VOTE IN CALIFORNIA

for 2026 General Election

Tuesday, November 3rd

VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE:

Monday, October 19th, 2026 (online, mail-in)

Monday, October 19th, 2026 (in person)

HOW DO YOU PLAN TO REGISTER TO VOTE?

• VOTER REGISTRATION: ONLINE

  All voters wishing to vote in 2026 General Election in California must be registered to vote by Monday, October 19th. Click here to register to vote online.

• VOTER REGISTRATION: BY MAIL

  To vote in the 2026 General Election in California, voters registering by mail must have their voter registration forms postmarked on or before Monday, October 19, 2026. No postage is necessary if mailed within the U.S. To have a paper voter registration application mailed to you, please call the California Secretary of State’s voter hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683) or email Elections Division staff.

  For step-by-step instructions, see How to Fill Out a California Voter Registration Card (PDF).

• VOTER REGISTRATION: IN PERSON

  The regular voter registration deadline for the 2026 General Election in California is Monday, October 19, 2026. You can register in person at your county elections office or the DMV, or pick up a paper registration form at a library or U.S. Post Office. If you miss the deadline, you can still register and vote from October 20 through Election Day through Conditional Voter Registration (same-day registration) at your county elections office, a vote center, or a polling place. For more information, please visit Same Day Voter Registration.

HOW DO YOU PLAN TO VOTE?

• VOTE IN PERSON

  Polling place hours: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. for casting votes and dropping off vote-by-mail ballots. Tuesday, November 3, 2026, is the last day to vote in person.

  In most cases, California voters are not required to show identification to a poll worker before casting a ballot.

  Special requirement for first-time voters: If you are voting in a federal election for the first time, registered by mail or online, and did not provide your California driver’s license number, California ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number when registering, you may be asked to show identification at the polls.

  Acceptable forms of identification include a recent utility bill, the sample ballot booklet from your county elections office, or another document sent to you by a government agency, as well as a passport, driver’s license, state ID card, or student ID showing your name and photo. Photo ID is not required, and your ID does not need to show your address or be government-issued. You can review the complete list of acceptable forms of identification. If you do not have acceptable identification, you can still cast a provisional ballot. For more information, call the Secretary of State’s toll-free Voter Hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683).

• VOTE EARLY (IN PERSON)

  Early voting is available beginning October 5, 2026, at county elections offices and other designated locations in California. Please reach your county election office to check availability in your county. The list of election offices in all counties throughout California may be found at this link.

  The first vote centers open for early in-person voting in all Voter’s Choice Act counties on October 24th. In-person early voting locations throughout California will be open on Saturday, October 31st.

• VOTE BY MAIL

  Please be reminded that all registered voters in California will automatically receive a mail-in ballot for the general election this year. You may find more information on the mail-in ballot at this link. Your mail-in ballot will be sent starting on October 5th, prior to Election Day.

  • Drop off your completed ballot in the return envelope at a secure official drop box in your county at any time between October 6th through the close of polls on November 3rd.
  • When returning your mail-in ballot, it must be postmarked on or before November 3rd and received not later than November 10th. To ensure your ballot is postmarked by Election Day make sure to mail it at least 5 days in advance. If mailing on Election Day, get a hand-stamped postmark from a postal employee inside a United States Post Office.
  • Your mail-in ballot may also be submitted to a drop-off box or in person by 8:00 p.m. on November 3rd.
  • Click here to find the list of vote centers and ballot drop boxes where your mail-in ballot may be submitted.
  • For the 2026 General Election, all registered voters in California will automatically receive a mail-in ballot. You can check your voter registration status and the address associated with you at this link.

  If you need to change any of the information on your voter registration, you may do so at this link by October 19th.

MORE INFORMATION FOR CALIFORNIA VOTERS

• KOREAN LANGUAGE SERVICES

  VOTER REGISTRATION
  California offers the voter registration form in Korean. Online voter registration is offered in Korean at this link.
  For paper registration forms, please contact your county elections office. You may also select “Korean” as your preferred language when registering to vote, in order to receive all election-related information in Korean from your county election office.

  BALLOTS
  Korean-language ballots are available in select counties in California, including Los Angeles County and Orange County.

  INTERPRETER AT POLLING PLACE
  If you require an interpreter at the poll site, please request for one to a poll worker on site. You will be provided with an interpreter either in person or on the phone. This process may take a while, but all California voters are entitled to language assistance.

