Know Your Voting Rights, Ensure Your Voice is Heard: Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber Engage Californians in Advance of November Special Election

LOS ANGELES - In advance of the Tuesday, November 4, 2025 Special Election, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. held a press conference today to remind Californians about their voting rights, encourage Californians to vote early, and advise law enforcement agencies about laws protecting the integrity of the electoral process. The Secretary of State is California's top election official, and the Attorney General enforces California's election laws to ensure free and fair elections.

"This year, it is critical that Californians vote as early as possible. In many parts of California, recent changes in the U.S. Postal mail service mean that your ballot may not be counted if you drop it off at a post office on Election Day. If you choose to drop off your ballot at a post office on Election Day, ask at the counter for a postmark to ensure you get credit for mailing your ballot on time. And remember: You have other options, like dropping your ballot off at a vote center or in a secure drop box," said Attorney General Rob Bonta. "Our election laws provide the backbone for a free and fair election, and as California's top law enforcement officer, I will do everything in my power to protect your right to vote."

"Your vote is your voice, and California protects its citizens' rights to use their voice through their vote. Vote-by-mail ballots will be mailed to all active registered voters no later than October 6, 2025, and voters have several options for returning their completed ballot early," said Secretary of State Weber. "Voters can contact their county elections office at sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices for information about vote centers, drop boxes, and their voting options. Voters can also sign up to track their ballot at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov. Every Californian has the right to cast a ballot free from intimidation, harassment, or coercion. And anyone who is subject to, or witnesses any type of, voter interference should report it to my office, their county elections office, or to elections workers on site."

In addition, Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber, recognizing that many Californians turn to social media and other internet sources for news and information about elections, warned voters about the spread of misinformation online.

For up-to-date information on how to vote, check official websites, including sos.ca.gov/elections. Eligible Californians have until Monday, October 20, 2025 to register to vote at registertovote.ca.gov, or if after the deadline, register in-person through Same Day Voter Registration (Conditional Voter Registration).

Voting Early or On Time

Due to changes in the U.S. Postal mail service, in some rural areas - or areas away from key mail processing sites - a ballot dropped in the U.S. mail on Election Day might be collected too late to be counted. Under the U.S. Postal Service's new process, mail dropped off at post offices and mail collection boxes more than 50 miles from a U.S. Postal Service regional hub is collected the next day, instead of the same day (see map below). This means that, in some areas, ballots dropped off at a post office or mail collection box on Election Day won't be postmarked until the day after, making them late. Late ballots are not counted. Californians are encouraged to drop off their ballots a day, or a few days, before Election Day.

See below for some alternative ways to ensure your vote is counted:

• Drop off your ballot at a ballot drop-off box or voter center. Ballot drop-off boxes open on October 7, 2025 and remain available until Election Day.
• If you're cutting it close, drop off your completed mail ballot at a vote center on Election Day.
• If you can't make it to a vote center, you can go to any post office and ask at the counter for a postmark on your ballot to ensure you get credit for mailing your ballot on time.
• Get your ballot in the mail at least a few days before Election Day.

Voting Rights

It is important for Californians to know their voting rights. Below is information on the California Voter Bill of Rights, additional information on state and federal protections for Californians with disabilities as they access their right to vote, and a consumer alert about the spread of misinformation online.

California Voter Bill of Rights

The rights available to the public when voting can be found in the California Voter Bill of Rights. Those rights are the following:

1. The right to vote if you are a registered voter.
2. The right to vote if you are a registered voter, even if your name is not on the list of registered voters, by casting a provisional ballot.
3. The right to vote if you are still in line when the polls close.
4. The right to cast a secret ballot without anyone bothering you or telling you how to vote.
5. The right to get a new ballot if you have made a mistake, if you have not already cast your ballot.
6. The right to get help casting your ballot from anyone you choose, except from your employer or union representative.
7. The right to drop off your completed vote-by-mail ballot at any polling place in California.
8. The right to get election materials in a language other than English if enough people in your voting precinct speak that language.
9. The right to ask questions to elections officials about election procedures and watch the election process.
10. The right to report any illegal or fraudulent election activity to an elections official or the Secretary of State's Office.

Denial of any of these rights can be reported through the Secretary of State's confidential toll-free Voter Hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683); on the web at www.sos.ca.gov; or via email at [email protected]. The California Voter Bill of Rights is available in English,Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese, Arabic, Armenian, Bengali, Burmese, Gujarati, Hmong, Ilocano, Indonesian, Laotian, Mien, Mongolian, Nepali, Persian, Punjabi, Syriac, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.

In the lead up to the election and on Election Day, the California Department of Justice will be on call to provide additional assistance to the Secretary of State's Office in enforcing California's election laws, as needed, through a team of attorneys and administrative staff located across the state.

Consumer Alert on Misinformation's Impact on Voting Rights

With millions of Californians turning to social media, artificial intelligence, and other internet sources for news and information about elections, the California Department of Justice published an updated consumer alert to warn about how election misinformation can potentially interfere with voting rights. California law makes it a crime to intentionally mislead voters about their eligibility to vote, or about where and when to vote.

Rights of Voters with Disabilities

The California Department of Justice has previously released a publication entitled "Access to Voting for People with Disabilities," which includes information about the federal and state laws that protect voters with disabilities. For example:

• The federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 requires that election officials allow voters to receive assistance from a person of the voter's choice if the voter is blind or has another disability that requires assistance.
• The federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires voting facilities to have accessible voting systems, parking, and routes to the entrance.
• California's Voter's Choice Act requires that vote centers comply with federal accessibility requirements and be equipped with voting units or systems that are accessible to voters with disabilities.
• California Government Code section 11135 prohibits disability-based discrimination in programs and activities that are conducted, operated, or administered by the state or by any state agency, are funded directly by the state, or receive any financial assistance from the state. A violation of the ADA is also a violation of section 11135.

If a person believes that they or someone else was discriminated against based on a disability while registering to vote or voting, they may file a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department.

Role of Law Enforcement

The California Department of Justice has also published a law enforcement bulletin entitled "Protecting California Voters and Election Workers on Election Day and Early Voting," which discusses California laws that prohibit engaging in election interference, voter intimidation, and voter deception. Law enforcement officers should be aware of these statutes as they relate to the protection of voters in California. For example:

• It is a felony to use tactics of coercion or intimidation to induce or compel a person to vote or refrain from voting, or to vote or refrain from voting for any particular person or measure, at any election.
• It is a felony to agree to vote in a certain way or induce others to vote in a certain way in exchange for money or something of value.

In addition, the Secretary of State's Office issued an updated memorandum concerning voter intimidation explaining, in part, that:

• It is a felony for any person to possess a firearm at a voting location or in the immediate vicinity of a voting location.
• It is illegal for any uniformed peace officer, private guard, or security personnel or any person who is wearing a uniform of a peace officer, guard, or security personnel to be stationed at or in the immediate vicinity of a voting location.
• Shirts, hats, or other displays that indicate a person is with "Election Security" or "Ballot Security" or apparel or accessories with any semblance of a logo or display that might be confused with any private guard or security company or government agency are prohibited. This includes observers and anyone who is not there to vote.

Elections officials are encouraged to contact their local law enforcement regarding potential violations of law. As it does every election, the Secretary of State's Office will be deploying poll observers across the state to monitor voting and ensure that Californians can exercise their right to vote free from intimidation and harassment.

For a graphic of key election dates, and options for turning in your ballot on election day, please see here.

For a map highlighting the U.S. Postal Service regional hubs, please see here.