How To Vote By Mail
Every active registered voter will automatically receive a ballot in the mail nearly a month before Election Day. You can make voting decisions and complete your mail ballot in the comfort of your home.
Voter Instructions
STEP 1 VOTE
- Follow the instructions at the top of your official ballot. If your ballot is damaged or you make a mistake, call (858) 565-5800 for help. Do not initial or sign your ballot to make a correction.
STEP 2 PREPARE
- Insert and seal your ballot inside your return envelope.
STEP 3 SIGN, DATE, & MAIL
- Date and sign your own name on your return envelope. DO NOT PRINT.
- Your signature is needed for us to count your ballot. Sign your name just like when you registered to vote. Or, if you registered to vote at the DMV, sign your name as it appears on your driver's license or identification card.
- Mail your ballot back promptly to ensure timely delivery.
- Your return envelope must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the Registrar’s office within seven days following Election Day.
Return Your Ballot to a Trusted Source
Once you complete your ballot, you can return it:
- By mail
- At a secure Ballot Drop Box Location
- At a Vote Center near you
Replacement Vote-by-Mail Ballot Application
If you have not received your vote-by-mail ballot or lost or
destroyed your original, you can request a replacement using any of
the following methods:
- Complete the Online Replacement Ballot Application. No printer needed.
- Print, complete, and return your Printable Replacement Ballot Application
including voter signature to the Registrar’s office via:
- Email: vbmreplacement@sdcounty.ca.gov
- Fax: (858) 505-7294
- In-person: Visit the Registrar of Voters Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Mail: Registrar of Voters, P.O. Box 85520, San Diego, CA 92186-5520
- Call the Registrar of Voters at (858) 565-5800 or toll-free at (800) 696-0136
Application to Provide Vote-by-Mail Ballot to Representative
If you are unable to obtain a replacement vote-by-mail ballot on your own, you may appoint a representative to obtain that ballot.
Print and complete the Application to Provide Vote-By-Mail Ballot to Representative.
This application must be signed by the voter and submitted in person to the Registrar of Voters by your representative (EC 3014(b)).
Track Your Ballot
You can confirm that your mail ballot was received by the Registrar of Voters by filling out this form »
Where’s My Ballot?
Where's My Ballot? lets you know when your ballot is mailed to you and when it is received back by the Registrar of Voters. Sign up here.
Remote Accessible Vote by Mail (RAVBM)
- Any voter may request and receive access to a Remote Accessible Vote by Mail System
- Commonly used by voters with a disability or voters deployed overseas serving in the military
- Allows a voter to download a ballot on a personal computer and mark it privately and independently using their own assistive technology
- After marking their ballot, the voter will have an option to review their choices
- After reviewing, the voter will then print and return their ballot using the printable envelope template included in their RAVBM instructions
- Like any mail ballot, RAVBM ballots must be sealed inside an envelope, signed, and returned by mail or at any Voter Center or Ballot Drop Box
- Remote Accessible Vote by Mail Disability Rights California PSA
Interested in using the Remote Accessible Vote-by-Mail System? Sign up here
Questions? Call (858) 565-5800, toll-free at (800) 696-0136 or Vote-by-Mail
Military and Overseas Voting
As a military or overseas registered voter there are several different ways you can receive and return your voted ballot. Learn more »
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