• Positions on the Ballot: 2026 General Election (Federal Races)

  U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
  A U.S. House Representative serves a term of 2 years. All positions in the 52 congressional districts of California are on the ballot. Find your congressional district on the U.S. House of Representatives website. Below are the candidates to be voted in the 2026 General Election. Incumbents are denoted with an asterisk (*).
  ▹ 1st district: Mike McGuire (D) vs. James Gallagher* (R)
  ▹ 2nd district: Jared Huffman* (D) vs. Robin Littau (R)
  ▹ 3rd district: Ami Bera* (D) vs. Robb Tucker (R)
  ▹ 4th district: Mike Thompson* (D) vs. Eric Jones (D)
  ▹ 5th district: Michael Masuda (D) vs. Tom McClintock* (R)
  ▹ 6th district: Kevin Kiley* (Unaffiliated) vs. Richard Pan (D)
  ▹ 7th district: Doris Matsui* (D) vs. Mai Vang (D)
  ▹ 8th district: John Garamendi* (D) vs. Rudy Recile (R)
  ▹ 9th district: Josh Harder* (D) vs. John McBride (R)
  ▹ 10th district: Mark DeSaulnier* (D) vs. Jeffrey Frese (R)
  ▹ 11th district: Connie Chan (D) vs. Scott Wiener (D)
  ▹ 12th district: Lateefah Simon* (D) vs. Jamie Joyce (D)
  ▹ 13th district: Adam Gray* (D) vs. Kevin Lincoln II (R)
  ▹ 14th district: Melissa Hernandez (D) vs. Aisha Wahab (D)
  ▹ 15th district: Kevin Mullin* (D) vs. Charles Hoelter (R)
  ▹ 16th district: Sam Liccardo* (D) vs. Peter Soule (R)
  ▹ 17th district: Ro Khanna* (D) vs. Ritesh Tandon (R)
  ▹ 18th district: Zoe Lofgren* (D) vs. Shane Lewis (R)
  ▹ 19th district: Jimmy Panetta* (D) vs. Peter Verbica (R)
  ▹ 20th district: Sandra Van Scotter (D) vs Vince Fong* (R)
  ▹ 21st district: Jim Costa* (D) vs Kyle Kirkland (R)
  ▹ 22nd district: Randy Villegas (D) vs. David G. Valadao* (R)
  ▹ 23rd district: Tessa Lynn Hodge (D) vs. Jay Obernolte* (R)
  ▹ 24th district: Salud Carbajal* (D) vs. Bob Smith (R)
  ▹ 25th district: Raul Ruiz* (D) vs. Joe Males (R)
  ▹ 26th district: Jacqui Irwin (D) vs. Samuel Gallucci (R)
  ▹ 27th district: George Whitesides* (D) vs. Jason Gibbs (R)
  ▹ 28th district: Judy Chu* (D) vs. April Verlato (R)
  ▹ 29th district: Luz Maria Rivas* (D) vs. Angélica María Dueñas (D)
  ▹ 30th district: Laura Friedman* (D) vs. Scott Meyers (R)
  ▹ 31st district: Gil Cisneros* (D) vs. Eric Ching (R)
  ▹ 32nd district: Brad Sherman* (D) vs. Larry Thompson (R)
  ▹ 33rd district: Pete Aguilar* (D) vs. Stephanie Vargas (R)
  ▹ 34th district: Jimmy Gomez* (D) vs. Angela Gonzales-Torres (D)
  ▹ 35th district: Norma Torres* (D) vs. Mike Cargile (R)
  ▹ 36th district: Ted Lieu* (D) vs. Houston Brignano (R)
  ▹ 37th district: Sydney Kamlager-Dove* (D) vs. Samantha Mota (D)
  ▹ 38th district: Hilda Solis (D) vs. Pedro Casas (R)
  ▹ 39th district: Mark Takano* (D) vs. Steve Manos (R)
  ▹ 40th district: Ken Calvert* (R) vs. Young Kim* (R)
  ▹ 41st district: Linda Sánchez* (D) vs. Mitch Clemmons (R)
  ▹ 42nd district: Robert Garcia* (D) vs. Brian Burley (R)
  ▹ 43rd district: Maxine Waters* (D) vs. Cristian Morales (R)
  ▹ 44th district: Nanette Barragan* (D) vs. Genevieve Angel (R)
  ▹ 45th district: Derek Tran* (D) vs. Chuong Vo (R)
  ▹ 46th district: Lou Correa* (D) vs. David Pan (R)
  ▹ 47th district: Dave Min* (D) vs. Jenny Rae Le Roux (R)
  ▹ 48th district: Marni von Wilpert (D) vs. Jim Desmond (R)
  ▹ 49th district: Mike Levin* (D) vs. Armen Kurdian (R)
  ▹ 50th district: Scott Peters* (D) vs. Steve Cohen (R)
  ▹ 51st district: Sara Jacobs* (D) vs. Ricardo Cabrera (R)
  ▹ 52nd district: Juan Vargas* (D) vs. Jeff Belle (R)

