What to KnowElection Day is Nov. 3 in California. Early voting is underway in Los Angeles County and throughout Southern California.Hundreds of ballot drop boxes are available for voters to return ballots. The last day to register to vote in the election was Oct. 19, but California offers same-day voter registration. Vote centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day Nov. 3 for in-person voting or drop-off. Top races on the ballot include contests for California governor and Los Angeles mayor.There are 14 statewide ballot propositions, including one that deals with voter ID in California.

Voters will decide contests for governor, Los Angeles mayor and several statewide ballot measures in the 2026 California general election.

Election Day is Nov. 3, but many voters have already cast ballots in California, where every registered active voter receives a mail-in ballot that can be returned by mail or dropped in a ballot drop box. Several vote centers opened in October for early in-person voting.

The guide below includes information on vote center and drop box locations, voter registration, top races and more.

How to vote in the 2026 California election

This year’s election ballot includes a long list of state, county and local races for voters to decide as the Nov. 3 Election Day nears. Once they’re filled out and signed, ballots can be returned to the county elections office by mail or dropped at an official ballot drop boxes.

If a ballot is postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days, LA County elections officials will process, verify and count that ballot. The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk recommended mailing ballots at least seven days prior to Election Day.

Here’s what to check before returning the ballot.

Place your voted ballot card(s) inside the official return envelope.

Securely seal the official return envelope.

Sign and date the back of the official return envelope.

Vote centers are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day Nov. 3 for in-person voting or drop-off. If you’re in line by the time polls close, you can vote.

Voters also can track their ballots using this tool on the Los Angeles County website.

During the LA mayoral debate, Nithya Raman repeatedly asserted that the LAPD shared immigrants’ data with ICE and federal authorities. Eric Leonard reports for the NBC4 New at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026.

Los Angeles early voting locations

Early in-person voting in Los Angeles County is underway at several locations and more vote centers will be available soon.

The initial vote centers will operate daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Nov. 2, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Another 523 vote centers will open Oct. 31, bringing the countywide total to 646.

The Los Angeles County website has a tool to find a vote center near you and see estimated wait times.

All locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Voters can cast their ballots at any vote center in the county, regardless of where they live.

Voter information for other Southern California counties is available below.

Ballot drop box locations

The county offers a searchable map on its website. Here’s what to know about the drop box program, which started in 2017.

Drop boxes close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Drop boxes are bolted securely into cement or chained in place.

Drop boxes are designed with security features identified in state regulations.

Drop boxes have an exterior coating to reduce permanent graffiti or damage.

Ballots are picked up regularly by two election workers.

The county works with law enforcement agencies, cities, local stakeholders, and community-based organizations to monitor and safeguard all boxes.

Register to vote in California

The last day to register to vote in the election was Oct. 19, but California offers same-day voter registration, which allows people to register at vote centers, then cast a provisional ballot. Anyone registering to vote less than 15 days before an election will need to complete the same-day registration process and request a ballot in person at a county polling location.

Voters who conditionally register will, in most cases, cast a provisional ballot. Once county elections officials process the registration and validates the information, registration becomes permanent and the provisional ballot will be counted.

The California Secretary of State website has more information about same-day registration.

Where’s my California election ballot?

Check the status of your vote-by-mail ballot on the California Secretary of State website.

Voter ID requirements in California elections

In California, registering to vote requires a California driver’s license or state ID number. The last four digits of your Social Security Number also can be provided, if you do not have a California ID. Anyone without either forms of ID will be assigned a unique identifier to validate registration.

The ID numbers are then matched against DMV records or Social Security Administration records.

In most cases, California does not generally require voters to show ID at vote centers, according to the Secretary of State. Voters might be asked to show ID if voting for the first time in federal election, they registered by mail or online and did not provide a California ID or SSN when registering.

Poll workers may only request ID if its clearly indicated on the voter list as a requirement.

The following forms of ID are accepted:

California Driver’s License or State ID card

U.S. Passport

Student or Military ID

Official mail from a government agency

Paycheck or government check

Utility bill or bank statement

Who is on the election ballot in California?

Top races in the November election include the contest for Los Angeles mayor featuring incumbent Karen Bass, who has never lost an election for public office, and challenger Nithya Raman.

Councilmember Raman finished second to Bass in the June primary, which included reality TV star Spencer Pratt, setting up the high-stakes November runoff. Raman, endorsed by the Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, is a one-time political ally of Bass who surprised Los Angeles when she announced a challenge to the mayor in February and joined the primary field.

Bass has never lost an election during her political career in Sacramento, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles.

The two squared off Oct. 13 in the final debate before Election Day.

In the race for governor, Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton emerged from a crowded June primary field.

Becerra, the former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary under President Biden, has portrayed Hilton as President Trump’s hand-picked candidate to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is in his final term.

Hilton has cast himself as a change agent, offering an alternative for a state that has solidly back Democratic candidates for governor. The last time California voter for a Republican candidate for governor was 2006, when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was re-elected to a second term.

The ballot includes races for other California state offices, contests for Los Angeles City Council, city and county offices, county and city measures, Los Angeles County sheriff and Congress, which could play a part in the balance of power in Washington, D.C.

About Prop 39 and other California ballot measures

Voter ID is actually on the November ballot.

Prop 39 is a ballot measure that, if approved by voters, would require voters to show a driver’s license or other government ID to vote. Supporters say it would tighter election rules through verified citizenship. Opponents say it would make it harder for Californians to vote.

The measure goes before voters at a time when election officials across California expressed confusion and frustration after they received letters from President Donald Trump’s Justice Department late last week. The letters demand that county registrars sequester ballots that the federal government believes were sent to noncitizen voters.

The letters sent on Friday ask for sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, on roughly 20,000 voters. It is illegal for noncitizens to register to vote or cast a ballot.

Prop 39 is one of 14 statewide propositions on the ballot.

California election results

Election result updates will be provided by county elections officials after polls close Nov. 3. The county will begin its official canvass Nov. 4, with election results scheduled to be certified Nov. 27.

California law allows county elections officials up to 30 days to complete the official canvass and processed.

Updated election results will be provided by NBCLA and Telemundo 52.