How to Vote

Registering to vote was the hardest part of the process, now you need to learn where and how to vote. There are three ways that you can vote in an election: voting on election day, early voting, and vote-by-mail. 

Voting on election day is the standard. You go to your local polling place and vote. Don’t know where your local polling place is? Visit California’s Polling Place Finder, here you can enter your address and see the polling places nearest to you. 

Early voting is the process of voting early, hence its name. Voting early is more convenient for those who won’t be able to vote on November 5. One or more early voting locations will be available in all counties, make sure to visit California’s Polling Place finder, where you can also see early voting locations. 

Voting-by-mail is voting by a ballot that was mailed a few weeks before the election. If you were already registered to vote, California will send your ballot through the mail. When you get your mail-in ballot, make sure you follow all the instructions carefully. After you mark your ballot you can return your ballot by mail, in person, or to a drop box.

Before filling out a ballot, Flores has some advice for young voters.

“Fact check,” she said. “That is so important. I’m sure you can find what’s true and not true … You should become a critical reader and researcher.”