• Positions on the Ballot: 2026 General Election (State-Wide Races)

  GOVERNOR:
  The Governor of California is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch and the highest state office in California. The governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two terms. Below are the candidates to be voted in the 2026 General Election.
  ▹ Xavier Becerra (D) vs. Steve Hilton (R)

  LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR:
  The Lieutenant Governor of California is an elected constitutional officer, the second-ranking officer of the executive branch and the first person in line to succeed the Governor of California. The lieutenant governor is popularly elected every four years and is limited to two terms. Below are the candidates to be voted in the 2026 General Election.
  ▹ Fiona Ma (D) vs. Gloria J. Romero (R)

  ATTORNEY GENERAL
  The Attorney General of California is the chief law officer of California and the state’s primary legal counsel. The attorney general is popularly elected every four years and limited to two terms in office. Below are the candidates to be voted in the 2026 General Election.
  ▹ Rob Bonta* (D) vs. Michael Gates (R)

  SECRETARY OF STATE
  The California Secretary of State is an elected state executive officer established by the California Constitution. He or she serves as the state’s chief election officer, keeps the state’s key documents including the constitution and Great Seal, and keeps the state archives. The Secretary of State is popularly elected every four years and is limited to two terms. Below are the candidates to be voted in the 2026 General Election.
  ▹ Shirley Weber* (D) vs. Donald P. Wagner (R)

  CONTROLLER
  The California State Controller is an elected state executive office established by the California Constitution. The controller acts as the state’s accountant and bookkeeper, tracking and controlling disbursement of state funds from the treasury. The State Controller is popularly elected every four years and is limited to two terms. Below are the candidates to be voted in the 2026 General Election.
  ▹ Malia Cohen* (D) vs. Herb Morgan (R)

  CALIFORNIA COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE
  The California Commissioner of Insurance is an elected state executive position in the California state government. The commissioner oversees the California Department of Insurance, which regulates the state’s insurance industry. The Commissioner of Insurance is popularly elected every four years and is limited to two terms. Below are the candidates to be voted in the 2026 General Election.
  ▹ Ben Allen (D) vs. Jane Kim (D)

  CALIFORNIA SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
  The California Superintendent of Public Instruction is an elected, constitutional, state executive position in the California state government. The superintendent oversees the California Department of Education and, by extension, all of the state of California’s public schools. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is popularly elected every four years and is limited to two terms. Below are the candidates to be voted in the 2026 General Election.
  ▹ Richard Barrera (Nonpartisan) vs. Sonja Shaw (Nonpartisan)

  TREASURER OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
  The Treasurer of the State of California is an elected state executive office in the government of California. The treasurer acts as the chief investment officer, banker, and financier of the state government and is responsible for managing the state’s pooled money investment account. The Treasurer is popularly elected every four years and is limited to two terms. Below are the candidates to be voted in the 2026 General Election.
  ▹ Eleni Kounalakis (D) vs. Jennifer Hawks (R)

  CALIFORNIA BOARD OF EQUALIZATION
  The California Board of Equalization is an elected executive agency of the California state government, responsible for administering various taxes and overseeing county property tax assessments. The four elected seats are popularly elected every four years and are limited to two terms. Below are the candidates to be voted in the 2026 General Election.
  ▹ District 1: Nelson Esparza (D) vs. Shannon Grove (R)
  ▹ District 2: Sally Lieber* (D) vs. John Pimentel (D)
  ▹ District 3: Mike Gipson (D) vs. Samuel Sukaton (D)
  ▹ District 4: Tom Umberg (D) vs. Denis Bilodeau (R)

  CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE
  A State Senator of California serves a term of 4 years. Of the 40 California Senate Districts, those in the even-numbered districts are on the ballot. Find your legislative district on the California State Legislature website. Below are the Districts to be voted in the 2026 General Election for select districts. 
  Districts 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40.

  CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY
  A State Assembly Member of California serves a term of 2 years. All positions in the 80 California Assembly Districts are on the ballot. Find your legislative district on the California State Legislature website. 

  CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT
  The terms of two California Supreme Court justices will expire on January 4, 2027. The two seats are up for retention election.

  CALIFORNIA INTERMEDIATE APPELLATE COURT
  The terms of sixty-two California intermediate appellate court judges will expire on January 4, 2027. The sixty-two seats are up for retention election.
  

  A complete list of all positions, candidates, and ballot measures can be found on the certificate issued by the California Secretary of State. Information on all positions and candidates for local elections will be provided by each county’s election office.

• STATEWIDE BALLOT MEASURES

  STATEWIDE BALLOT MEASURES
  ▹ Proposition 1: Issue $11.25 billion in bonds for housing affordability programs, including multifamily rental housing, home loans for veterans, supportive housing, preservation of existing affordable housing, downpayment assistance, and farmworker, tribal, and student housing.
  ▹ Proposition 2: Raise the cap on the state’s rainy day fund (Budget Stabilization Account) from 10% to 20% of General Fund tax revenue, allowing the state to save more in high-revenue years, and exclude rainy day fund deposits from the state spending limit (Gann Limit).
  ▹Proposition 3: Make permanent the additional income tax rates on high earners, first enacted by Proposition 30 in 2012 and extended by Proposition 55 in 2016, to fund schools and health care.
  ▹ Proposition 4: Allow the state and local governments to create programs that provide candidates with public funds under spending limits and eligibility rules.
  ▹ Proposition 5: Eliminate the successor election when a state officer is recalled, thereby leaving the office vacant until it is filled according to state law.
  ▹ Proposition 37: Authorize up to $25 billion in bonds to provide fixed-rate second mortgages of up to 17% of the purchase price for eligible middle-income buyers of newly built homes, repaid by homeowners’ mortgage payments rather than the State.
  ▹ Proposition 39: Require voters to present government-issued identification when casting ballots and require election officials to use government data to confirm voter citizenship and report verification rates.
  ▹ Proposition 40: Levy a one-time 5% tax on the accumulated wealth of taxpayers and trusts with covered assets valued over $1 billion to fund state health care programs, food assistance programs, and public education.
  ▹ Proposition 41: Prohibit new state taxes that exclude their revenues from the state spending limit, and require audits of programs funded by new state special taxes enacted after January 1, 2026.
  ▹ Proposition 42: Prohibit the enactment of new taxes after January 1, 2026 on ownership or accumulation of retirement holdings, individually-owned assets, and other forms of personal savings.
  ▹ Proposition 43: Require two-thirds vote by electorate to enact, extend, or increase local special tax initiatives and prohibit local governments and ballot initiatives from enacting ad valorem property taxes except those authorized elsewhere in the state constitution.
  ▹ Proposition 44: Prohibit healthcare clinics, specifically federally-qualified health centers and related organizations, from spending less than 90% of their annual revenue on mission-related purposes
  ▹ Proposition 45: Establish timelines for local and state agencies to review plans and solicit public comment for essential projects, such as housing, improvements to water supply, transportation, energy, and facilities for health and public safety.
  

  A complete list of all positions, candidates, and ballot measures can be found on the certificate issued by the California Secretary of State. Information on all positions and candidates for local elections will be provided by each county’s election office.

• Pre-Registration

  California youth who pre-register to vote will have their registration become active once they turn 18 years old. Pre-registration does not change the voting age, which is 18. Instead, it allows eligible Californians ages 16 or 17 to complete the online voter registration form providing sufficient time and opportunity to get ready to vote. In order to pre-register to vote, one must be:

  • a U.S. citizen and a resident of California,
  • Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for conviction of felony, and
  • Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court.

  More information on the qualifications and voting rights may be found at this link.

  Pre-registration methods are the same as regular voter registration. Online pre-registration is available in both English and Korean. Paper forms may be picked up at your local county elections office, library, Department of Motor Vehicles office, or U.S. Post Office. High schools are also provided with applications to be made available to all students. To request a pre-registration application mailed to you, call your county election office or the office of the California Secretary of State at its toll-free voter hotline (800) 345-8683.

