Missed California’s voter registration deadline? Here’s how you can still register and vote. – USFTB

California voters have just over two weeks to prepare for the Nov. 3 midterm elections, with key races and ballot measures on the ballot and county election officials preparing for in-person voting.

Monday, Oct. 19, marked the deadline to register to vote online or by mail in California. However, voters who missed the deadline can still register in person through the state’s conditional voter registration process, according to the California Secretary of State’s office.

Ken Casparis, a spokesperson for Sacramento County, said voters who missed the deadline can visit their county elections office or wait until vote centers begin opening across the region.

“Here in California, we have same-day voter registration,” Casparis said. “You can register to vote at those vote centers and then vote same day.”

Voters can also check their registration status and find additional election information through the California Secretary of State’s website.

Vote centers opening across the state

Under California’s Voter’s Choice Act, participating counties will open voting centers for early in-person voting on Oct. 24, with other in -person voting locations across the state to open by Oct. 31.

Millions of ballots mailed statewide

The November election will feature a race for California governor, congressional contests that could affect the balance of power in the U.S. House and Senate, and state and local ballot measures.

Those measures include proposals addressing California’s voter identification laws and a potential new tax on billionaires.

According to Paul Mitchell of Political Data Inc., election officials had mailed more than 23 million ballots statewide as of Monday, with a little over 1.3 million returned.

Voters encouraged to return ballots early

Concerns about potential U.S. Postal Service delays are prompting questions about whether mail ballots will arrive in time to be counted.

Sacramento County is encouraging voters to cast their ballots as early as possible, particularly those planning to return them by mail.

The U.S. Postal Service has eliminated evening mail pickups in some areas, meaning mail deposited after a pickup may not be collected until the following day.

California allows mail-in ballots to be counted if they are postmarked on or before Election Day and received within the legally permitted return period.

Voters who are concerned about postal delays can consider returning their ballots in person at an authorized vote center or using an official ballot drop box.