Californians urged to vote early especially after reporting finds increase in ballots arriving too late to count

OAKLAND — With the June 2, 2026, Primary Election less than a month away, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., today reminded Californians about their voting rights, encouraged Californians to vote early, and advised law enforcement agencies about laws protecting the integrity of the electoral process. The Secretary of State is California’s top election official, and the Attorney General enforces California’s election laws to ensure free and fair elections. In the lead-up to and on Election Day, the California Department of Justice will be on call to assist the Secretary of State’s Office, as needed, in enforcing California’s election laws through a team of attorneys and administrative staff located across the state. 

For up-to-date information on how to vote, check official websites, including sos.ca.gov/elections. Eligible Californians have until Monday, May 18 to register to vote at registertovote.ca.gov, or if after the deadline, register in-person through Same Day Voter Registration (Conditional Voter Registration).

“I want every Californian to have their vote counted, and the best way to make sure that happens is to vote early,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Postal delivery timelines have changed, and mailing your ballot on Election Day could mean it arrives too late. If you’re mailing it that day, ask the post office for a postmark. Or better yet, use a secure drop box or vote center ahead of time. A recent Los Angeles Times report found an increase in ballots arriving too late to be counted, underscoring the need for voters to take potential timing and delivery delays into account when returning their ballot. Protecting the right to vote is a top priority for me, and I’ll continue working to ensure our elections are fair and accessible.” 

“I am proud to partner with Attorney General Bonta on ensuring California voters are able to exercise their constitutional right to vote. My office and county elections offices are trusted sources of information and available to answer any questions voters may have. And we work closely with Attorney General Bonta and other law enforcement officials to ensure adherence with the law,” said Secretary of State Shirley Weber. “Anyone who has concerns that their, or anyone else’s rights are being impeded, should report such interference to my office or their county elections officials.” 

Voting Early or On Time 

Due to changes in the U.S. Postal mail service, in areas outside California’s major coastal cities, a ballot dropped in the U.S. mail on Election Day might be collected too late to be counted. Under the U.S. Postal Service’s new process, mail dropped off at post offices and mail collection boxes more than 50 miles from a U.S. Postal Service regional hub is collected the next day, instead of the same day (see map below). This means that, in some areas, ballots dropped off at a post office or mail collection box on Election Day won't be postmarked until the day after, making them late. Late ballots are not counted. Californians who plan to return their ballot by mail should do so at least a week before Election Day.

See below for some alternative ways to ensure your vote is counted:

• Drop off your ballot at a secure ballot drop-off box or vote center. Ballot drop-off boxes open today and remain available until Election Day.
• If you’re cutting it close, drop off your completed mail ballot at a vote center on Election Day. According to a Postal Service spokesperson, “You should never be mailing your ballot on election day.”
• Go to any post office and ask at the counter for a postmark on your ballot to ensure you get credit for mailing your ballot on time.

Voting Rights 

It is important for Californians to know their voting rights. Below is information on the California Voter Bill of Rights, additional information on state and federal protections for Californians with disabilities as they access their right to vote, and a consumer alert about the spread of misinformation online. 

California Voter Bill of Rights

The rights available to the public when voting are listed in the California Voter Bill of Rights. Those rights are the following:

1. The right to vote if you are a registered voter.
2. The right to vote if you are a registered voter, even if your name is not on the list of registered voters, by casting a provisional ballot.
3. The right to vote if you are still in line when the polls close.
4. The right to cast a secret ballot without anyone bothering you or telling you how to vote.
5. The right to get a new ballot if you have made a mistake, if you have not already cast your ballot.
6. The right to get help casting your ballot from anyone you choose, except from your employer or union representative.
7. The right to drop off your completed vote-by-mail ballot at any polling place in California.
8. The right to get election materials in a language other than English if enough people in your voting precinct speak that language.
9. The right to ask questions to elections officials about election procedures and watch the election process.
10. The right to report any illegal or fraudulent election activity to an elections official or the Secretary of State’s Office.

The California Voter Bill of Rights is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese, Arabic, Armenian, Bengali, Burmese, Gujarati, Hmong, Ilocano, Indonesian, Laotian, Mien, Mongolian, Nepali, Persian, Punjabi, Syriac, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.

Denial of any of these rights can be reported in English through the Secretary of State’s confidential toll-free Voter Hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683). Other language options, including Spanish, Tagalog, and Chinese, are available. In addition, reports can be made via email at elections@sos.ca.gov. Elections officials are encouraged to contact their local law enforcement regarding potential violations of law.

Consumer Alert on Misinformation’s Impact on Voting Rights 

With millions of Californians turning to social media, artificial intelligence, and other internet sources for news and information about elections, the California Department of Justice published an updated consumer alert to warn about how election misinformation can potentially interfere with voting rights. California law makes it a crime to intentionally mislead voters about their eligibility to vote, or about where and when to vote.

Rights of Voters with Disabilities 

The California Department of Justice has previously released a publication entitled "Access to Voting for People with Disabilities," which includes information about the federal and state laws that protect voters with disabilities. For example:

• The federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 requires that election officials allow voters to receive assistance from a person of the voter’s choice if the voter is blind or has another disability that requires assistance.
• The federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires voting facilities to have accessible voting systems, parking, and routes to the entrance.
• California’s Voter’s Choice Act requires that vote centers comply with federal accessibility requirements and be equipped with voting units or systems that are accessible to voters with disabilities.
• California Government Code section 11135 prohibits disability-based discrimination in programs and activities that are conducted, operated, or administered by the state or by any state agency, are funded directly by the state, or receive any financial assistance from the state. A violation of the ADA is also a violation of section 11135.

If a person believes that they or someone else was discriminated against based on a disability while registering to vote or voting, they may file a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department.

Role of Law Enforcement

The California Department of Justice has also published a law enforcement bulletin entitled "Protecting California Voters and Election Workers on Election Day and Early Voting," which discusses California laws that prohibit engaging in election interference, voter intimidation, and voter deception. Law enforcement officers should be aware of these statutes as they relate to the protection of voters in California. For example:

• Any person who, before or during an election, tampers with, interferes with, or attempts to interfere with, the correct operation of, or willfully damages in order to prevent the use of, any voting machine, voting device, voting system, vote tabulating device, or ballot tally software program source codes is guilty of a felony.
• Blocking access to voting locations, or disrupting the process of opening or closing polling stations, is unlawful, too.

For a graphic of key election dates, and options for turning in your ballot on Election Day, please see here.

For a map highlighting the U.S. Postal Service regional hubs, please see here.