VOTER REGISTRATION
Registration is permanent and a new affidavit of registration need only be executed if you have changed your name, address or wish to change your political party affiliation.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. In order to vote in any specific election, you must be registered 15 days prior to the election.
You are eligible to register to vote if you are:
- A citizen of the United States and a resident of California
- 18 years of age or older on Election Day
- Not currently in prison, or on parole, serving state prison sentence in a county jail, or serving sentence for a felony
- Not found to be mentally incompetent by a court of law
SAME DAY VOTER REGISTRATION
Same Day Voter Registration, known as Conditional Voter Registration in state law, is a safety net for Californians who miss the deadline to register to vote or update their voter registration information for an election.
If you need to register or re-register to vote within 14 days of an election, this process can be completed to register and vote at the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters office, polling place, or vote center. Your ballot will be processed and counted once the county elections office has completed the voter registration verification process.
Visit caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov for a list of early voting locations where you can complete the Same Day Voter Registration Process.
PRE-REGISTER TO VOTE
To pre-register to vote in California, you must:
- Be 16 or 17 years old
- A United States citizen and a resident of California
- Not currently in state or federal prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony
- Not prohibited from voting by a court because of mental incompetency.
You will automatically be registered to vote on your 18th birthday. To pre-register click here.
VOTING
VOTING IN PERSON
You may vote at a Vote Center on Election Day during the hours of 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM. In addition, in many elections there will be some Vote Centers open multiple days prior to Election Day. Days/hours will vary. Vote Center locations and hours for the next election will be posted at Where to Vote or Drop Off Your Ballot once that information is available (typically at least 40 days before Election Day).
VOTING BY MAIL
Under current law, all registered voters in California automatically receive a ballot in the mail. However, voters can still vote in person at a Vote Center if they choose (see above).
Vote-by-Mail Ballots returned by hand must be dropped off at any Official Ballot Drop Box or Vote Center in Sonoma County -- or at the Registrar of Voters Office -- no later than 8:00 PM on Election Day.
Vote-by-Mail Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the Registrar of Voters Office via USPS or a bona fide private mail delivery company no later than seven days after Election Day.
Important: Do not forget to sign and date the identification envelope so your ballot can count.