Monday, Oct. 24 is the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 8 general election. Registration forms must be postmarked or submitted electronically no later than that date.
Online registration is available at http://registertovote.ca.gov. The California Secretary of State's online application is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese.
Vote-by-mail ballots may be requested through Nov. 1, one week before the election. These ballots must be received by the Riverside County Registrar of Voters Office either by the time polls close Nov. 8 or if returned in the mail, they must be postmarked on or before Nov.8 and received in the Registrar’s office no later than Nov. 14.
If new voters prefer paper applications to online registration, the registration application can be obtained at the Registrar’s office, library, Department of Motor Vehicles offices or U.S. post office.
Qualifications to register to vote in California include: United States citizen; California resident; 18 or older on election day; not currently imprisoned or on parole for the conviction of a felony; and not currently found to be mentally incompetent by a court of law.
College students have an option for choosing their voting residence, according to the California Secretary of State’s office.
“As a Californian living away from home while attending a college, trade school or technical school, you may choose to register to vote using your home-away-from-home address you use while at school or your traditional home address. Choosing which address to use when you register to vote is a personal decision. Whatever you decide, you may not register to vote in two places during the same election cycle,” according to that office.
To find out if you are currently registered to vote, visit www.voteinfo.net/AmIRegistered or call the Registrar of Voters Office at 951-486-7200.
Even if registered, individuals may need to re-register if they have moved to a new permanent residence, changed their name or changed their political party choice.
