California residents who want to vote in the Nov. 3 election must register to vote by the deadline Monday, according to officials.
The deadline to register to vote in California comes 15 days before any election, making Oct. 19 the final day to apply before the Nov. 3 election.
In order to qualify for registration, the state requires a person to be “a United States citizen and a resident of California, 18 years old or older on election day, not currently in state or federal prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony and not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court,” as stated on the Californa Secretary of State voter information website.
Once registered, voters can choose whether to receive mail-in ballots or find polling stations nearby.
Los Angeles County residents will automatically be sent a mail-in ballot, according to the county registrar recorder/county clerk. “Beginning with the Nov. 3, 2020 General Election all registered voters will be mailed a vote by mail ballot to ensure a safe and accessible voting option during the COVID-19 pandemic,” as stated on their webpage.
Voters have the option to either mail their ballot back, via the United States Postal Service, or drop off the ballot at any vote by mail drop box location.
If voters prefer to vote in person, they can surrender the mail-in ballot at any LA County polling station and vote in person instead.
The county registrar recorder/county clerk will be enforcing social distancing guidelines at polling stations and require voters to wear face coverings and masks. Polling kiosks will also be sanitised after each use, according to the registrar recorder/county clerk.
To register before the Oct. 19 deadline, visit https://registertovote.ca.gov.
To find a drop box location near you, visit https://bit.ly/3o60o00.
To track your vote-by-mail ballot, visit https://www.lavote.net/av_inquiry.
To find a nearby polling station, visit https://bit.ly/3m1oMhQ.
