Voter registration lookups, polling place finders and ballot status via the California Secretary of State and 58 county Registrar of Voters offices.
How to Search California Voter Records (Start Here)
Voter registration records in California are maintained by county election offices and the state Secretary of State (or equivalent). Voter rolls are public records in most states, but access rules vary.
What this page covers: California voter registration lookups, election results, and campaign filing databases. What it does not cover: How individuals voted (ballots are secret) or federal election data (that is on the FEC page).
Where to start: To verify your own voter registration, use the state's online voter lookup tool (usually on the Secretary of State website). For voter roll data, contact the county election office.
Common mistake: Voter registration records show who is registered and where — they do not show how someone voted. Ballot secrecy is protected by law.
Statewide elections agency
California Secretary of State Elections Division
Statewide voter database
VoteCal
Check status / polling place
My Voter Status (voterstatus.sos.ca.gov)
Online registration
registertovote.ca.gov
County administrator
Registrar of Voters or County Clerk (58 counties)
Confidential fields
DOB, DL#, SSN digits, signature
How California Voter Records Work — Deep Dive
State and county responsibilities
The Secretary of State certifies elections, maintains VoteCal (the statewide voter database) and runs the public-facing lookup tools. Day-to-day voter-roll maintenance — registration intake, signature verification, vote-by-mail ballots, polling places — is the responsibility of each of California's 58 elected County Registrars of Voters (or, in some smaller counties, the County Clerk). Los Angeles County's Registrar/Recorder publishes its own status tool [lavote.gov] and Yolo County its own [ace.yolocounty.gov].
Online registration and verification
Eligible voters can register or update their record online at registertovote.ca.gov (the system uses DMV signature data for identity verification when available). Federal voter-registration links are also available via vote.gov. To verify current status, polling location, vote-by-mail ballot tracking and party affiliation, use My Voter Status — results are live against the VoteCal database.
What's public and what isn't
California Elections Code §2194 makes the voter file available only for election, scholarly, journalistic, political or governmental purposes — not commercial use. Date of birth, driver's license number, social-security digits and signatures in the voter record are confidential and never released. Bulk data requests are processed by the Secretary of State; individual lookups are restricted to confirming your own registration through the My Voter Status portal.
Which California counties publish election information online
10 of California's 58 counties run their own online source for election information, based on what this directory indexes. Every other county is covered by the statewide systems listed above — click a county for its full records page.
Frequently Asked Questions: California Voter Records
How do I check if I'm registered to vote in California?▼
Use the official My Voter Status portal — it returns your registration status, party preference, address on file, polling place and vote-by-mail tracking from the VoteCal database.
Where do I register to vote in California?▼
Online at registertovote.ca.gov, by paper form available from any county elections office, or through DMV motor-voter at license renewal.
Who runs elections in California — the state or the counties?▼
Both. The Secretary of State certifies elections and maintains the VoteCal master database; each of the 58 counties runs day-to-day registration, vote-by-mail and polling-place operations through its Registrar of Voters or County Clerk.
Can I look up another person's voter record?▼
Only their existence as a registered voter and basic public fields can be confirmed for election/scholarly/journalistic/political/governmental purposes per California Elections Code §2194 — not commercial uses. DOB, DL#, SSN digits and signature are confidential.
How do I track my mail-in ballot?▼
California uses BallotTrax-style tracking integrated into the My Voter Status portal — you'll see when your ballot was mailed, received and counted.
Last reviewed:
SearchSystems Editorial
Edited by Sam Rokni — Editor & Owner, SearchSystems.net. Public records professional since 1999. NAPBS founding member. Full bio & credentials.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: California voter records URL verified against the official state publisher at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov on the review date. 7 primary .gov sources cited below.
California Voter Records — Key Facts (2026)
Voter registration, voting history, and election administration in California — what's public, what's not, and what 2024-2026 changed.
Public
Registration record
In most states
Secret
Your ballot choice
Constitutionally protected
State-run
Elections administration
Federal sets standards
EAVS
Federal election survey
Biennial — next 2026
65.3%
U.S. turnout (2024)
Census voting tables
What's public vs. private in a California voter record
Your name & address
100%
Party affiliation
80%
Did you vote
100%
How you voted
0%
Your driver's license
0%
Your SSN
0%
Unit: % publicly searchable.
What Changed in 2026 — California Voter Records
2026
California voter records portal active
The official California portal at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov continues to serve as the canonical entry point for voter records in 2026.
For 2026, California continues to publish voter records information through state-authorized portals; check voterstatus.sos.ca.gov for current fees and processing times.
Federal record types (federal liens, federal land, federal vital statistics) continue to live OUTSIDE California's state portal — see the Primary Sources below for additional official portals.
California lets every voter check their own registration status online — always free.
