How to Vote
ELECTION DAY IS NOVEMBER 03,2026
2026 Register to Vote Flier.pdf(PDF, 120KB)
To register to vote in California, you must be:
- A United States citizen
- 18 years of age
- Not currently in prison or on parole
- If you will be 18 on or before Election Day, you must register at least 15 days before Election Day.
You must register in the county in which you live by completing a Voter Registration Form. Additional voter information can be found here.
Register to Vote
Visit the California Secretary of State website to register and Pre-Register (Age 16-17).
Where do I fill out the Voter Registration Form?
- Voter Registration Forms are available at the City Clerk's Office, Post Office, Main and Grand Libraries, and the CA Department of Motor Vehicles.
- Ballots are available in English, Spanish, and Chinese.
- You may register online with the California Secretary of State at registertovote.ca.gov.
- Print the National Voter Registration Form, complete it, and mail it to the Secretary of State, 1500 11th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.
How do I fill out the Voter Registration Form?
- Your first, middle, and last names.
- Your residence address, where you live. PO Boxes, business addresses, and mailing addresses cannot be used as your residence address. If you do not have a residence address, please contact the Voter Registration Division at (650) 312-5222 for assistance.
- Your mailing address, if different from your residence address. You may receive voter information at any address you designate.
- Your birth date and birthplace (state or foreign country).
- Your political affiliation, if any. If you do not want to be affiliated with a party, select "Decline to State". Forms without a party designation will automatically be registered as "Decline to State".
- Your signature
Check Voter Registration Status and Your Election Information
During an election, you can confirm your ballot on the County’s Elections Division page.
Do I have to pick a political party?
California law permits you to register with one of the seven qualified political parties: American Independent, Democratic, Green, Libertarian, Natural Law, Reform, Republican, or as a non-partisan voter (Decline to state). Persons must be registered with a qualified political party to vote for that party's partisan candidate in Primary elections only.
Exception: Non-partisan voters (i.e., persons not affiliated with any qualified political party) are allowed to vote for any candidate regardless of the candidate's political affiliation if political parties adopt party rules authorizing such voters to do so. General elections allow every voter to choose any candidate, regardless of party affiliation.
Who has access to my registration information?
Voter registration information is available to persons or groups for election, scholarly, journalistic, political, or governmental purposes as determined by the Secretary of State. All requests to view, purchase, or use voter registration information must be accompanied by a written application.
Voter Resources
The San Mateo Elections and Registrar of Voters office at www.smcacre.org provides online information on voter registration, election schedules, vote-by-mail, the California Elections Code, voter turnout, election results, election officer opportunities, and political parties.
Other election-related sites are listed below:
For further information, please contact the City Clerk at (650) 877-8518.