Registration Information

Who can register to vote?

To register to vote in California, you must be:

A United States citizen and a resident of California,
18 years old or older on Election Day,
Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony (for more information, please see Voting Rights: Persons with a Criminal History), and
Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court (for more information, please see Voting Rights: Persons Subject to Conservatorship).

Registration Methods

Military and Overseas Voter Registration
Confidential Voter Registration
Conditional Voter Registration
Re-Registration
New Citizens

Check Your Voter Registration And Election Information

Check if you are registered to vote.
Check where you are registered to vote.
Check your political party preference.
Check your language preference for election materials.
Check the status of your vote-by-mail or provisional ballot.

PERSONS WITH A CRIMINAL HISTORY WHO CAN REGISTER TO VOTE:

In county jail:
- serving a misdemeanor sentence (a misdemeanor never affects your right to vote)
- Because jail time is a condition of probation (misdemeanor or felony)
- Serving a felony jail sentence
- Awaiting trial
On parole
On probation
On mandatory supervision
On post-release community supervision
On federal supervised release
A person with a juvenile wardship adjudication

Persons with a criminal history who cannot register to vote:

Currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony in:

State prison
Federal prison
County jail or other correctional facility*

Note
Once you have finished serving your term, your right to vote is restored; however, you must register online at RegisterToVote.ca.gov or by filling out a paper voter registration card.

* California Penal Code section 2910 allows the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to make agreements with local governments to house felons in a county jail or other correctional facility. A person serving a state prison sentence who is housed in a local jail or other facility under these circumstances is not allowed to register to vote.

Voting Rights: Persons with a Criminal History | California Secretary of State

Proposition 17 removed being on parole for the conviction of a felony as a disqualifying factor to register to vote. If you are on parole for the conviction of a felony you can register to vote.

Restore Your Vote | California Secretary of State