Ballots are arriving in the mailboxes of people all across California for the Nov. 3 general election, raising questions about how to return them, what’s being decided and when to expect results.

Here’s a guide for San Diego voters on what to expect.

When is Election Day?

The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3, but elections are no longer one-day events. Registered California voters can vote by mail any time before that, once they have received their mail ballot, or at select polling locations across the county.

What’s being decided?
Depending on where they live, voters will face decisions on a number of statewide and local ballot measures, as well as candidate races for various leadership positions in California, counties and cities.
Those include statewide races for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, controller, treasurer, attorney general, insurance commissioner and superintendent of public instruction.

They also include a slew of local races — including San Diego County treasurer-tax collector, an open county supervisor seat in North County, several San Diego City Council seats and more.

And around the county, voters will also make their selections for Congress and the state Legislature.

Ballots are distributed based on location of residency, so voters can check their ballot and voting guide for more information or visit the websites of the San Diego County Registrar of Voters or California Secretary of State.

OK, so how do I vote?

If you’re registered to vote in California, you should get a ballot in the mail. You have several options for how to return it.

Ballot drop boxes are now open, so you can start voting and return your ballot to a drop box as soon as you receive it.

In addition, all California mail ballots include a return envelope with prepaid postage, so you can just seal it, sign it and drop it in the mail. Ballots will be counted as long as they are postmarked on or before Nov. 3 and received by election officials within one week of Election Day.

Early in-person voting is available daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the county election office, located at 5600 Overland Avenue in Kearny Mesa.

Select vote centers across the county will be open daily starting Oct. 24. Then starting Oct. 31, all of the more than 200 vote centers will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Nov. 3.

On Election Day, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Visit CAEarlyVoting.sos.ca.gov or call (800) 345-VOTE (8683) to learn more about your options.

I’m not registered, or I’m not sure if I’m registered. How do I register to vote, or how do I check to see if I am registered to vote?

If you’re registered to vote in California, you should have received a ballot by mail.

If you didn’t and want to find out if you are currently registered, visit voterstatus.sos.ca.gov. You can also contact the San Diego County Registrar of Voters at 858-565-5800, as well as the California Secretary of State at elections@sos.ca.gov or 800-345-VOTE (8683).

If you have changed your residence or mailing address, your name or your political party choice, you will need to update your registration.

You can register to vote online at RegisterToVote.ca.gov or in person at any Department of Motor Vehicles office or the county elections office, along with many post offices, libraries and government offices.

For more information on voter registration, visit sos.ca.gov/elections/frequently-asked-questions.

What is the deadline to register to vote?

The last day to register to vote online is Oct. 19.

What if I miss the registration deadline?

If you miss the deadline, you can still conditionally register to vote in person at a voting center and cast a provisional ballot there through Election Day.

Your provisional ballot will be counted once a county elections official verifies your voter registration.

How do I vote by mail?

After you have filled out your mail ballot with your choices, place it in the return envelope, seal the envelope and sign on the designated line.

Make sure your signature looks like the one you used when you registered to vote. If you registered to vote at the DMV or online, the signature will be the one on your driver’s license or state ID.

Then, put your ballot into a mailbox or secure drop box, or deliver it to a voting center or county elections office.

I’d rather vote in person. Where can I vote in person?

In-person voting options will be available at various locations across the county.

You can visit the California secretary of state’s website at vote.ca.gov, call the toll-free voter hotline at 800-345-VOTE (8683) or text “vote” to GOVOTE (468683) to find locations nearest you.

What should I bring with me?

If you filled out your mail ballot, you should take that to the voting center.

Most of the time, on Election Day you are not required to show identification at the polling place, unless:

You are voting for the first time in a federal election, and you registered by mail.

You did not provide your driver’s license number, state ID number or the last four digits of your Social Security number on the registration card when registering by mail.

What if I am not on the list of voters at my polling place?

If your name is not on the list of registered voters at your polling place, you have the right to cast a provisional ballot.

If voters are eligible to vote and vote provisionally, their ballots will be counted.

What happens to my ballot after I vote?

You can sign up to track your ballot at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov and receive updates on the status of your ballot by text message (SMS), email or voice call.

Mail ballots must be processed and authenticated before they can be counted.

After the information is confirmed, ballots are counted.

How do I vote if I speak a language other than English?

San Diego County elections officials offer reference ballots and services in several languages other than English: Spanish, Filipino, Vietnamese, Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, Hmong, Indonesian, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Laotian, Persian, Somali and Thai.

I’m homeless, or I don’t have a permanent address. Can I still vote?

Yes. Under California law, you can vote even if you don’t have a permanent address.

You will need to register using the location where you spend most of your time — even cross streets — so that election officials can assign you to the proper voting precinct, and you will need an address at which you can receive mail.

Can I still vote if I didn’t get a ballot? Can I still vote if I lost my mail ballot?

Yes, you can either vote in person or request a replacement.

If you failed to receive your ballot in the mail or if you have lost or destroyed your original mail ballot, you may apply in writing for a replacement at the county election office.

When will the election results be available?

Election results will begin to be available after the polls close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. The San Diego Union-Tribune will track election results live. Sign up for our email alerts to get the latest updates on election news. Or sign up for our election newsletter at sandiegouniontribune.com/san-diego-election-guide.

Election results will continue to be updated throughout election night as votes are counted, and the results will continue to be updated in the following days as more ballots are processed.

The official certified results of the election will be posted by Dec. 3.

Emily Alvarenga contributed to this report.