Remote accessible vote by mail
Every California county offers remote accessible vote by mail, or RAVBM. According to the Secretary of State, voters can access their ballot online, mark it with their own assistive technology, such as a screen reader or sip-and-puff device, print it, and return it by mail or in person. The marked ballot can't be returned electronically. Voters can request access through the state's My Voter Status tool or their county elections office.
The state has certified four RAVBM systems, and each county chooses which one to use. In San Francisco, for example, voters log into the city's tool with their house number, ZIP code and date of birth.
At vote centers and polling places
All polling places must be accessible, the Secretary of State says, and each must have accessible voting machines that let voters mark a ballot privately and independently. Voters who can't get into the polling place can vote curbside: election workers bring a ballot out to the voter.
Bringing helpers
A voter may bring up to two people to help mark the ballot. The helpers cannot be the voter's employer, an agent of the employer, or an officer or agent of the voter's union.
Signing the envelope
Mail ballot envelopes include punched holes to help voters with low vision find the signature line.
Missed something?
If there's a problem with your registration at the polls, you can still cast a provisional ballot. Read how provisional ballots are counted.
How to vote
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center.
More races and measures: our 2026 election hub.