. Only elected offices require citizenship.

Work the polls. Green card holders may serve as poll workers in California, with some limits on their duties. High school students 16 and older with a 2.5 GPA may serve too if they are citizens or green card holders. Call your county elections office.

Volunteer for a campaign. Federal election rules let anyone, including people who are not citizens or green card holders, volunteer unpaid for a campaign. You can knock on doors, make calls or host a house meeting. You cannot give money, and you cannot help make campaign decisions. Green card holders may donate.

Join school groups. Parent groups, site councils and advisory committees at your child's school welcome parents. Ask the school office how to join.

Show up together. Marches, town halls and vigils are part of civic life too. Before you go, read Can I go to a protest if I am not a citizen?

I just became a citizen. What now?

Congratulations. As a citizen, you can register like anyone else, as long as you meet the other rules above. Use RegisterToVote.ca.gov. Then help the next person in your family get there. See What happens at your citizenship interview and oath ceremony.

Common questions

My child is a citizen. Can I register to vote through them? No. Each person's eligibility is their own.

I have a green card. Can I vote in local elections? Not in San Mateo or Santa Clara County. Only citizens vote in state, county and city elections here.

Will registering to vote get me called for jury duty? Not necessarily. Courts also pull names from DMV lists and other sources.

I am afraid to go to a polling place. You can vote the ballot that comes in the mail and drop it in a box. If you vote in person on Election Day, California limits arrests within 200 feet of an open polling place, with exceptions. See Can immigration agents or police be at my polling place?

Can my church hold a voter registration drive? Yes. Learn the Secretary of State's rules for registration drives first, and remind everyone that only citizens may register.

Who can help?

These are public offices. Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• California Secretary of State voter hotline: (800) 345-VOTE (8683). sos.ca.gov/elections
• San Mateo County Elections: 40 Tower Road, San Mateo, CA 94402. (650) 312-5222. smcacre.gov/elections
• Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters: 1555 Berger Drive, Building 2, San Jose, CA 95112. (408) 299-8683 or (866) 430-8683. vote.santaclaracounty.gov
• San Francisco Department of Elections: City Hall, Room 48. (415) 558-6100. sf.gov
• Questions about your status and voting: Free legal help in the Bay Area

Democracy is stronger when every neighbor is heard. Whether you vote, help a voter or speak at city hall, you belong in this work.

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