California reminds voters to check their mailboxes and return their ballot ASAP!

What you need to know: California leaders are reminding eligible voters to check their mailboxes this week - looking out for the ballot for this year's election - and reminding them of the options available to them to ensure their vote is counted.

SACRAMENTO - Four weeks from Election Day, Governor Gavin Newsom, Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber, and Attorney General Rob Bonta used their collective platforms to remind eligible California voters to watch for their ballot in the mail this week, the rights they have, and the options available to them to ensure their ballot is counted. This year, California enacted new protections and investments to continue to safeguard elections and defend democracy - strengthening trust in the outcome of the elections here in California.

Given changes to the U.S. Postal Service under the Trump administration, Californians who plan to return their ballot by mail should do so at least a week before Election Day.

Californians, it's time to vote! Check your mailbox and make sure you return your ballot as soon as possible. In the Golden State, we cherish democracy and work hard to make sure people participate and results are safeguarded.

Governor Gavin Newsom

California elected leaders across the state are standing together to ensure every vote counts. From my office to your local county registrar, we are committed to making sure every eligible voter is able to exercise their civic duty. Know your voting rights. Take time to review what's on your ballot, and VOTE EARLY," said California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber Ph.D. "Staying informed turns confusion into clarity and clarity into power.Your voice is what helps move our communities forward."

"We are just four weeks from Election Day, and I know some Californians may be wondering whether everything coming out of Washington has changed how they can vote. The answer is no," said Attorney General Bonta. "We successfully secured a U.S. Supreme Court order that protects your ability to vote by mail, so you can continue to vote as you have in past elections -whether by mail, ballot drop box, early, or in-person on Election Day. My fellow attorneys general and I have been in close contact and are ready to take action against any new attempt to undermine voters' rights. With ballots beginning to arrive, I encourage everyone to vote early to ensure your voice is heard."

Information about voting in California

If you are unsure if you are registered to vote, you can visit this site to learn more. If you are not registered to vote and are eligible to do so, you have until October 19th to register. Eligible voters who miss that deadline can still register to vote on election day through California's Conditional Voter Registration.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Under the U.S. Postal Service's new process, mail dropped off at post offices and mail collection boxes more than 50 miles from a U.S. Postal Service regional hub is collected the next day, instead of the same day. This means that, in some areas, ballots dropped off at a post office or mail collection box on Election Day won't be postmarked until the day after, making them late. Late ballots are not counted. Californians who plan to return their ballot by mail should do so at least a week before Election Day.

Alternative ways to ensure your vote is counted instead of using the U.S. Postal Service:

• Drop off your ballot at a secure ballot drop-off box or vote center. Ballot drop-off boxes are now open and remain available until Election Day.
• If you're cutting it close, drop off your completed mail ballot at a vote center on Election Day - do not put it in the mail, it may not be counted.
• Go to any post office and ask at the counter for a postmark on your ballot to ensure you get credit for mailing your ballot on time.

The rights available to the public when voting are listed in the California Voter Bill of Rights. Denial of any of these rights can be reported in English through the Secretary of State's confidential toll-free Voter Hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683). Other language options, including Spanish, Tagalog, and Chinese, are available. In addition, reports can be made via email at [email protected].

Voters can track their ballot throughout the electoral process at WheresMyBallot.com.

New protections in place

Last month, Governor Newsom signed 13 new laws to safeguard California election process from potential meddling - including from federal officials - created new felonies to hold those accountable for any attempts to disrupt the electoral process in the state, and continued to advance efforts to increase participation by eligible voters. Earlier this year, the Governor took action to defend democracy ahead of the primary elections in the state, signing SB 73 into law.

Key investments made this year

In his final budget, the Governor and Legislature included several key investments in the state's election system:

• $29 million for increased staffing, technology and equipment upgrades and purchases for counties to speed up counting and increase capacity.
• $5 million for voter outreach and education at the county level to help Californians know resources and tools available in their community.
• $5 million for voter outreach and education at the statewide level via the office of Secretary of State.
• $750,000 to support statewide efforts to combat mis- and disinformation and ensure the state is prepared to guard against federal interference.

A long record of defending democracy

In addition to the 14 bills signed this year to defend democracy, last year, Governor Newsom signed:

• SB 3 (Cervantes) - requires that public vote counts are updated more regularly and made changes to the signature curing process for vote by mail ballots.
• SB 42 (Umberg) - puts on the November 2026 ballot a measure to repeal the ban on public financing of elections in California, extending to all cities and counties the ability to create programs for publicly financed elections, helping level the playing field for candidates and reducing the ability of millionaires and billionaires to essentially buy elections.
• SB 398 (Umberg) - criminalizes offering payments and other valuable items to incentivize voting or voter registration. The bill defines "other valuable consideration" to include a chance to win a lottery or prize-drawing contest. The crime would be punishable by imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, or both fine and imprisonment.
• AB 5 (Berman) - requires election officials to finish counting all ballots by the 13th day following Election Day unless certain conditions are met.
• AB 16 (Alanis) - extended the time before the election date that vote by mail ballots can be processed.

In 2024, Governor Newsom signed:

• AB 2655 (Berman) - requires large online platforms to remove or label deceptive and digitally altered or created content related to elections during specified periods, and requires them to provide mechanisms to report such content. It also authorizes candidates, elected officials, elections officials, the Attorney General, and a district attorney or city attorney to seek injunctive relief against a large online platform for noncompliance with the act.

• AB 2839 (Pellerin) - expands the timeframe in which a committee or other entity is prohibited from knowingly distributing an advertisement or other election material containing deceptive AI-generated or manipulated content. The bill also expands the scope of existing law to prohibit materially deceptive content of elected officials, candidates, elections officials and others, authorizing them to file a civil action to enjoin the distribution of such material.

• AB 2355 (Carrillo) - requires that electoral advertisements using AI-generated or substantially altered content feature a disclosure that the material has been altered. The bill authorizes the Fair Political Practices Commission to enforce a violation of these disclosure requirements by seeking injunctive relief to compel compliance or pursuing other remedies available to the commission under the Political Reform Act.

This builds on Governor Newsom's prior work: In 2021, he signed 10 bills into law to safeguard elections and increase access so more Californians can lawfully participate; in 2020, the Governor took several actions (here, here, here) to ensure Californians could participate despite the ongoing global pandemic; and in 2019, Governor Newsom signed more than 17 bills into law to defend democracy - including some of the nation's first that address deepfakes.