It's California Primary Election Day 2026 and you're headed to the polls, until you realize you're not sure you're registered or you're afraid you won't make it to the polls on time.
Here are some common Election Day concerns and challenges and how to end Tuesday with an “I Voted” sticker.
I forgot to register to vote
You can still register to vote on Election Day as a conditional voter through the same-day voter registration process.
Eligible citizens who need to register or re-register to vote within 14 days of an election can complete this process and vote at county election offices, polling places, or vote centers. To register you will need to provide a driver's license, state identification number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
A complete list of county election office addresses can be found here.
Your submitted ballot will be processed and counted once the county elections office has completed the voter registration verification process.
If you are unsure of your voter status, you can find your registration here by providing some personal information, including your date of birth and driver's license number.
I don't know where my polling place is
You can find your nearest polling location on the California Secretary of State's website here.
You can also use the Los Angeles County voter center locator on the county recorder/clerk's website here.
On Election Day, voting centers are open from 7 am to 8 pm throughout the state.
I can't mail my ballot myself
You can ask someone else to mail your ballot.
Anyone can turn in their mail-in ballot as long as you authorize them to do so and they are not paid per ballot, according to the secretary of state.
You and the person you authorized to send your mail-in ballot must fill out and sign the outside of the ballot envelope.
I forgot my check-in code to vote in person
Los Angeles County election officials say you can register at a voting center by scanning your “express registration code,” a number that verifies your voter registration.
Your code can be found on your mailed sample ballot and on your vote center postcard. Take any of those printed copies to the voting center.
If you forgot your paper copies, you can retrieve the code by verifying your voter registration here. You will need to enter your last name, date of birth, your home address number and zip code. For help call (800) 815-2666, option 2.
I want to put my ballot in a ballot box but I'm afraid it's too late
There are three ways to mail your ballot on Election Day:
- You can put it in a ballot box. The deadline to do so is 8 pm, which is also the time the polls close on election day.
- Drop it off at a voting center, where the deadline is the same.
- Drop it off at a US Post Office. Be sure to get a hand-stamped postmark from a postal employee. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received no later than seven days after Election Day.
I think I forgot to sign the envelope of my mail-in ballot.
If you did not sign the return envelope for your vote-by-mail ballot, your vote will still count.
Your county elections official will notify you by mail, phone or email, according to the secretary of state. You can also receive a notification through the link “Where is my ballot?” tracking tool if you have signed up to receive push notifications that will ping you if there are problems with your ballot.
Your county elections office will provide you with a form to complete and return in full.
The form will be given to you two days before the day your county certifies the election, so be sure to complete it and return it to your county elections office immediately.
I'm going to be late to the polls; Can I still vote?
In California, any voter who is in line at 8 p.m. when the polls are scheduled to close can vote, according to the secretary of state.
If there is a line when the polls close, a poll worker stands at the end of the line to inform people who arrive after 8 pm that the polls have closed.
Any voter who arrives after the polls have closed will not be allowed to vote, even if voters who were in line to vote before the polls closed are in the voting process.
