Monday is the last day to register to vote online in California. Here’s how to do it

Monday, Oct. 19 is the California deadline for registering to vote in the upcoming general election on Nov. 3.

To be eligible to vote in California, you must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of California, 18 years 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 to be mentally incompetent to vote by a court.

You can register online at RegisterToVote.ca.gov or pick up a paper voter registration application at any DMV, many post offices, public libraries, government offices. You can also request one from your county elections office.

When registering, you will be asked to provide your driver’s license or California ID card number, or the last four digits in your Social Security number. Those who don’t have a license, ID or Social Security card can leave that space blank, and the county elections officials will assign them a number.

If you miss the deadline, most counties offer same-day registration through Election Day. You can visit a polling location, register to vote and cast a provisional ballot. Once your county elections official processes the registration, determines your eligibility, and validates your information, your registration becomes permanent and your provisional ballot will be counted, according to the Secretary of State’s office.

All registered voters will receive a mail ballot this year, and can return it through the postal service, a county drop box, or at a polling location. The state is also offering a ballot tracking program called “Where’s My Ballot?” that lets voters sign up to receive updates about the status of their mail ballots.

Voters in most counties will still have the option to vote in person through Election Day, though locations and may have changed due to the pandemic. Visit your county elections website to learn more about local voting locations and hours.

This story was originally published October 17, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Monday is the last day to register to vote online in California. Here’s how to do it."