The general election is just three week away, and Richmondside has been busy posting stories about key local races that are on the ballot.
If you’re a first-time voter or new to the area and not sure where to start, this voter registration tutorial will help answer your questions. (Full voting-related information is available in several languages on the California elections website.)
California voting requirements
Voters must meet these general requirements to vote in California:
- Be a U.S. citizen and a California resident;
- Be age 18 by election day (Nov. 3);
- Not currently serving a state/federal prison term for a felony conviction (but see below for possible eligibility); and
- Not currently found to be mentally incompetent to vote by a court (for more information see California Voting Rights: Persons Subject to Conservatorship web page).
Key November election dates
— Early voting is happening now. (Click here for details and select “Official Ballot Drop Boxes” for a drop-down menu of secure outdoor locations.)
— The last day to register to vote is Oct. 19.
— Mail-in ballots must be postmarked on or before Nov. 3, but to be safe, you may want to mail your ballot earlier or hand deliver it.
— Regional early voting sites, including at the Richmond Memorial Auditorium, 403 Civic Center Plaza, will be open on Fri., Oct. 30; Sat., Oct., 31; and Mon., Nov. 2. Friday and Monday hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
— Election day polling places are open on Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Source: California Secretary of State’s office, Contra Costa County registrar’s office
To vote in Richmond, you need to live in Richmond
If you want to cast a ballot in a local election, for example in Richmond, you must live within the city limits. The mayoral race is at-large, meaning everyone in the city is eligible to cast a ballot in this particular race.
Want to check if you are already registered to vote?
To find out if you are currently registered to vote, visit the California Secretary of State’s Check Status of Your Voter Registration web page.
Criminal conviction? You may still be eligible to vote
Do you have a criminal conviction and aren’t sure if you are eligible to vote? In California, once you have finished serving your sentence, your right to vote is restored. Check out the California Voting Rights web page to verify your eligibility.
What you’ll need to register to vote
Once you’ve verified that you’re eligible to vote, you can register to vote in various ways. This is what you’ll need:
- Full legal name and place of birth;
- California driver’s license or I.D card or last four digits of your Social Security number; and
- Home address (city, zip code, county)
If you do not have a driver’s license, California identification card or social security card, you may leave that space blank, and your county elections official will assign a number to you that will be used to identify you as a voter.
Unhoused individuals do not need a street address to register to vote. Instead they can describe the place where they spend most of their time using cross streets and routes. For more information, visit the California Elections website.
Register to vote online
If you’ve determined that you meet the requirements to vote, you can register to vote online (with several language options, including Spanish). Visit registertovote.ca.gov and click, “Register to Vote Now.” If you have questions during the process you can call the Secretary of State’s Voter Hotline at (800) 345-8683 or the Contra Costa Elections Office at (925) 335-7800.
Register to vote with a paper application
For residents who would like to register using a paper application, you can request a paper voter registration application by calling (800) 345-VOTE (8683) or by emailing the California Elections Division.
Or you can pick one up at the following locations:
- Contra Costa Elections Office, 555 Escobar St., Martinez, weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Richmond Public Library — Bayview, 5100 Hartnett Ave., Mondays 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesdays, 1:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.; and Wednesdays/Thursdays, 1 p.m.- 5 p.m.
- Richmond Public Library — West Side, 135 Washington Ave., Mondays 1:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Wednesdays/Thursdays, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Department of Motor Vehicles, 6400 Manila Ave., El Cerrito, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Post offices: Iron Triangle, 1025 Nevin Ave., Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m., and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; North and East, 12651 San Pablo Ave., weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Point Richmond, 104 Washington Ave.., weekdays, 9 a.m to 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Your voter registration application must be filled out completely and postmarked or hand-delivered to the Contra Costa Elections Office at least 15 days before the election, which is Nov. 3.
Once you register to vote you won’t have to re-register unless you change your residence/mailing address, name, or political party.
Same-day voter registration
Same-day voter registration, known as Conditional Voter Registration, is a safety net for Californians who miss the deadline to register to vote or need to update their voter registration information for an election.
Eligible voters who need to register or re-register to vote within 14 days of an election can complete the form at the county elections office, a polling place, or a voting center. For more information, visit the California Elections website.
How to vote by mail
In 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 37 into law, which made California the eighth state in the nation to require that every registered voter be mailed a ballot. Any registered voter may vote by mail instead of going to the polls on an election day.
According to the Contra Costa County Elections Office, some of the most common mistakes made by residents when voting via mail are: Forgetting to add a date of birth, not checking the U.S. Citizen box, using a P.O Box instead of a home address, and forgetting to sign the envelope.
After you fill out your ballot, you must insert it into the envelope provided, making sure you fill out the required information on the outside of the envelope.
Once completed, you may return your ballot in one of the following ways, but if you’re mailing it be sure to allow for enough delivery time. If you are not sure your vote-by-mail ballot will arrive on time, you can drop it off at any polling place statewide between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Election Day. You can find your nearest ballot drop-off location by visiting https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov.
- Mail it to the Contra Costa Elections Office, 555 Escobar St., Martinez, CA 94553. Vote-by-mail ballots that are mailed must be postmarked on or before election day and be received by the county elections office no later than seven days after election day.
- Drop your ballot off at any mailbox or into a secured ballot drop box. These ballots must also be delivered no later than when polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.
- Authorize someone to return the ballot on your behalf. Anyone may return your ballot for you, as long as you don’t pay them to do it.
Once you’ve sent your ballot, you can track it by checking the My Voter Status website, or by signing-up for Where’s My Ballot, a tool powered by BallotTrax. For more information on these tracking tools, visit the Vote By Mail California Elections website.
Vote in person
Would you rather cast your ballot in-person? To locate your nearest neighborhood polling place, visit the Contra Costa My Voting Information website. Voters can also use the California Secretary of State polling place website to find polling locations. When you arrive at your polling location, you’ll provide your full legal name to the workers at the check-in station. Then you’ll sign the electronic poll book. Even if you’re not voting in your neighborhood, you’ll get a ballot based on your home address, which means you can vote for local races.
Finally, you will step into a private voting booth to mark your ballot. When you finish, you can insert your ballot into a red ballot box.
Don’t forget to collect your “I Voted” sticker on the way out!
