Get ready to vote

• How do I get a vote-by-mail (VBM) ballot?
• How do I cast my VBM ballot?
• How do I fill out the envelope?
• Should I worry if my ballot isn’t here yet?
• I used a pencil to fill out my ballot. Is that OK?
• I made a mistake on my ballot. What do I do?
• I forgot to sign my ballot envelope. How can I fix that?
• How do I find and use a drop box?
• Can I vote in person instead?
• What about accessible voting by mail?

Have you made a plan to vote in the Nov. 3 general election yet? Voting by mail is the easiest way to cast your ballot. Millions of vote-by-mail ballots have already gone out to homes across the state.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to vote by mail, guided by your questions. We'll be updating this FAQ as we answer more, so check back often.

And if you have a question that isn't being addressed, ask us! You can submit your question by using the form at the bottom, and the Voter Game Plan team will do our best to get you an answer.

How do I get a vote-by-mail (VBM) ballot?

County elections officials mail vote-by-mail ballots to all active registered voters. To make sure you get yours, first check that you are registered to vote by Oct. 19, and confirm that your mailing address is correct. If you are all set, you should receive a ballot in the mail. And if you're not registered yet, just fill out the form online. So easy!

County elections offices had to send out ballots by Oct. 5, according to the California Secretary of State website. Some counties sent them even earlier to give voters a head start, including Los Angeles County. (So you probably already have it in that pile of mail!) You can use the Where’s My Ballot? tracking tool to see if your ballot has been mailed. If your ballot doesn't show up, contact your county election office.

The last day to request a new vote-by-mail ballot in L.A. and Orange counties is Oct. 27 (a week before the election), which you can get here online for Los Angeles County and here for Orange County. You can also call your local registrar. (If you’re in another county, make sure to ask for a replacement ballot by Oct. 27 at the latest — but earlier is better — to give it enough time to come in the mail.)

How do I cast my VBM ballot?

You have options:

• Mail it in, no postage required. Just make sure it’s postmarked on or before Nov. 3, 2026. If you’re concerned it won’t be postmarked in time, you may want to choose one of these other options:
• Turn it in at any vote center or polling place in the state by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3, 2026.
• Drop it in any official drop box in the state (yes, anywhere in the state) by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3, 2026. 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. Your ballot envelope has a space 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 the registrar has on file (probably your ID signature). Again, no worries about stamps! Postage is free for all mail-in ballots in California.

• Find an L.A. County vote center near you.
• Find an L.A. County drop box near you.
• Find an Orange County drop box near you.
• Find an Orange County vote center near you.

How do I fill out the envelope?

Here's a handy guide for that. Hover your cursor over the arrows and checkmarks for more guidance.

Note: This is the L.A. County envelope. Let us know if you need help with a different county. Click the arrow to see the back.

Should I worry if my ballot isn’t here yet?

County registrars began sending vote-by-mail ballots to all registered voters by Oct. 5, 2026, or earlier.

But if you don't have it yet, don't panic.

If you are registered to vote and your address is up to date but you have not received your ballot, it's a good idea to contact your local county elections office to make sure nothing is amiss.

You can also check to see if your ballot has been mailed using the Where’s My Ballot? tracking tool. If it has been mailed, but you don't see it, then contact that local elections office.

Remember: The last day to request a new vote-by-mail ballot in L.A. and Orange counties is Oct. 27 (a week before the election). But why wait until the last minute?

If all else fails, and you're registered in a Voter's Choice Act county, you can go to any vote center in your county to vote in person.

I used a pencil to fill out my ballot. Is that OK?

Using a pen with blue or black ink is preferred. However, if you mistakenly use a pencil, your vote will still likely be counted. If you signed your envelope in pencil, it might get flagged as a signature issue. If that happens, you should be notified by mail (and the Where's My Ballot? tracking tool if you sign up for texts) and have a chance to fix it.

I made a mistake on my ballot. What do I do?

You have some options:

You can draw a single line across your mistake and make your correction.

If you mess up before L.A. County’s Oct. 27 deadline, you can request a new vote-by-mail ballot. (In other counties, it’s best to request this at least a week before Election Day.) L.A. County has a request form that must be submitted to the county election office. Orange County has an online request form. You can also find your county's election office information here.

In L.A. County and Orange County or any other Voter's Choice Act county (these now include San Diego, Riverside and Ventura counties), you can also go to any vote center in your county to get a new ballot and vote in person. You don't have to bring your vote-by-mail ballot — electronic check-in and online verification with a central voter database will ensure your vote-by-mail ballot is suspended.

Many counties have their own guidelines for fixing ballot mistakes, so contact your local elections office for specific details.

I forgot to sign my ballot envelope. How can I fix that?

If you returned your ballot — meaning you either mailed it in or dropped it off — without signing the return envelope, the L.A. County registrar will mail you an "Unsigned Ballot Statement" form to get your signature, which is required to verify your identity and process your ballot. It will look something like this.

Orange County also follows this process. For help with ballots from other counties, contact your county’s election office.

How do I find and use a drop box?

Seal and sign your ballot and deposit it in any official drop box in the state before 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3, 2026. Make sure to drop your ballot in an official box (see below for what to look for in L.A. and Orange counties) and avoid fake ones.

• Find an L.A. County drop box near you.
• Find an Orange County drop box near you.

Can I vote in person instead?

You definitely can. If you vote in L.A. County or Orange County (or any other Voter's Choice Act county), you don’t have to turn in your vote-by-mail ballot when you go to the voting center. The electronic check-in process is designed to void any other ballots you might have to ensure you don’t vote multiple times.

If you vote in a non-Voter's Choice Act county, you can vote in person instead as well. You can check in with your local election office to see if they prefer that you bring your vote-by-mail ballot, but no matter where you vote, not having that old ballot with you should never prevent you from casting your ballot. Election officials will help you.

• Get more information about voting in person.

What about accessible voting by mail?

There are options. Remote Accessible Vote by Mail (RAVBM) allows you to access and mark your ballot privately with your own assistive device. You can also designate someone to help you with your ballot (there are some rules around that here). Drop boxes should be accessible 24/7. In L.A. County, the envelope also features paper holes that you can feel to help guide your hand to the signature box.

Learn more about accessible voting in L.A. County and Orange County.

Editor's note: This story was first published in October 2022 and was originally written by Caitlin Biljan. It has been updated multiple times since.