California Secretary of State - Elections & Voter Information

California Secretary of State - Elections & Voter Information - Absentee Voting

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Vote-By-Mail Voting

Assembly Bill 1243, which was signed into law in 2007, replaced the terms "absentee ballot" and "absent voter" in state law with "vote-by-mail ballot" and "vote-by-mail voter," respectively. Furthermore, people who want to register to vote by mail on a regular basis will no longer be referred to by law as "permanent absentee voters" or "PAVs." Instead, they'll be known as "permanent vote-by-mail voters" or "PVBMVs."

Guide to Vote-By-Mail Voting

Apply to Vote By Mail

The Process of Vote-By-Mail Voting

Permanent Vote-By-Mail Voting

Military/Overseas Vote-By-Mail Voting

Sample Vote-By-Mail Ballot Application Forms for Use by Individuals and Organizations Distributing Forms in California

Historical Absentee Ballot Use in California

Absentee Ballot Statistics 2003 to 2006*
*Numbers provided by the individual county elections offices; however, some counties did not provide numbers.

Apply to Vote By Mail

Registered voters can apply for a vote-by-mail ballot, by mail, for an upcoming election at any time, but not later than seven days prior to the election. Applications must be submitted to the county elections officials no later than the seventh day prior to the election.

The application to vote a vote-by-mail ballot is available as a PDF download by clicking on one of the links below.

The English version of the statewide vote-by-mail voter application may be completed by typing your information directly on the online application. Once you have typed in your information, simply print, sign and date the form, and mail it to your county elections office. DO NOT SEND IT TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE.

For statewide forms other than English, please print the form, fill out and sign and date the application using a pen, and mail it to your county elections office.

Spanish	Primary Election Only \|	General Election
Tagalog	Primary Election Only \|	General Election
Japanese	Primary Election Only \|	General Election
Chinese	Primary Election Only \|	General Election
Vietnamese	Primary Election Only \|	General Election
Korean	Primary Election Only \|	General Election

The English version of the county vote-by-mail voter application may be completed by typing your information directly on the online application. Once you have typed in your information, simply print, sign and date the form, and mail it to your county elections office.

The Process of Voting By Mail

Any registered voter may vote by vote-by-mail ballot. Rather than go to the polls to cast a ballot on election day, you may apply for a vote-by-mail ballot, which you will need to complete and return to your elections official.

*All valid vote-by-mail ballots are counted in every election in California, regardless of the outcome or closeness of any race. For additional canvass of the vote information please visit our web site at www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_oc.htm.

To apply for a vote-by-mail ballot, you may use the application printed on your Sample Ballot, which you will receive prior to every election, or apply in writing to your county elections official. You will need to submit a completed application or letter to your county elections official between 29 days and 7 days before the election. The application or letter must contain 1) your name and residence address as stated on your registration card; 2) the address to which the vote-by-mail ballot should be sent (if different than your registered address); 3) the name and date of the election in which the you would like to vote-by-mail; and 4) the date and your signature.

Once your application is processed by your county elections official, the proper ballot type/style will be sent to you. After you have voted, insert your ballot in the envelope provided for this purpose, making sure you complete all required information on the envelope. You may return your voted vote-by-mail ballot by 1) mailing it to your county elections official; 2) returning it in person to a polling place or elections office within your county on election day; or 3) authorizing a legally-allowable third party (relative or person residing in the same household as you) to return the ballot on your behalf. Regardless of how the ballot is returned, it MUST be received by the county elections office by the time polls close (8 p.m.) on election day. Late-arriving vote-by-mail ballots are not counted.

Once your voted vote-by-mail ballot is received by your county elections official, your signature on the vote-by-mail ballot return envelope will be compared to the signature on your voter registration card to determine that you are the authorized voter. To preserve the secrecy of your ballot, the ballot will then be separated from the envelope and the ballot becomes as anonymous and secret as any other ballot.

For more information on vote-by-mail voting, please view our publication A Guide to Vote-By-Mail Voting. The Guide to Vote-By-Mail Voting in California is currently being revised. We anticipate the revised version to be available on our website soon. It will reflect legislative revisions.

Permanent Vote-By-Mail Voting (PVBMV)

Any registered voter may apply for permanent vote-by-mail voter status. If you are a permanent vote-by-mail voter, you will automatically receive a vote-by-mail ballot for each election. To become a permanent vote-by-mail voter, you must complete an application, which is available from your county elections official.

If you complete an application to become a permanent vote-by-mail voter, you will retain this status as long as you vote in all statewide primary and general elections. If you fail to cast a ballot in two consecutive statewide general elections, you will be removed from the permanent vote-by-mail voter list and will need to reapply in order to restore status.

Registered PAV Statistics 1992-2000 (click here)

Registered PAV Statistics 2002-2006 (click here)

Percent of Registered Voters Registered As PAVs March 2004 (click here)

Registered PAVs Highest to Lowest - March 2004 (click here)

Registered PAVs Lowest to Highest - March 2004 - Graph (click here)

Sample Vote-By-Mail Ballot Application Forms for Use by Individuals and Organizations Distributing Forms in California

The Guide to Vote-By-Mail Voting in California is currently being revised. We anticipate the revised version to be available on our website in the near future. It will reflect legislative revisions.

These forms, while downloadable, are also included in our publication, A Guide to Vote-By-Mail Voting. You should not use these forms unless you have read and understand this publication. Your application must conform to the required format, or it may be invalid. This format is to be used by all individuals, groups and organizations distributing these applications.

The statewide form is available in: Spanish (Primary Only | General) ,Tagalog (Primary Only | General) , Japanese (Primary Only | General) ,Chinese (Primary Only | General) ,Vietnamese (Primary Only | General) , Korean (Primary Only | General). All translations are available in PDF format. The statewide form is intended for organizations that plan to distribute absentee ballot applications in several counties throughout California.

The county form (Primary Election Only | General) is intended for organizations that plan to distribute vote-by-mail ballot applications in a single county only. Please note the places where you need to enter specific data or provide lists of county elections officials for applicants.

Your application must be 5.5" X 8.5" in size unless specifically authorized by the elections official to be a different size.

Do not return Vote-By-Mail Ballot Applications to the Secretary of State's office. Applications must be returned to the elections official of the county in which the applicant resides.

If you need this form in a different format, please contact the Secretary of State's Voter Services Unit.