Vote—It's Your Right

Register to Vote

Getting involved in the democratic process starts with registering to vote. Each state has different structures and election laws, but you can always start by visiting vote.gov managed by the United States Election Assistance Commission.

Resources

There are many resources available to voters. The following are some of the official government entities and organizations that you can use to assist with voting, registeration, and more...

• Government entities

  • vote.gov, U.S. Election Assistance Commission

  • California Secretary of State

  • California Voter Guide

  • San Francisco Department of Elections

  • California Only: ballottrax

• News

  • CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide

• Nonprofits

  • Vote.org

  • Rock the Vote

Research Your Ballot

It's never a bad idea to do some digging before you vote. Here are some tips on how to research your ballot independently so you're ready to cast your ballot...

• Find a sample ballot from your local or state elections office and identify who is running and what initiatives are up for election

• Look over filed candidate statements on a sample ballot

• Review candidates' campaigns and their messaging

• Attend a town hall or debate hosted by candidates or local organizations

• Look into a candidate's voting history or achievements

• Take in local and national news, especially including different opinions that you may not necessarily agree with