• Affidavit & Provisional Ballot

  A provisional ballot is a regular ballot that is placed in a special envelope prior to being put in the ballot box. It is available for the voters whose identification is not verified at a polling place. A provisional ballot may be offered to those who believe they are registered to vote even though their names are not on the official voter registration list at the polling place and those who applied to vote by mail but would like to cast a vote in person.
  Every voter who casts a provisional ballot has the right to find out from their county elections official if the ballot was counted and, if not, the reason why it was not counted. Visit this website for a list of county contacts and information on how to check the status of your provisional ballot.

• College Students & Voters Overseas

  If you are a Californian living away from home while attending college, trade school, or technical school, you may register to vote using either your school address or your permanent home address. The choice is yours, but you may be registered at only one address at a time and may not vote in more than one place in the same election. If you register at your home address, you can request that your vote-by-mail ballot be sent to your school mailing address.

  Californians living temporarily outside the U.S., whether students or not, may register to vote and request a vote-by-mail ballot using the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) or through California Online Voter Registration. For more information, visit the Secretary of State’s Military and Overseas Voters page.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN CALIFORNIA?

  You must be a United States citizen and 18 years old or older on the date of the election. You must be a legal resident of California (for information on voters in the military or overseas, please see Military and Overseas Voters). You must not currently be serving a state or federal prison term for a conviction of a felony (for more information, please see Voting Rights: Persons with a Criminal History), and not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court (for more information, please see Voting Rights: Persons Subject to Conservatorship).

• How often do I need to register to vote?

  You are required to register to vote only once. However, if information like your name or address changes, you need to fill out the voter registration form again to keep your voter information up to date. Check your voter registration information at this link.

• Which party should I be affiliated with?

  KAGC does not endorse any party or candidate; as such KAGC does not guide anyone to vote for, or be affiliated with, any specific party. In most parts of the United States, the Republican Party and Democratic Party are two major political parties. Throughout U.S. history, 19 presidents have been Republican (including Presidents Lincoln, Reagan, Bush, and Trump) and 16 have been Democrats (including Presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Kennedy, Obama, and Biden) You may find more information on their respective websites. When registering to vote in California, it is not mandatory for a voter to declare party affiliation. 

• Am I limited to vote for the party I'm affiliated with?

  In California, voters may vote for any candidate of their choice for each position on the ballot in both the primary and general elections.

• What is this year's election about?

  This year’s general election is the Midterm General Election, so on top of the ballot across the U.S. this year will be the candidates for offices other than that of the U.S. President or U.S. Vice President. In California, there are candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, various statewide legislative and judicial positions, as well as several local positions and statewide ballot measures. For more information, please see the section above on this page.

• What is my district? Who is running in my district?

  The 2026 U.S. House elections use new congressional district maps adopted under Proposition 50, which may differ from your current district. To find your district and the candidates running in it, check the sample ballot mailed by your county elections office or contact your county elections office. For information on your California State Senate and Assembly districts, please visit the California State Legislature website.

• Must I vote for each position on the ballot?

  Voters are not required to vote for every single position listed on the ballot. You may skip any position you do not support any candidate for. In California’s general election, write-in candidates are not permitted for voter-nominated offices such as U.S. House, State Legislature, and statewide offices; write-in rules for local offices vary, so check with your county elections office. In the general election, voters may also vote for any candidate of preference regardless of party affiliations.

• What happens if I move?

  If you move within California, you must update your registration with your new address. If you move to another state, you must register to vote in your new state. Government agencies often mail election-related information to your address on file, which sometimes requires a prompt response. When a response is missing for a certain period of time, your voter registration may be considered inactive and is subject to elimination.

• I registered to vote a long time ago. What should I do now?

  Please visit this website to check your voter registration status, as well as the information on your voter registration. If your status is inactive, your information does not appear, or any of your information is inaccurate, please fill out the voter registration form and submit it by the deadline.

• Does voting lead to a mandatory jury duty?

  No. Registering to vote or voting does not automatically result in being called for jury duty. In California, prospective jurors are randomly selected from multiple sources, including voter registration records, DMV records, and state tax filer records. Therefore, voter registration is one of several sources used for jury selection, but registering to vote does not mean that you will automatically be summoned for jury duty.