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SAN FRANCISCO — With the November 4, 2025 Special Election just over two weeks away, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. held a press conference today in San Francisco to again remind Californians about their voting rights, encourage Californians to vote early, and advise 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. They previously held a joint press conference on voting rights in Los Angeles on October 2, 2025.
“This year, it is critical that Californians vote as early as possible. In many parts of California, recent changes in the U.S. Postal mail service mean that your ballot may not be counted if you drop it off at a post office or a USPS mailbox on Election Day. If you choose to drop off your ballot at a post office on Election Day, ask at the counter for a postmark to ensure you get credit for mailing your ballot on time. And remember: You have other options, like dropping your ballot off at a vote center or in a secure drop box,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Our election laws provide the backbone for a free and fair election, and as California’s top law enforcement officer, I will do everything in my power to protect your right to vote. In the lead up to the election and on Election Day, my office will be on call to provide assistance to the Secretary of State’s Office in enforcing California’s election laws, as needed, through a team of attorneys and administrative staff located across the state.”
“Your vote is your voice, and California protects its citizens’ rights to use their voice through their vote,” said Secretary of State Weber. “Counties have mailed ballots to all active registered voters, and Californians have several options for returning their completed ballot early. Voters can contact their county elections office at sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices for information about vote centers, drop boxes, and their voting options. Voters can also sign up to track their ballot at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov. Every Californian has the right to cast a ballot free from intimidation, harassment, or coercion. My office urges anyone who is subject to or witnesses any type of voter interference to report it to my office, their county elections office, or to elections workers on site.”
For up-to-date information on how to vote, check official websites, including sos.ca.gov/elections. Eligible Californians have until today at 11:59 PM PT to register to vote at registertovote.ca.gov, or if after the deadline, register in-person through Same Day Voter Registration (Conditional Voter Registration).
Voting Early or On Time
Due to changes in the U.S. Postal mail service, in some rural areas — or areas away from key mail processing sites — 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 are encouraged to drop off their ballots a day, or a few days, before Election Day.
See below for some alternative ways to ensure your vote is counted:
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 can be found in the California Voter Bill of Rights. Those rights are the following:
Denial of any of these rights can be reported through the Secretary of State’s confidential toll-free Voter Hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683); on the web at http://www.sos.ca.gov; or via email at [email protected]. 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.
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:
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:
In addition, the Secretary of State’s Office issued an updated memorandum concerning voter intimidation explaining, in part, that:
Elections officials are encouraged to contact their local law enforcement regarding potential violations of law. As it does every election, the Secretary of State’s Office will be deploying poll observers across the state to monitor voting and ensure that Californians can exercise their right to vote free from intimidation and harassment.
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.
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