You can verify your registration online by following this link, or by calling our office at 714-567-7600.
In order to register to vote, a person must:
- Be a citizen of the United States
- Be a resident of California
- Be at least 18 years of age as of the day of the next election
- Not be in prison for the conviction of a felony
- Not be deemed by an appropriate court to be mentally incompetent.
To register to vote, you must obtain and complete a voter registration affidavit. You can use our online tool, or voter registration affidavits are available at post offices, libraries, city halls, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and most governmental agencies. In addition, you may call the Orange County Registrar of Voters at 714-567-7600 or come to the office located at 1300 South Grand Avenue, Building C, Santa Ana, CA 92705.
You should register to vote at least 15 days prior to any election. To receive a Voter Information Guide, you must be registered to vote by 29 days prior to the election. Conditional voter registration extends the existing 15-day registration deadline in California to eligible voters, allowing them to register and vote provisionally 14 days prior to an election and on Election Day. For more information on Conditional voter registration, click here.
Yes. You can register and vote on the same day using the Conditional voter registration process. For more information on Conditional voter registration, click here.
The qualified political parties in California are: American Independent Party, Democratic Party, Green Party, Libertarian Party, Peace and Freedom Party, and Republican Party.
No. When you register to vote, you may select the option “No Party Preference”. If you choose this option, you will be a registered voter, but not affiliated with any particular political party.
“No Party Preference” refers to a voter who is a registered voter but does not wish to be affiliated with any particular political party.
With the passage of Proposition 14 by the voters in June of 2010, “No Party Preference” voters may vote for any candidate in all contests except President of the United States, Vice President of the United States, and Member of a County Central Committee in a presidential primary election, unless permitted by a political party.
For more information about Proposition 14, visit the Prop 14 FAQs.
No. The “American Independent Party” is a qualified political party in California. “No Party Preference” refers to a voter who is registered but does not wish to be affiliated with any particular party, including the “American Independent Party”.
Yes. If you wish to change your political party preference, you must re-register to vote. Click here if you would like to re-register to vote. You can also change your party when voting in-person.
The National Voter Registration Act of 1993, also known as the Motor Voter Law, permits people conducting business at a DMV office to register to vote or update their voter registration information.
You may verify your voter registration using our online lookup feature, or by calling the Registrar of Voters’ office at 714-567-7600. Please note that it can take 7-10 days for mailed-in registrations to be entered into the system. You can also register to vote online by clicking here.
The Help America Vote Act (HAVA), enacted by Congress in October of 2002, states that individuals registering to vote for the first time in the state/jurisdiction, must provide either a valid California driver’s license or state ID card number.
Applicants who do not have either can provide the last four digits of their social security number. If the voter provides a driver’s license or state ID number when he/she registers to vote, and the number can be matched to a state record, then the voter will not be required to show ID when he/she votes. Otherwise:
- If an individual registers by mail, has not previously voted in an election for federal office, and votes in person, the voter must show a photo ID or a document that indicates both the voter’s current name and residence address
- If an individual registers by mail, has not previously voted in an election for federal office, and votes by mail, the voter must submit a copy of a photo ID or a document with both the voter’s current name and address.
The following documents are considered valid ID if they include the voter’s current name and residence address: Utility bill; property tax statement; military identification; college or university fee card or student identification; lease agreement; income tax statement; vehicle registration; mortgage statement; preprinted check or bank deposit slip; mail addressed to the voter at his/her current address; sworn statement from a voter in the precinct; bank statement; and credit card statement.
Yes. If your 18th birthday is on or before Election Day, but after the last day to register to vote for that election, you are eligible to vote even though you were not 18 years of age at the time you registered.
Yes. You may register to vote using your college residence address or you can register using your family residence address and indicating your college address as your mailing address. California Elections Code section 2025 allows college students to establish domicile or legal residence where they attend school.
Yes. An ex-felon may register to vote and is eligible to vote in elections if he/she is not currently in prison for a felony conviction.
Yes. You are eligible to register to vote
Eligible to register and vote if you are:
- In a county jail serving a misdemeanor sentence
- In a county jail because jail time is a condition of probation
- On probation
- On mandatory supervision
- On post-release community supervision
- On parole
- You are in state prison
- In a county jail serving a state prison sentence
No. He/she must sign the voter registration affidavit in his/her own handwriting under penalty of perjury. He/she can complete the voter registration affidavit and mail it from wherever he/she is located. Your family member can use our online registration tool.
No. You cannot use a P.O. Box, business or mail drop address as your residence. You are required to provide your residential address. However, you may use your P.O. Box, business, or mail drop address as your mailing address. Additionally, if you affirm a business address is your place of residence, you may use that as your residence address.
You are required to provide your residential address; however, if you do not have one, you then must provide the cross streets where you reside. A P.O. Box will not be accepted as a residential address. Additionally, if you affirm a business address is your place of residence, you may use that as your residence address.
A voter must re-register when he/she moves either within the county or outside of the county; changes his/her political party preference; or changes his/her name.
No. You should notify the Registrar of Voters’ office by mail or by completing a new voter registration affidavit. You may complete a registration affidavit here. Even if you only move next door, you must re-register.
You can register or re-register at any time.