2
Tier 2 — Public voter file
California statewide voter file may be sold or restricted, depending on state law.
3
Tier 3 — Voting history
Whether you voted (not how) is public in most states. The ballot is secret.
Five Things People Get Wrong About California Voter Records
MYTH"They can purge you for missing one election."
FACTFederal law (the NVRA) forbids removal just for not voting — removal takes the full confirmation process: notice, waiting period, continued inactivity.
MYTH"Records show WHO you voted for."
FACTNever. Ballot secrecy is absolute — the file shows that you voted in an election, not a single choice you made.
MYTH"Anyone can use the voter file for anything."
FACTMost states restrict commercial use, and some limit access to campaigns and researchers. Read the state's use rules before touching the data.
MYTH"Party affiliation is always on file."
FACTOnly in states that register by party. In open-registration states there is no party field to look up at all.
MYTH"Voter registration is confidential."
FACTIn most states the voter file — name, address, party, participation — is releasable, often for purchase, with rules about use. Assume registered means visible.
Voter registration and election information for California. District assignments here settle which races you actually vote in. Lookups confirm registration status, party, districts, and the correct polling place.
To help reduce the rate of COVID-19 transmission, customers are urged to use online services for transactions or mail documents and forms to: Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder 555 Escobar St., Martinez, CA 94553.
On Display Indefinitely · In response to the rapid rate of growth of the Fresno June Lightning Complex Fire (Bolt, Hog and Flash) and subsequent evacuation orders, the Fresno County Administrative Officer/Emergency Services Director Paul Nerland has proclaimed a Local Emergency
Election administration for California runs through this office, from voter rolls to results. If a link breaks, the office homepage at sos.ca.gov carries the new path.
Maintains the County’s debt and investments, reports cash flow and banking. Manages estates and makes final arrangements for residents who die without a will or support to resolve their estate. Fire Department Protects Marin residents from fires and natural disasters.
When you sign up you will automatically get notifications for the current election and all elections in the future. To receive automatic email, SMS (text), or voice call notifications about your ballot status, click on the sign-up button .
Our vision is to empower residents, businesses and governments within Napa County to better engage with the world using universal, affordable and reliable broadband high-speed internet service and the technologies that are enabled by it.
Voter registration and election information for California. It is the fastest way to verify a registration survived a move or name change. Sample ballots tied to your registration beat the generic ones — they show your exact races.
Voter registration and election information for California. It is the fastest way to verify a registration survived a move or name change. Lookups confirm registration status, party, districts, and the correct polling place.
Official public records resource for California. Official pages like this outlast the third-party copies that scrape them. What displays online is usually a subset — the office holds more than it posts.
We’re bringing essential County services directly into Sonoma County communities. Our mobile vans make it easier for residents to access benefits, health resources, and family support.
You also may call or mail, fax or email a request to receive a facsimile ballot by mail in Khmer, Punjabi or Syriac (Assyrian). Click on the link below for the form. The elections official must receive the request no later than 7 days before Election Day.
With more than 300 miles of trails (including 17 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail) and Lassen Volcanic National Park only forty-five miles to the east, Tehama County offers unlimited recreational opportunities.
The County Clerk-Recorder has two locations for your convenience. When you make your appointment (above) you will have your choice of locations. You can make an appointment for most services at either location: Ventura County Government Center: Monday – Friday Counter Hours from 8am to 4:45pm
Help keep Yolo County's voter registration database clean and accurate by using these forms. Names of potential jurors are randomly selected from the list of citizens from the California Franchise Tax Board, Department of Motor Vehicles and from the voter registration rolls.
Recorded land documents for California — deeds, mortgages, and liens. Deeds, mortgages, releases, and liens make up most of the index; images often reach back decades. Military discharge records (DD-214s) are held here as well but stay restricted by law.
Voter registration and election information for California. Registration data is public under state law, though how much displays online varies. District assignments here settle which races you actually vote in.
California Gubernatorial Recall Election. Over 1.96 million ballots were mailed to the · county’s active registered voters, 131 mail ballot drop-off locations were open for nearly · a month and 221 in-person voting sites were open for four days of in-person voting.
The following voters will be asked to put their ballot inside of a provisional envelope; Voters who have moved into a new precinct and have not updated their registration to the new address; Voters whose names are not on the roster where they go to vote; Voters who have registered by mail, but did not provide a CA .driver’s license number, or CA ID number when they registered; Voters who return their absentee ballots to the polls without an envelope; Voters who have applied to vote by mail, but do not have their ballot to turn in when they go to the polls.
If you wish to continue in a language other than English, please select your language below · You can map all the Vote Centers and Ballot Drop-off locations near you by visiting the Secretary of State's look up tool
Court case information for California. Hearing calendars on the same system show what is coming up, not just what happened. Dockets list every filing and hearing, usually enough to follow a case without ordering documents.
