HomeCasting your Ballot

Casting Your Ballot by Mail or In-Person

Vote in the General Election!

Deadline: November 5, 2024

If you're already registered to vote in California, your ballot has been mailed to you.

You DO NOT need to request a mail-in or absentee ballot, it is automatic!

Under the Voter's Choice Act every registered voter in California receives a ballot and a postage-free return envelope for every election.

You've gotten your Vote-by-Mail Ballot. Now What?

1. Research the Candidates and the Measures/Propositions

Here are some non-partisan sources :

Election Forums - links to local Zoom or recordings of League Candidate Forums and Pro/Con's

www/Vote411.org/california – Official LWC source for election Information

PowerSearch.sos.ca.gov – CA Secretary of State has the money info behind the state candidates and ballot measures.

Federal Elections Commission – Campaign finance reports of the money behind federal candidates.

www.ballotpedia.org - one stop shopping for election Information

www.easyvoterguide.org – concise explanations of state propositions

www.lao.ca.gov – government & fiscal analysis

www.sos.ca.gov – online registration, election info

www.lwvc.org – LWV of the state of California

www.cavotes.org – LWV Education Fund information site

2. Vote (Fill it out) at home.

Sign your ballot envelope!! It’s required so that your signature can be compared with the one on file to verify your identity.

Use the Voter Information Guide! The Voter Information Guide (VIG) includes important information about the U.S. Senate and Presidential Primary races and the state ballot proposition. The VIG has already been mailed to active registered voters and is available in several languages and in large-print and audio formats at voterguide.sos.ca.gov.

Double check the address on your registration. To make sure you get your ballot, you can confirm your address at VoterStatus.sos.ca.gov.

Track your ballot. You can sign up to receive updates on your vote-by-mail ballot via text (SMS), email, or voice call through the state’s official “Where’s My Ballot?” tracking tool at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov.

Avoid the most common mistakes that might void your ballot!

OOPs - The Dog ate my Ballot! (OK, I lost it!)

Ask the County Registrar for a new one

Check out the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters (ROV) HERE, where it says:

There are many reasons why you might need a replacement ballot. For example, you might have lost your ballot or made a mistake when marking it. You can also request a replacement ballot if you need to change your address or update your voter registration information.

There are three ways to obtain a replacement ballot:

Online:You can use theRemote Accessible Vote By Mail(RAVBM) system to download a copy of the ballot that can be printed and returned by mail. The LAST DAY to do this isSEVEN (7) DAYS before the election.

By Mail:You can request a new ballot to bemailed to you.Call the Registrar of Voters toll-free at (866) 430-VOTE (8683) . Your request must bereceived at least seven days before the election. After then, replacement ballots are only available in-person.

In-Person:You can pick up a replacement ballot in person at the Registrar of Voters’ Office or at any Vote Center in the County.

3. Return your ballot:

1. By Drop box – All counties will offer secure drop boxes to return your ballot. They are set up about 3 weeks before Election Day, and ballots are collected every day.
Make sure your ballot is deposited before 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

2. By Mail – No stamp is required to return your ballot through the US Postal Service. To ensure your ballot is postmarked by by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, Mail Early (best by the Friday before)

3. In-person – You can return your ballot to a polling place - a Vote Center or the county elections office - by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
Santa Clara County will have early voting locations available days before Election Day.
Voting locations offer voter registration, replacement ballots, accessible voting machines, and language assistance.

4. You've Returned Your Ballot; Wonder where it is?

You can go online to check with the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters (ROV) to see the status of your ballot.

Also, all voters can now get update notifications on their ballots through California’s official “Where’s My Ballot?” tracking tool.
Signing up takes less than 3 minutes!

How can you track?
When you sign up, you can choose to get notifications on the status of your ballot by:

text (SMS),
email, and/or
voice call

What gets tracked?
You will get notifications such as:
- Ballot Printed - when your county elections office has printed your ballot and is preparing to send it to you.
- Ballot Inbound - when the Postal Service has told your county elections office that they have the ballot you mailed, and they are taking it to your county elections office.
- Ballot Received - the county election office has received your ballot
- Ballot Alert - Alerts if there are any issues with your ballot, plus instructions for how to correct them to make sure your vote is counted.
- Ballot Accepted - Your ballot was received by your county elections office and will be counted.
Don't miss out on the chance to track your ballot every step of the way!