California voter registration closes Oct 19 for the November 3, 2026 election. Every deadline — registration, mail ballot and early voting — with the official source for each.
Look up your own ballot and polling place →
Early voting sites (e.g. county elections offices) open Oct 5. Vote centers in Voter's Choice Act counties open Oct 24. Locations and hours vary by county. There is no separate end to early voting: in-person voting continues through Election Day, when polls close at 8:00 PM. Early site hours vary by county. In-person early voting begins Oct 5 at county early voting sites; Voter's Choice Act counties open vote centers Oct 24; in-person early voting locations throughout California are open Saturday Oct 31. In-person voting continues through Election Day (polls 7 AM-8 PM). Sites and hours vary by county.
Online registration must be submitted by October 19 (15 days before Election Day). After that, you can still register and vote in person through Election Day. Paper registration forms must be postmarked by October 19.
Not a legal deadline: every active registered voter is mailed a ballot automatically (counties begin mailing by Oct 5). October 27 is only the state's recommended last day to ask for a replacement ballot; you can still vote in person at your county elections office or a voting location through Election Day.
Regular registration closes Oct 19, but from Oct 20 through Election Day voters can conditionally register and vote a provisional ballot in person at the county elections office or a vote center/polling place. Same Day (Conditional Voter) Registration: after Oct 19, eligible people can conditionally register and vote a provisional ballot in person from Oct 20 through Election Day (polls close 8 PM).
Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the county elections office by November 10, 2026. Drop-box, vote center, polling place, or county office returns are due by 8:00 PM Nov 3.
We publish a gap rather than a guess. These points were not settled by an official source:
Every date above was read from the California election office's own published material, last checked Tuesday, September 15, 2026. Confirm anything you are relying on with your local election authority.
Last day to register to vote for the general election - October 19, 2026
https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration
the deadline to register to vote for any election is 15 days before Election Day
https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/make-plan-vote
Recommended deadline to request a replacement ballot (October 27, 2026)