Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ's

Make voting a breeze, things you need to know on or before election day

FAQ's on Voting By Mail.  Registering to Vote.  Election Day.  Electoral College.

• When will I receive my Vote-By-Mail Ballot?
• What if I don't receive a Vote-By-Mail Ballot?
• Will I have to register to Vote By Mail to receive a Special Election Ballot?
• By when does the Vote By Mail Ballot need to be submitted?

• When is the last day I can register to vote?
• Am I registered to vote?
• Do I need to show ID?
• I am 17 years old. Can I vote in the next election?
• I will be out of the area on election day but I still want to vote.

• Where is my polling place?
• How long are the polls open?
• How can I find what is on my ballot?
• I received a Vote By Mail Ballot can I drop it off at any precinct?
• I have special needs; is there some way I can vote?
• My name was not on the register. I voted a pink provisional ballot; will my vote count?

• How does the Electoral College work?

Mail In Elections

When will I receive my Vote-By-Mail Ballot?

This section is currently being updated and reviewed for accuracy by officials at the County Registrar Recorder County Clerk.

What if I don't receive a Vote-By-Mail Ballot?

This section is currently being updated and reviewed for accuracy by officials at the County Registrar Recorder County Clerk.

Will I have to register to Vote By Mail to receive a Special Election Ballot?

This section is currently being updated and reviewed for accuracy by officials at the County Registrar Recorder County Clerk.

By when does the Vote By Mail Ballot need to be submitted?

This section is currently being updated and reviewed for accuracy by officials at the County Registrar Recorder County Clerk.

Registering to Vote

When is the last day I can register to vote?

The last day to register is 15 days before an election. Look up your polling location and go and vote. Be prepared to vote on a provisional ballot if your name does not appear in the roster.

Am I registered to vote?

Call or email the LA County Registrar Recorders office to check to see if you are registered. If you've just registered and have not recieved any notification, go to the polls and vote a provisional ballot. You do have to reregister if you have changed your name, address, or voter affiliation.

Do I need to show ID?

If you are voting for the first time.

I am 17 years old. Can I vote in the next election?

As a Los Angeles County resident: If you are a citizen of the United States; If you will be at least 18 years of age at the time of the next election; If you register at least 15 days before an election then you will be eligible to vote in that election.

I will be out of the area on election day but I still want to vote.

You can only vote in the County in which you are registered. You will need to apply for a "vote by mail" ballot in writing. You can fill out the application form that comes with your Sample Ballot or on the LA County Registrar Recorders Website, Lavote.net

Important deadline! Send in your application form as soon as you can, but make sure it will arrive at your county elections office in time (i.e. at least 7 days before Election Day.)

Election Day Questions

Where is my polling place?

Find your polling location online through SmartVoter.org: or the County Registrar's website LAvote.net.

or call: Santa Monica City Clerk (7am - 8pm) 310-458-8211
LA County Registrar (7am - 8pm) 800-815-2666
League of Women Voters of Santa Monica 310-394-4661

How long are the polls open?

You can go to the polls to vote between 7 am to 8 pm on election day.

How can I find what is on my ballot?

Use the League's website SmartVoter.org for a look at the candidates, propositions and where you would go to vote for this election.

I received a Vote By Mail Ballot can I drop it off at any precinct?

Yes, just drop the purple envelope in the ballot box. It is not required for you to sign the register.

I have special needs; is there some way I can vote?

Yes precincts are set up to handle a wide variety of accommodations to allow the voter to cast a ballot.

My name was not on the register. I voted a pink provisional ballot; will my vote count?

A provisional ballot is a real ballot; it just needs to have the voter's information verified before the ballot is counted.

Misc. Questions

How does the Electoral College work?

The Electoral College Process

The Electoral College was devised by the Founding Fathers 200 years ago as a compromise between the election of president by popular vote and election by Congress. The Electoral College presently has 538 electors. The number of electors per state equals the number of its U.S. Congressional Representatives (determined by state's population), plus two (as each state has two U.S. Senators regardless of state's population). California has 55 Electoral College votes. The District of Columbia, although not a state, has three electors. On Election Day, voters are actually casting their presidential and vice presidential votes for the electors, rather than for the candidates themselves. (Most states, including California, opt to list the names of the presidential and vice presidential candidates on the ballot, rather than the individual electors' names. 48 states use a winner-take-all system, i.e. in California the winner of the popular vote gets all 55 electoral votes. Two states, Maine and Nebraska, use the district system to distribute the electoral votes according to the percentage of votes each presidential candidate received in each congressional district. On the Monday following the second Wednesday of December (December 15, 2008), each State's electors cast their electoral votes for president and vice president in their respective State capitals. A majority of electoral votes (i.e. 270 of 538 total) are required to elect the president and vice president. The sealed votes are then transmitted to the President of the Senate (who is the vice president of the United States) and he reads them before both houses of Congress. The electoral votes are then counted, and the candidate with the majority is declared president (same with vice president). If there is no majority, then the election is decided by the House of Representatives. At noon on January 20, the elected president and vice president are sworn into office.

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: February 1, 2012 16:37 PST.

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