Register by October 21 to vote in the November 5 election

Receive a convenient vote-by-mail ballot if you register by the deadline. Those who miss the deadline can still vote in person at a vote center or the Registrar of Voters office.

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Register by Monday, October 21 to vote in the November 5 election, which includes the presidential election, state offices and propositions, as well as local candidates and ballot measures.

If you are already registered, check your registration status before October 21 to confirm that your information is correct. You need to re-register if you have moved, changed your name, or wish to change your political party preference.

For the first time, Berkeley 16- and 17-year-olds can register to vote for their school board representative.

The ballot for Berkeley residents will include the election for the mayor, four councilmembers, four rent board members, two school board seats and 12 ballot measures.

You can play a part in shaping those decisions. Register to vote by October 21 to receive a vote-by-mail ballot.

How to register to vote

Register to vote online at the California Secretary of State's website. Youth voters 16 and 17 will select the "pre-register to vote" option.

You'll need:

• California driver's license or ID card number
• last 4 digits of your social security number
• date of birth

If you don't have a California driver's license or state-issued ID, you can still fill out the online registration form. The website will create a pre-filled application for you to print, sign, and mail.

Alternatively, register with paper applications, available at any public library, the City Clerk Department at 2180 Milvia Street, the US post office, or DMV. Paper applications must be postmarked or hand-delivered by 5:00 pm on Monday, October 21 to:

Same-day registration

If you miss the deadline, you can still vote provisionally by registering at a vote center or at the Registrar of Voters office between October 21 and November 5.

If you register after October 21, your ballot will be processed and counted after the Registrar of Voters has verified your registration. That verification takes time, so these "conditional ballots" will not be counted in election night results.

Who can vote

Berkeley residents 16 and 17 years old can vote in the School Board Director election. To vote for all other offices and ballot measures, you must be 18 years or older on election day. To be eligible to vote, you must also be:

• a United States citizen
• a California resident
• not currently in prison or on parole for a felony
• not currently judged mentally incompetent to vote by a court of law

Berkeley candidates and ballot measures

The following offices are up for election on the November 5 ballot:

• Mayor
• City Council Districts 2, 3, 5, and 6
• Rent Board (4 seats)
• School Board (2 seats)

Candidate Statements are available online on the Candidate Information page.

There are twelve Berkeley measures on the November 5 ballot. The text of the measures, impartial analyses, and arguments for and against each measure are available on the Ballot Measure Information page.

You can weigh in on all of these issues and candidates by voting.

Register to vote by October 21 for a convenient vote-by-mail ballot. If you miss the deadline, you can still vote provisionally through election day.

Links

• Check your registration status (California Secretary of State)
• Register to vote online (California Secretary of State's website)
• Vote Centers (Alameda County Registrar of Voters)
• Registrar of Voters (Official Election Site of Alameda County)
• Candidate Information (City of Berkeley)
• Ballot Measure Information (City of Berkeley)
• Youth Voting Information (Berkeley Unified School District)