Voter Basics: Voter Registration

Click on a question below to find answers about Voter Registration:

Check your voter
registration status
by using the
Alameda County
Registrar of Voters

• Can I Register to Vote?
• Who Can Pre-register to Vote?
• When Do I Register to Vote?
• How Do I Register to Vote?
• How Do I Update My Voter Registration?
• What Happens After I Submit My Voter Registration Card?
• How Do I Check if I’m Registered to Vote?

Can I Register to Vote?

To register to vote in Alameda County, you must be ALL of the following:

• A U.S. citizen
• A resident of Alameda County
• 18 years of age or older on Election Day (March 3, 2020)
• Not currently in prison or on parole for a felony conviction
• Not found to be mentally incompetent by a court of law

Who Can Pre-register to Vote?

To pre-register to vote in California, you must:

• Be 16 or 17 years old, and
• Meet all of the other eligibility requirements to vote.

If you pre-register to vote, you will automatically be registered to vote on your 18th birthday.

When Do I Register to Vote?

The deadline to register to vote is 15 days before the election.

• It is important that your voter registration application be filled out completely and:
  • Submitted online before midnight 15 days before the election; or
  • Postmarked or hand-delivered to the Alameda County Registrar of Voters Office, located in the Alameda County Courthouse (map) at least 15 days before the election
  • You can “conditionally” register and vote at your county elections office after the 15-day voter registration deadline.

  How Do I Register to Vote?

  • You can register online by completing the online Voter Registration Form (also for pre-registration)
    
    • If you have a California driver license or identification card number, you can authorize use of that signature for the registration form. Fill out the online application and simply hit “submit” at the end.
    • If there is no signature on file with the Department of Motor Vehicles, you will need to:
      • Enter your date of birth and last four digits of your social security number.
      • Click “print.”
      • Sign the paper application.
      • Mail it to the address provided.
      • No printer? Go ahead and click “I don’t have the ability to print” and your county elections official will mail you a form to sign and return.
      • Voter Registration Cards are available at:
        • The Alameda County Registrar of Voters Office, located in the Alameda County Courthouse (map)
        • All offices of the DMV, all city clerks offices, public libraries, and post offices
        • You may request that a Voter Registration Card be mailed to you by calling the Alameda County Registrar of Voters at (510) 272-6933 or the California Secretary of State at 1 (916) 657-2166.
        • If you indicate that you are eligible to vote, once you complete your DMV transaction online, by mail, or in person, your voter information is transmitted securely and electronically to the California Secretary of State. Once your eligibility to vote is determined, you will be registered to vote.
        • Note that individuals with AB 60 driver's licenses are not eligible to participate in the California Motor Voter program and are not eligible to vote.

        How Do I Update My Voter Registration?

        You can update your voter registration if you have moved recently or wish to change your party preference. To do this you will need to complete a new voter registration form (see above) 15 days prior to the election you wish to vote in.

        • Check your voter registration status using the Registrar of Voters “My Voter Profile” tool

        What Happens After I Submit My Voter Registration Card?

        When the Registrar of Voters receives your voter registration card, they enter the information, including the image of your signature into their voter database. Then your registration information is sent to the Secretary of State which verifies it against the DMV or Social Security records. This comparison currently takes 5 business days. If the comparison is successful, the State notifies the Registrar of Voters that you are eligible to vote. If the voter registration form is incomplete, the Registrar of Voters will send you a notice about the required missing information and ask you to provide it.

        How Do I Check if I’m Registered to Vote?

        You can check your voter registration status using the Alameda County Registrar of Voters “My Voter Profile” tool.

        • • Your voter profile includes:
            • Your voter registration information (address, party affiliation, vote by mail status, and registration date)
            • Your polling place
            • Your Voter Information Pamphlet
            • The status of your vote by mail ballot
            • Your preferred language
            • Whether you have chosen to receive your Voter Information Pamphlet by mail
            • Your elected officials

            You may need to update your voter registration if you have moved recently or wish to change your party preference