If you move within Orange County 15 days or more prior to an election, you may re-register by completing a registration affidavit. If you move within Orange County 14 days or less before the election, you can vote using the Conditional voter registration process.
A certified copy of your voter registration can be obtained online, through the mail, or by coming to the Registrar of Voters’ office. There is a cost of $1.50 for the certified copy. You may request the copy online here (you will be required to pay the cost by credit card).
You may access an application here to be completed and returned with a check or money order in the amount of $1.50, payable to the Orange County Registrar of Voters. Mail the check and application to the Orange County Registrar of Voters, 1300 South Grand Avenue, Building C, Santa Ana, CA 92705. If you come to the office, you will complete the application and pay the $1.50 to receive the certified copy.
A cancellation form is available here. Complete and return it to the Registrar of Voters’ office, 1300 South Grand Avenue, Building C, Santa Ana, CA 92705.
Before removing your name from the voter registration list, the Registrar of Voters’ office would attempt to contact you. If you do not respond for two consecutive General Elections, your name will be removed from the voter registration list. You can check the current status of your registration using our online lookup feature.
No. You do not need to be a registered voter to register others to vote.
No. You do not have to be deputized to register people to vote.
California law mandates that jury duty lists be compiled from the Department of Motor Vehicles and voter registration records.
California law requires the Jury Commissioner to select jurors from lists provided by the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Registrar of Voters. If your name appears differently on your driver’s license and your voter registration record, you may receive multiple notices. To remedy this situation, complete and return to the Registrar of Voters’ office a new voter registration affidavit with your name printed as it appears on your driver’s license. You can use our online registration tool to complete a new voter registration.
No. It has no effect on future jury duty. The Jury Services Division requests a list of all active and cancelled voter files. The law also requires that lists of licensed drivers, obtained from the Department of Motor Vehicles, be made available to the Jury Commissioner.
You may use our online deceased voter notification tool to notify our office. You may also provide us with the deceased voter’s information by calling 714-567-7600. We will cancel the voter’s registration once we confirm the information.
You may use our online third-party voter notification tool to notify our office. You may also provide us with the voter’s information by calling 714-567-7600. We will cancel the voter’s registration once we confirm the information.
Persons who become naturalized citizens after the close of registration (15 days prior to Election Day) may only register and vote at the Registrar of Voters’ office between the 14th day and the close of the polls at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. New citizens must present a Certificate of Naturalization which must have a naturalization date that is after the closing date of registration and they must declare that they have established residence in Orange County.
California Elections Code section 2111 permits a person to prove that he/she is a citizen who is eligible to register to vote by signing the voter registration affidavit under penalty of perjury.
Under current state law, voter registration information is a matter of public record with restrictions. In general, all voter registration information is confidential, with the exception that this information is available for governmental, journalistic, political, and scholastic purposes. However, the signature, driver’s license number, California identification card number, and social security number may not be released for any purposes. To have all your registration and voting information completely confidential, you must:
- Participate in the Secretary of State’s Safe-at-Home Program for victims of domestic violence and/or stalking. You may access more information on the Secretary of State’s program here
- Qualify as a public safety officer.
- Obtain a court order. You can obtain additional information in our Confidential Voter Registration section.
- Participate in the Secretary of State’s Safe-at-Home Program for victims of domestic violence and/or stalking. You may access more information on the Secretary of State’s program here
- Qualify as a public safety officer.
- Obtain a court order. You can obtain additional information in our Confidential Voter Registration section.
Yes. Note: It is the intent of the Legislature that a voter be fully informed of the permissible uses of personal information supplied by him or her for the purpose of completing a voter registration affidavit. (ELEC § 2157.1) Information on your voter registration affidavit will be used by elections officials to send you official information on the voting process, such as the location of vote centers and the issues and candidates that will appear on the ballot. Commercial use of voter registration information is prohibited by law and is a misdemeanor. Voter information may be provided to a candidate for office, a ballot measure committee, or other persons for election, scholarly, journalistic, political, or governmental purposes, as determined by the Secretary of State. Driver’s license and social security numbers, or your signature as shown on your voter registration card, cannot be released for these purposes. If you have any questions about the use of voter information or wish to report suspected misuse of such information, please call the Secretary of State’s Voter Protection and Assistance Hotline at (800) 345-VOTE. Certain voters facing life-threatening situations may qualify for confidential voter status. For more information, please contact the Secretary of State’s Safe at Home program. (ELEC § 2157.2)
You may request voter registration affidavits by calling 714-567-7600 or by visiting the Registrar of Voters’ office at 1300 South Grand Avenue, Building C, Santa Ana, CA 92705. A Statement of Distribution must be completed prior to receiving the affidavits. Access NVRA Registration Order Form here.
There is no set limit as to the number of affidavits you can obtain; but, the quantity will depend on the amount on-hand at the Registrar of Voters’ office or the Secretary of State’s office. A Statement of Distribution must be completed prior to receiving the affidavits. Access NVRA Registration Order Form here.
The Registrar of Voters’ office is continually working to keep the voter registration records current. You can assist us to do so by updating your registration when needed, but we also work proactively to update the lists. We provide detailed information on our efforts to keep our voter registration list up-to-date.