The art of redrawing congressional boundary lines may be complicated and convoluted — but figuring out how to cast your ballot doesn’t have to be.
California voters are being asked to decide whether to enact new, partisan maps that determine who represents them in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Related: What is redistricting? Your questions about maps, California’s feud with Texas and more, answered
In California, it’s generally up to a group of commissioners — a mix of Democrats, Republicans and people who belong to neither of the two major parties — to draw boundary lines for electoral districts, including Congress. But Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Democrats are asking voters to implement gerrymandered maps for the next three congressional elections, starting in 2026, to counter similar partisan efforts in Republican-led states.
All registered voters in California are mailed ballots for the upcoming Nov. 4 special election, and those ballots could be received as early as Monday, Oct. 6.
From ways to cast and track your ballot to figuring out how to register to vote in the special election, here are some of your election questions answered.
I’m not sure if I’m registered to vote. How do I check?
Check your voter registration by contacting your county registrar’s office, checking at a vote center or visiting sos.ca.gov/elections/registration-status.
If you are not registered to vote, you can do so by Oct. 20.
But if you’ve missed that deadline, you can still cast a ballot “conditionally” with same-day registration. Head to your county elections office, polling place or vote center to register and cast a conditional ballot. Those are “processed and counted once the county elections office has completed the voter registration verification process,” according to the secretary of state’s office.
I haven’t received a ballot in the mail. What do I do?
If you didn’t receive your ballot in the mail, or it’s been lost or destroyed, you can get a replacement at your local county elections office or a vote center, where you can also vote in person.
You can only request a replacement ballot for yourself. According to the secretary of state, requesting a replacement ballot for someone else is a criminal offense.
If you’ve still got your ballot, however, there are three ways you can cast it: Return it via the U.S. Postal Service (no postage is required, but it must be postmarked by Nov. 4), place it in a drop box around your county or take it to a vote center.
When is my polling place open?
On Nov. 4, all polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
For hours and dates of drop boxes and vote centers, check with your county registrar’s office.
And those ballots you received in the mail will also come with a prepaid postage return envelope. You can return your ballot through the mail at any time, as long as it’s postmarked by Nov. 4. Just mark your choices, seal the envelope and sign at the designated spot on the outside of the return envelope.
Those signed and sealed ballots can also be returned at a drop box, vote center, polling place or county elections office.
Are there going to be two California’s 22nd Congressional Districts?
No. If you reviewed the voter information guide from the secretary of state’s office and thought you were seeing double, it was just a typo. The proposed map of congressional districts inadvertently listed two with the district number of 22. The southernmost one should have been tagged with the number 27.
The proposed map has already been fixed on the online voter guide, and a correction postcard was mailed to voter households explaining the error, according to the secretary of state’s office.
“This mislabeling does not affect proposed districts, ballots or the election process; it is solely a labeling error,” said Secretary of State Shirley Weber. “Every eligible Californian can have full confidence that their vote will be counted and their representation is secure.”
When can we expect to see results?
Results will begin to be posted at 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 4, with more results coming daily at 5 p.m. as long as counties are still counting their ballots, according to the secretary of state.
Ballots (if they are sent through the mail, they must be postmarked on or by Nov. 4) will be counted until Nov. 12. And the official certified results of the election will be posted by Dec. 12 on the secretary of state’s website at sos.ca.gov/elections.
Can I vote online?
No. You can only vote by returning your ballot via U.S. Postal Service mail or in person. You cannot email a copy of your ballot to your county registrar or the secretary of state.
If I mailed in my ballot, do I still need to vote in person on Election Day?
No. You can only vote once in an election.
Do I need to re-register if I didn’t vote in the last election?
If you have not changed addresses, you should not need to re-register to vote. However, if you have not voted in several consecutive elections, it’s best to ensure you’re still registered. You can do that by contacting your county registrar’s office, checking at a vote center or visiting sos.ca.gov/elections/registration-status.
I got a notification about a missing signature on my ballot. What should I do?
Good news: You can fix a missing or mismatched signature on the ballot up until 5 p.m. two days before the county certifies election results. When counties expect to complete the process may vary, and you should reach out to your local registrar.
If you get that notification, you can fill out a form to provide a signature and confirm that you voted your ballot, according to the secretary of state.
Am I allowed to take time off work to vote?
Yes. State law says voters are entitled to up to two hours off to vote, if they do not have sufficient time to cast their ballot outside of working hours, without loss of pay.
I am undocumented. Can I vote?
In order to be eligible to vote in California, a person must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of the state and at least 18 years old on Election Day (Nov. 4 this year).
To be eligible, one must also not be currently serving a state or federal prison term for a felony conviction or be found mentally incompetent by a court.
California’s secretary of state’s website provides more information on voting rights for people with a criminal history or individuals subjected to a conservatorship.
If I am homeless, can I still vote?
People who are experiencing homelessness are still eligible to vote.
When registering to vote, you will need to provide a California driver’s license, state-issued ID or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
You will also need to provide a physical location to determine which precinct you can cast a ballot for. Use a park or cross streets — for example, the southwest corner of Ninth Street and Hope Street in Los Angeles.
How do I track my ballot?
The secretary of state’s office has a “Where’s My Ballot” tracking tool. Found at california.ballottrax.net, you can 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.
Check with your county elections office, too, because it may also have a tool to track your ballot.