California Secretary of State reminds voters of their rights ahead of Election Day

California officials want to remind people they have specific rights related to voting.

“Californians should review the Voter Bill of Rights before heading to the polls to ensure a smooth voting experience,” Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber said.

“I urge voters to take the time to know their rights before heading to the polls.”

The California Voter Bill of Rights is printed in the Voter Information Guide sent to every active registered voting household in the state. It also will be posted at every polling location and vote center.  

The Voter Bill of Rights is available online, including with translations in 27 languages. An informational video is also available here (with a Spanish translation here).

The document contains the following crucial voting rights information:

• You have the right to vote if you are a registered voter. You are eligible to vote if you are:
  • a U.S. citizen living in California
  • at least 18 years old
  • registered where you currently live
  • not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony
  • not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court
• You have the right to vote if you are a registered voter, even if your name is not on the list. You will vote using a provisional ballot. Your vote will be counted if elections officials determine that you are eligible to vote. 
• You have the right to vote if you are still in line when the polls close. It’s important for voters to understand this so they do not leave their place in line just because it’s 8 p.m. on Election Day.
• You have the right to cast a secret ballot. No one should bother you or tell you how to vote.
• You have the right to get a new ballot if you’ve made a mistake, if you have not already cast your ballot. You can:
  • Ask an elections official at a polling place for a new ballot
  • Exchange your vote-by-mail ballot for a new one at an elections office or at your polling place or
  • Vote using a provisional ballot. Your vote will be counted if elections officials determine you are eligible to vote. 
• You have the right to get help casting your ballot from anyone you choose, except from your employer or union representative.
• You have the right to drop off your completed vote-by-mail ballot at any polling place in California.
• You have the right to get election materials in a language other than English if enough people in your voting precinct speak that language.
• You have the right to ask questions to elections officials about procedures and watch the election process.  If the person you ask cannot answer your questions, they must send you to the right person for an answer.  If you are disruptive, they can stop answering you.
• You have the right to report any illegal or fraudulent election activity to an elections official or the Secretary of State’s office.

The Secretary of State’s Voter Information Hotline is available for all voters if they have questions about the voting process or if they need to report illegal or fraudulent election activity. The hotline is available in multiple languages and formats. More information can be found here.

Anyone who is uncertain of their voter registration status can quickly check it online at this link.

Voters can track their ballot by signing up to automatically receive text, email or voice status alerts, including information about whether their ballot has been received, counted or needs to be corrected before it can be counted. 

A complete list of dropbox locations can be found on the Secretary of State’s Early Voting and Vote-by-Mail Ballot Drop-off Locations website.