Seeds of Change - California Voting Guide

I’ve always resisted eating seedless fruit like watermelon and grapes, something about it feels unnatural. Seeds actually carry all the nutrients of the mature plant and without them, there is no promise of an abundant future.

This is the time of year when we plant new seeds. Seeds represent a change in the garden and a beginning for new plant life. Your vote does the same for our country - the garden where we live. So we have created a helpful guide on our blog to make sure you have access to the most updated voting information in the state of California. Check it out! We hope that you will actively participate in cultivating new possibilities for a bountiful future.

So eat your seeds, vote early, plant seeds and be the change you want to see in the garden.

- Mia Vaughnes, Good Neighbor Gardens Co-Founder

Voting Guide

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2020. All of California's registered voters will be mailed a ballot no later than 29 days prior to Election Day. Early voting and in-person voting locations will also be available to voters.

Important Dates

Election day is Nov. 3

Registration deadlines

Online: Oct. 19

By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 19

In-person: Nov. 3

Absentee ballot deadlines

Request: Oct. 27

Return by Mail: Postmarked by Nov. 3

Return in person: Nov. 3 by 8:00 p.m.

Early voting

Oct. 5 - Nov. 2, but dates and hours may vary based on where you live

Additional information

You can also register and vote on Election Day.

Conditional voter registration is a safety net for Californians who miss the deadline to register to vote or update their voter registration information. Voters can use the conditional voter registration process from the day after the deadline all the way through Election Day. Eligible citizens can go to their county election office, polling place, or vote center to register and vote conditionally. These ballots will be processed once the county elections office has completed the voter registration verification process.

Vote on Election Day

Polling locations may be found online by visiting the Secretary of State’s My Voter Status Tool

Vote Early

California voters can also vote before Election Day. The early voting period runs from Monday, October 5, 2020 to Monday, November 2, 2020, but dates and hours may vary based on where you live. Early voting and vote-by-mail ballot drop off locations may be found on the Secretary of State's Early Voting website.

What to bring

  • If you've voted in California before, you don't need to show ID.

  • If you're a first-time voter who registered by mail and didn't include your driver's license number, California ID number, or the last 4 digits of your Social Security number on your registration, you may be asked to provide ID when you vote. Acceptable forms include a copy of a recent utility bill, the sample ballot booklet you received from your county elections office, or another document sent to you by a government agency, a US passport, driver license, official state identification card, or student identification card showing your name and photograph.

  • Voters without ID: If you are unable to provide ID, you will be able to vote a provisional ballot.

 Vote by mail

All registered voters will be sent a vote-by-mail ballot for the November 3, 2020, General Election. Registered voters do not have to apply for a vote-by-mail ballot for this election.

  1. Fill out your ballot

  1. After you have voted, insert your ballot in the envelope provided, making sure you complete all the required information on the envelope.

  2. You may return your voted ballot by mail, in person, or to a dropbox

    • If you are returning your ballot by mail, it must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by your county elections office no later than 17 days after Election Day.

    • If you are returning your ballot in person or dropping it in a dropbox, it must be delivered no later than the close of polls at 8:00 p.m. on November 3rd.

    • Anyone may return your ballot for you, as long as they do not get paid on a per ballot basis. In order for your ballot to be counted, you must fill out the authorization section found on the outside of your ballot envelope.

 * * *

IMPORTANT NOTICE: All General Election information presented here, including dates and deadlines, is accurate as of October 2020. Changes are anticipated between now and November as states make necessary adjustments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Make sure to stay up to date with state voting guidelines as we get closer to the General Election on November 3, 2020.

Siena Beacham