How to Vote
Timelines
Presidential Election
- Oct. 7 – Early voting begins
- Oct. 21 – Last day to register to vote
- Nov. 2 – Vote center opens at Titan Student Union
- Nov. 5 – Election Day
Vote by Mail
Registered voters can expect to receive a vote-by-mail (absentee) ballot sent to the address listed on their voter registration. If you have moved, you need to re-register with your new address to prevent your ballot from being delivered to your previous address. Please see How to Register for more information.
Return Options
- By mail: The United States Postal Service recommends returning your completed ballot in the mail at least seven days (or more!) before election day. No postage is required.
- California ballots will be counted as long as they are postmarked on or before Election Day (Nov. 5) and received by your county elections official no later than seven days after the election. The California Secretary of State is now offering ballot tracking, a new way for voters to track and receive notifications on the status of their vote-by-mail ballot. It lets voters know when their ballot has been mailed, received and counted.
- At a ballot drop box location, polling location or vote center: Vote-by-mail ballots may also be dropped off during Early Voting or on Election Day at any Early Voting and Vote-by-Mail Drop-Off Location.
If you are a registered voter who intends to vote by mail but did not receive your ballot or have misplaced it, you may request a replacement ballot by contacting your county elections official.
Vote Centers and Polling Locations
Voters will find their polling place address or nearest vote center location in the county Voter Information Guide received in the mail a few weeks before Election Day.
In-Person Voting Locations
Voters who are registered to vote in Orange County may vote in person at the Titan Student Union vote center beginning Saturday, Nov. 2. The campus vote center will be open every day until Election Day, Nov 5.
Vote centers offer voter registration services if you missed the voter registration deadline. Same-day voter registration will be offered to eligible citizens and they will be able to cast a “provisional ballot” in the Presidential Election.
Vote-by-Mail Ballot Drop-Off Locations
Any registered voter may vote using a vote-by-mail ballot instead of going to the polls on Election Day.
After you have voted, insert your ballot in the envelope provided, making sure you complete all required information on the envelope.
You may drop off your completed ballot at the on-campus ballot drop box in Parking Lot G anytime until 8 p.m. on Nov. 5.
To find same-day voter registration locations, early voting locations or ballot drop-off locations, please visit the California Secretary of State Early Voting and Vote-by-Mail Drop-Off Locations page.
Voting for the First Time
When you registered to vote, you were asked to fill in your driver's license number, California identification number or the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you did not include this information when you registered, send a photocopy of your personal identification and Vote-by-Mail Application to your county elections official before the election.
If you are planning to vote for the first time and plan to do so in person after registering to vote without providing your driver's license number, California identification number or the last four digits of your Social Security number on your registration form, you may be asked to show a form of identification when you go to the polls.
Acceptable forms of identification include a copy of a recent utility bill, the county Voter Information Guide you received from your county elections office or another document sent to you by a government agency. Other examples include your passport, driver's license, official California identification card, or student identification card. For more information, visit the What to Bring to Your Polling Place page on the Secretary of State website.
Additional Resources
Before casting your ballot, it is important to know your rights! Check out the California Voter Bill of Rights for more information.