State laws and judicial rulings support the rights of people experiencing homelessness to vote. But that doesn't mean the process is easy to figure out.

If you're unhoused and want to vote, this FAQ is intended to help address some of the most common challenges, such as:

• No access to a mailing address or way to get mail.
• Loss of identification documents.
• No outreach on dates and subjects of elections.
• Confusion about polling places.

This FAQ is specifically for people who are experiencing homelessness. If you are not experiencing homelessness or don’t find your question or answer below, it may be covered in one of our other FAQs. And if you still have a question that has not been answered, you can submit a question at the bottom of this story.

Registration

How do I register without a permanent address?

You don’t need a permanent address to register to vote. See: Voters Experiencing Homelessness Fact Sheet from the California Secretary of State.

When you register, you can list the nearest cross streets or use similar location details to describe where you live. After that, you can vote at any polling station in the county in which you are registered to vote.

The deadline to register online to vote in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election is Oct. 19.

You can also register to vote in person at any vote center through Election Day. That’s called same-day voter registration. The same information about your location applies.

Register to vote online.

Can I register without identification?

You don’t need to have government-issued identification to register to vote.

If you do not have a government-issued identification card, you can register to vote with the last four digits of your Social Security number.

If you don’t know your Social Security number or you don’t have one, you can still register. Leave the box asking for your identification information blank, and your county elections official will assign you a number to identify you as a voter.

If I didn’t register to vote before going to a polling station, can I still vote?

Yes, you can still vote if you didn’t register in advance.

California offers same-day voter registration. That means you can go to any open vote center after, fill out the registration paperwork, and then vote.

If you follow that process, you will vote with a provisional ballot. That means your ballot will be counted after election officials confirm the validity of your voter registration and ensure you haven’t already voted.

If you don’t have a government-issued identification card, don’t know your Social Security number or don’t have one, it may take longer to verify your ballot and count it. You can keep track of your ballot's progress here. Register for ballot tracking here.

Vote by mail

Can I vote by mail without an address?

If you do not list a mailing address on your voter registration, you will not receive a mail-in ballot and will have to vote in person at a polling station.

However, if there is a place where you can reliably receive mail, such as a P.O. box or a friend's address, you can list that place as your mailing address. The voter registration form allows you to list a home address and indicate that you have a separate mailing address. (Your home address should reflect where you are living. You can list the nearest cross streets or give other descriptions.)

To update your mailing address, you’ll have to update your voter registration. The deadline is Oct. 19. After that date, you’ll need to reregister and vote in person. If you vote in a Voter’s Choice Act county (Los Angeles and Orange counties are both VCA counties), you can re-register and vote in person at any vote center in your county after they open on Saturday, Oct. 31. Select polling locations will open one week earlier, on Saturday, Oct. 24.

How to return your mail-in ballot

You can return your completed mail-in ballot several ways:

• Mail your ballot in by dropping it in any post office mailbox; no postage required. Just make sure the ballot gets postmarked no later than Nov. 3, 2026.
• Turn your ballot in at a vote center or polling place in your county by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3, 2026.
• Drop your ballot in an official drop box in your county by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3, 2026. Ballot drop-off locations are open now for the Nov. 3 election.  Here's where to find one near you in L.A. County and in Orange County.
• Note: Avoid fake drop boxes. Here is what official drop boxes in L.A. County and Orange County look like. 
• Designate another person to drop it off for you — as long as that person doesn't get paid to pick up ballots. There's a space on your ballot envelope to write the name of the person you've chosen to turn in your vote. 

Be sure to sign your ballot envelope with the signature that matches what election officials have on file (the one with your voter registration). Again, no worries about stamps! Postage is free for all mail-in ballots in California.

Voting in person

How do I find the nearest polling station to vote in-person?

If you are registered to vote in L.A. County, you can vote at any polling station in the county. It’s OK if it’s in a different city than where you live. You can find a list of polling locations here.

If you are registered to vote in Orange County, you can vote at any polling station in Orange County.

Can I bring my pet to a vote center?

Service animals are allowed in vote centers, but pets typically are not.

What do I do if a poll worker tries to turn me away?

Poll workers aren’t allowed to discriminate against people experiencing homelessness or keep them from casting a vote.

If you run into issues, you should ask to speak to the person in charge of the vote center. If they don't help you, call the California Secretary of State's voter hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683) for English or (800) 232-VOTA (8682) for Spanish. Here is a link to hotline assistance in other languages.

How do I figure out who to vote for?

One of the biggest barriers to voting, regardless of whether you are housed or unhoused, is the same: getting the information you need to make a decision.

One place to start? By exploring our full Voter Game Plan to help you figure it all out. (Note: We do not make endorsements or tell you how to vote. Instead, we help provide you with the resources to choose candidates and measures that align with your own values.)

Additional resources for voters experiencing homelessness

• The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness' step-by-step voting guide for people experiencing homelessness.
• The National Coalition for the Homeless' "Know your Voting Rights Guide for People Experiencing Homelessness."

Who do I contact if I still have voter registration questions?

The California Secretary of State has a voting hotline you can call at (800) 345-VOTE (8683), or you can reach out via email at elections@sos.ca.gov.

You can contact your local county elections office.

You can also ask us via the form below, and our Voter Game Plan team will do our best to get you an answer.