Register to Vote: A Quick How-To
For students turning or are already 18, it could be challenging to navigate the adult world, especially when registering to vote. Don’t worry though. This is the process on how to register to vote.
Who can register to vote? First, you need to learn if you meet the requirements to vote in federal, state, and local elections.
- Must be a United States citizen
- Must be 18 years old or older on Election Day
- Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony
- Not currently found to be mentally incompetent to vote by a court
These requirements differ in every state but in the state of California, these are the requirements to be eligible to register. To learn more about each state’s requirements, you can visit usa.gov.
Now that you know the requirements; how, when, and where to register to vote? Let’s focus on the state of California.
You can register to vote online, by mail, or in person at your local election office. But don’t forget that there are voter registration deadlines.
- Online registration deadline: Oct. 21, 2024
- Register by mail deadline: Must be postmarked Oct. 21, 2024
- In-person registration deadline: Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024
Unfortunately registering online has ended for this upcoming Election Day. However, registering to vote online can be done at home. To register online you will need: your California driver’s license or California Identification card numbers, your social security numbers, and your date of birth. After gathering your documents, visit the California Voter Registration page.
After you complete the online form, your form will be sent to your local California Department of Motor Vehicles to retrieve your DMV signature.
Registering by mail has also unfortunately ended. Registering by mail is almost the same as the online form. You need the same documents. Visit the California Mail Voter Registration page, and fill out the form. When finished, you will need a printer to print out the required forms. Sign the forms and mail them to your local election office.
Registering in person is a bit different. You can pick up a voter registration application at your county election office, library, Department of Motor Vehicles, or United States post offices. Make sure you fill out the form completely and be postmarked if mailing, or hand-delivered to your county elections office at least 15 days before the elections.
If you miss all the voter registration deadlines, don’t worry, there is one more way. Same-Day Voter Registration, also known as Conditional Voter Registration, is the process to register on Election Day.
To complete this process, on election day you must head to your county election office, polling place, or vote center. There, you will register and vote, your ballot will be processed once the election office has completed the voter registration verification process.
“If you have friends, encourage them to go online and register at 16 so by the time they turn 18, they’re in,” Flores said.