Do you know your voting rights?

California Voting Rules

Prepared by the Voices of the Electorate -- Election Protection Task Force




1) On Election Day, each polling place opens at 7:00 a.m. and closes at 8:00 p.m. If you are in the polling place or in line when the polls close at 8:00 p.m., you have the right to vote in the election.1

2) If you are otherwise eligible to vote and your name is on the election roster at the polling location, you have the right to vote and do not need any form of identification.2

3) You have the right to be assisted with voting if you cannot read, are blind, or are visually or physically impaired and unable to mark your ballot yourself. You may choose up to two people except your employer, an agent of your employer, or an officer or agent of your union to help you. If you are physically disabled, and a polling place is not accessible, you may approach as near as possible to the voting area and request voting at that location, be it at a curb, in a car, or otherwise located outside the polls.3

4) If you do not have enough time to vote, outside of working hours, you have the right to take time off to vote at the beginning or the end of your regular working hours.4

5) If you are properly registered for a precinct, you have the right to vote by provisional ballot even if your name is not included in the precinct register.5

6) If you have moved within the same county, you have the right to vote by provisional ballot in the election precinct of your new residence or at the office of the county elections official or another designated location, upon showing proof of current residence.6

7) If you make a mistake or “spoil” your ballot and you have not cast the ballot, you have the right to request a replacement ballot from election officials. You may receive up to two replacement ballots.7

8) If you are a registered voter in California, you have the right to vote by absentee ballot.8

9) If you are within 100 feet of a polling place entrance, you have the right to wait to vote (or vote) without anyone “electioneering” or trying to influence your vote in any way.9

10) If you have been convicted of a misdemeanor, or if you have been convicted of a felony and have completed your sentence of imprisonment or parole, you have the right to vote.10

11) You have the right to bring your child under 18 years of age into the voting booth with you.11

12) If you are a resident of a county required to furnish ballots in languages other than English under the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, you have the right to a ballot in a language other than English. If you are not a member of a county required to provide non-English ballots, you have the right to access to a facsimile copy of the ballot with ballot measures and instructions printed in Spanish, and also to facsimile copies in other languages if a significant and substantial need is found by the elections official.12


[1] Cal.Elec.Code §14212 and §14401
[2] §14216
[3] §14282
[4] §14000(a)
[5] §14310 (a)
[6] §14311
[7] §14288
[8] §3003
[9] §18541
[10] §2250(a)(9)
[11] §14222
[12] §14201 and §14219