You Can Vote In The March 2024 Presidential Primary Even If You’re Not Registered With A Party. Here’s How

California is voting in the presidential primary election this March. If you’re a registered voter with a political party, you’ll automatically get a ballot with that party's presidential candidates.

But if you aren’t affiliated with any party — that is, you’re registered as “No Party Preference” — here’s what to do if you want to participate in the presidential primary, too.

You want to vote in the Democratic, Libertarian or American Independent primary

“No Party Preference” voters are allowed to vote for a presidential candidate for any one of these parties. But in order to do so, you have to request what's called a "crossover ballot." Just pick which party’s primary you want to participate in, and you’ll get a ballot with their candidates on it.

You can request a crossover ballot right now at the L.A. County Registrar’s website or call (800) 815-2666, option 2. If you’re in any other county, you can fill out this form and submit it to your county elections office.

Ballots started getting mailed out in early February, so if you didn't make this request early, you will get a ballot with no presidential candidates on it.

But don’t panic! You can still request a mail-in crossover ballot all the way through Feb. 27, and you’ll receive a replacement as long as you haven’t already cast a ballot.

If you plan to vote in person, you can ask for a crossover ballot all the way through Election Day on March 5. Just request one when you get to the voting center. (Those open on Feb. 24.)

You want to vote in the Republican, Green or Peace and Freedom primary

The only way to vote for any of these presidential candidates in the primary is to register with one of the parties. You can check your voter status and change your party affiliation at the California Secretary of State’s website.

The last day you can do that online is Feb. 20, but you can change your party affiliation in-person all the way through Election Day on March 5.

You want to vote for an independent candidate

The primary election is about choosing a party's presidential candidate. If you want to vote for a candidate who is running as an independent, meaning they're not running as part of a political party, there's nothing for you to do until the general election in November.

You don’t want to vote in the presidential primary

No need to do anything in that case! You’ll still receive a ballot with state and local candidates, and you’ll still be able to vote for presidential candidates in the runoff in November even if you're not registered with a party.