California polling locations are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Anyone in line at 8 p.m. can vote. Officials say voters should not mail ballots from USPS collection boxes now, since postmarks may come too late. Same-day registration is available.
All polling locations in California are open on Election Day, Nov. 3, 2026, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Tuesday, Nov. 3, vote centers, official ballot drop boxes and the Registrar's office will also be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Polls will stay open until 8 p.m., and anyone in line by that time will be able to cast a ballot. Anyone who arrives at a polling center after 8:00 p.m. will not be allowed to vote, but people already in line when polls close can still cast their votes.
Because of U.S. Postal Service processing changes, ballots mailed on Election Day may not be postmarked in time to be counted. Officials say voters should not mail a ballot using a USPS mail collection box at this stage, because it risks being postmarked too late to be counted.
California voters who are not registered can cast a ballot using same-day voter registration. Voters can also track their ballot by signing up for Where's my Ballot?, which shows when the ballot is mailed, arrives at the Registrar's office and is counted.
