How to Change Voter Registration in California

The right to vote is an extremely important one, and if you have recently moved to the state of California, you need to ensure that you register with the party of your choice so you can make use of this right. Of course you may not be moving, but you may want to change political parties, which means you'll need to re-register with the new party you want to belong to. Let's take a look at what you need to do to make sure that you'll be able to vote in the upcoming election.

Things You'll Need

• Voter registration form
• Mailing information
• Correct postage stamps for mailing

Instructions

1. Obtain a voter registration form from the DMV or consider calling and asking for one by mail. You can obtain a California voter registration form by mail in either English or Spanish. Having it mailed to you will take approximately 7 to 14 days for you to receive the form. Because all voter registration forms have to be postmarked or hand-delivered 15 days before any election you should not have a form mailed to you if there is less than 30 days prior to an election. In that case you can pick up a voter registration card at any county elections office, library, or US post office just by walking in.

2. Complete your voter registration form. When filling out your California voter registration form, make sure to have all of your information handy such as your full name, your address, party affiliation and proof of citizenship. Make sure the information is correct. If any of the information you put on the form is incorrect, it may hinder your ability to vote in the election you desire. Fill out the form the form completely without leaving any empty places or lines on the California voter registration form. If you do not fill out the form completely and mail it in to the county elections office, you may not receive your valid California voter registration card.

3. Place the voter registration form in and envelope and address the envelope to the correct county elections office. When mailing in your California voter registration form make sure to have the correct address and postage due to mail in your California voter registration form. If you do not have the correct address for your county elections office it will not arrive at the correct location and will result in you not receiving your California voter registration card. And remember your California voter registration form must be postmarked or hand delivered at least 15 days before the election you wish to vote in.

4. Mail the voter registration form to your county elections office. Then you'll just have to wait until they send you your voter's registration cards back by mail.

Tips & Warnings

• Ensure that you apply for your voter's registration well ahead of time if you want to vote in the upcoming election. Applying too late could mean that you don't get your voter registration cards back in time to vote.