Request your California absentee or mail ballot

• Earliest day to apply: January 1, 2020
• Request deadline (online): N/A
• Request deadline (by mail): Received 7 days before Election Day
• Request deadline (in person): 7 days before Election Day
• Deadline to return your ballot (by mail): Postmarked by Election Day
• Deadline to return your ballot (in person): Received by Election Day

In almost all cases, you will need to sign up to vote by mail. The state won’t just mail you a ballot. Don't worry: we will walk you through it. There are only a handful of steps:

1. You submit an application to vote by mail.
2. Your Local Election Office processes your application.
3. Your Local Election Office sends your ballot to you.
4. You vote using the ballot and return it by the deadline.

1. Download the California absentee ballot application.
2. Fill out all of the required fields.
3. Print the application.
4. Sign and date your application. This is very important.
5. Mail or hand-deliver your completed application directly to your Local Election Office as soon as possible, but no later than the deadline.
6. If it’s close to the deadline, call your Local Election Office and see if they will let you submit your application via email or fax.
7. The deadline to apply by mail is: Received 7 days before Election Day.

1. Visit your Local Election Office.
2. Ask the clerk to give you an absentee ballot application.
3. Fill out all of the required fields.
4. Sign and date your application.
5. The deadline to apply in person is: 7 days before Election Day.

1. Carefully read and follow the instructions, and fill out all required fields.
2. Sign and date the outside envelope.
3. Mail or hand-deliver your ballot to your Local Election Office. You can also hand-deliver your ballot to a state-provided dropbox. Please check with your Local Election Office if your county has a dropbox. You can use our Find Out Where To Vote tool to find an official dropbox.
4. If you mail your ballot, it must be Postmarked by Election Day.
5. If you hand-deliver your ballot, it must be Received by Election Day.
6. If you miss the deadline – or forget to sign the outside envelope – your vote will not be counted.

• ID required when requesting a mail-in ballot: The signature on your absentee ballot application will be compared to the signature on your voter registration card to ensure they match.
• ID required when returning a mail-in ballot: Your signature on the return envelope will be compared to the signature on your voter registration card to ensure they match. If you forget to sign the return envelope, your ballot might be rejected.