Make a Plan to Vote

Your ballot is already in the mail. Here’s how to make sure it counts, and why we’re urging everyone to vote early.

Election Day: Tuesday, Nov 3 · Polls close 8 PM
Key Dates

Los Angeles County, General Election 2026

Early October Ballots mailed and drop boxes open. You can vote now.
Mon, Oct 19 Last day to register online, or by mailing a paper form postmarked today. Missed it? You can still register and vote in person at a vote center (see below).
Mon, Oct 19 No ballot yet? Call the LA County Registrar at (800) 815-2666 to have a replacement mailed (by Oct 27 at the latest), or vote in person instead.
Tue, Oct 20 Mail your ballot by today if you’re voting by mail. That gives it two weeks to arrive.
Sat, Oct 24 First vote centers open for early in-person voting (“11-day” vote centers).
Sat, Oct 31 All remaining vote centers open (“4-day” vote centers).
Tue, Nov 3 Election Day. Vote centers are open 7 AM–8 PM, and drop boxes close at 8 PM. If you’re in line at 8 PM, stay in line: you can still vote.
Our Advice

What No Kings Silver Lake recommends

  1. Vote early. If you know how you’re voting, turn your ballot in now.
  2. Use a drop box, or vote in person. Drop boxes are secure, there are hundreds of them across LA County, and they’re open now, which makes them the earliest way to vote. You can also drop off your ballot at any vote center.
  3. If you vote by mail, mail it by Tuesday, Oct 20. Take it to a post office counter and ask the clerk to postmark it by hand, rather than dropping it in a mailbox. A ballot left in a mailbox may not be postmarked until it reaches a processing center, and the date on the postmark is what counts. Mailing early matters more than usual this year, given attacks on mail-in voting and USPS changes that have slowed mail.
Your Plan

Four steps to make sure your vote counts

Step 1

Make sure you’re registered at your current address

Check your registration, or register or update it by Mon, Oct 19. Sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds can pre-register.

While you’re at it, sign up for Where’s My Ballot? You’ll get a text or email when your ballot is mailed, received, and counted, and a warning if there’s a problem with your signature so you can fix it in time.

Missed the deadline? You can still register and vote in person at any vote center, through Election Day. This is called same-day (“conditional”) registration: your ballot is counted once the county confirms your registration.

Step 2

Decide how and when you’ll vote

  • Drop box (our top pick): most are open 24 hours a day, through 8 PM on Nov 3. Find a drop box.
  • Vote center: vote in person or drop off your ballot, starting Oct 24. Find a vote center.
  • Mail: by Oct 20, from a post office counter. No stamp needed.

Then pick a day and put it on your calendar. The county will help you build a plan at plan.lavote.gov, or text PLAN to 528683.

Step 3

Fill out your ballot and sign the envelope

  • Mark your ballot in blue or black ink, then seal it in the return envelope.
  • Sign the envelope next to the red X. A missing signature is one of the most common reasons a ballot isn’t counted.
  • Sign the way you signed when you registered (often your DMV signature). The county compares your signature with the one on file.
  • If you forget to sign, or your signature doesn’t match, your ballot isn’t thrown out right away. The county will contact you so you can fix it. Signing up for Where’s My Ballot? makes sure you hear about it.
Step 4

Turn it in early, and track it

Don’t wait for Election Day. Once your ballot is in, Where’s My Ballot? will tell you when it’s received and counted. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by Nov 3 and arrive by Nov 10, which is one more reason to mail early or use a drop box.

Why Early

Why voting early matters

It’s a long ballot this year, with statewide races, a long list of propositions, and local races and measures. Start reading now: see the guides below.

Spread the Word

Help other people vote early

Common Questions

Do I need ID to vote?

Almost certainly not. California has no general voter ID requirement, and most voters never show ID at a vote center or with a mail ballot.

The one exception: if you’re voting in a federal election for the first time, registered by mail, and left the driver’s license, California ID, and Social Security number fields blank on your form, you may be asked for ID, or for a copy of it with your mail ballot. A passport, driver’s license, state ID, student photo ID, recent utility bill, or a government mailing to you (including your sample ballot booklet) all count.

To register, you need a California driver’s license or ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number, and you must affirm under penalty of perjury that you’re a U.S. citizen.

Links

Official tools

Nonpartisan voter guides