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Check if you are registered to vote in Marin County by using our Voter Information Portal (VIP).
—OR—
Use the California Secretary of State’s My Voter Status page.
Anyone who meet all the requirements below is qualified to register to vote:
You can register to vote any time. The registration deadline is 15 days before the election. Your registration must be received by the Elections Department or postmarked by that day or before.
14 days prior to an election through Election Day, you may register online or in the Elections Department; you must come to the Elections Department by 8 p.m. on Election Day to get a ballot.
You should register as soon as possible so that you get your voter guide in the mail. f you register later than 29 days before an election, you may not get your voter guide.
You can register online at the CA Secretary of State website.
You must fill out a paper voter registration form, sign it, and return it by mail or in person to the Marin County Elections Department.
We will send you a letter and ask you to provide the missing information.
When we get the required information, you will be registered to vote.
If there is a problem with your ID information, the Secretary of State will let us know. You will be given a chance to correct your information.
If your information has not been confirmed in time for Election Day, you can go to the Elections Department or a polling place and vote a provisional ballot.
If you —
If we do not have your current home or mailing address, you will not receive your ballot. The Post Office does not forward election mail.
Your name may not be on the list at the polls on election day. You would have to vote a provisional ballot, which may not have all the races that are on the ballot you could vote.
In a Presidential Primary Election, you may not be able to vote the ballot of your new political party.
You can still register to vote. Write the address of a shelter or the cross streets of where you sleep on your voter registration form. You must provide a mailing address.
If mail we send to a voter is returned undeliverable, the voter will be moved to the inactive list. We send a notice to inform the voter that they have been moved to the inactive list. Voters that do not respond and do not vote in two General Elections (even years) in a row, will be cancelled.
Inactive voters will not receive election materials and their name is not on the roster at their polling place.
Yes. A voter can be moved to the Inactive List or have their registration cancelled.
Inactive Voters:
If mail we send to a voter is returned undeliverable, the voter will be moved to the inactive list. We send a notice to inform the voter that they have been moved to the inactive list.
Inactive voters must respond to the notice, contact the Elections Department or vote a Provisional ballot to become an Active voter.
Cancelled Voters:
A voter can be cancelled for the following reasons:
Cancelled voters must re-register or vote a Conditional Voter Registration (CVR) ballot to become an Active voter.
Yes. Fill out and return the Registration Cancellation Form.
You must re-register to vote.
Yes. The Elections’ Office will send the form to the correct county.
No. Filling in the “Qualifications” section of the registration form and signing the form is considered proof.
By law, voters’ information can be given to the voter or purchased by candidates and campaigns, or for scholarly, journalistic, political, or governmental use.
Yes, the voter’s driver's license or ID number, the last four digits of the social security number and the voter’s signature are confidential for everyone.
None, you can only get information about yourself.
Yes. The Secretary of State has a program for victims of domestic abuse. Contact the Elections Office or the Secretary of State’s Office for information. Others may obtain a court order to make their voter registration confidential.
Confidential voters’ information is not given to any individuals and does not appear on any list at the polls.
Yes, but they must provide a description on the form of where they live, such as cross streets, or routes, so that we can assign them to a precinct for voting. They must also provide a mailing address to receive election maill.
Only if their business address is also their residence.
Yes. New citizens may register and vote at the Elections Office from 14 days before the election to 8pm on election day.
Yes, new residents may register and vote at the Elections Office 14 days before the election to 8pm on election day and at the polls on election day, 7am to 8pm.
Yes, the voter may register and vote at the Elections Office 14 days before the election to 8pm on election day and at the polls on election day, 7am to 8pm.
The difference is the return address on the mailing portion of the form.
No, the Post Office does not forward election mail. Voters must re-register at their new address to receive election mail.
In 2021, the law changed. Now all voters will be mailed a ballot for every election
You do not need to sign up. All voters will be mailed a ballot for every election.
If you want to vote a ballot at the polls you must.
If you do not bring the ballot you got in the mail.
We mail vote by mail ballots 29 days before the election.
If you do not receive your ballot within 2 weeks, contact us. We will mail you another ballot.
If there is not enough time to mail it, you or someone with your written permission can get a ballot at the Elections Office.
You can vote as soon as you receive your ballot. Vote your ballot, put it in the return envelope, sign the envelope, and then drop it in the mailbox or any official drop box in Marin.
We mail election materials to all voters starting 29 days before the election.
You will receive a:
Yes. You can:
No! Vote by mail ballots cannot be forwarded.
Fill out a new registration form with your updated information at least 15 days before the election.
If there is not enough time to mail you a ballot, you can:
Up to 7 days before an election, we can mail you a ballot:
You can: Draw a straight line completely through the incorrect vote and the oval. Then fill in the oval for the correct vote and write "correct" next to the correct vote.
Call us – 415-473-6456, to ask for a replacement ballot.
Place your ballot in the return envelope sent with you ballot. Sign the outside of the return envelope.
You can:
For Statewide Elections you can also:
By Mail:
By Drop Box:
In person to a polling place or the Elections Office:
We will send you a letter. You have until 2 days before the election is certified to fix the issue. If you do not respond, your ballot will not be counted
Yes, you can:
We follow these steps:
Ballots are scanned on digital scanners. All equipment used for counting has gone through Federal and State certification. We test all machines are counting correctly before each election.
After the ballots have been processed, we:
The first results at 8PM on Election Day are only vote by mail ballots counted so far. By Election Day, we usually count all vote by mail ballots received by the Friday before the election. Any remaining ballots or those received on election day and ballots received in the mail during the 7-day grace period are counted within a week or two of the election.
Any voter with a ballot that has been challenged due to missing signature or the signature does not match has until 2 days before the election is certified to fix the issue and have their ballot counted. We have 28 days to certify an election, but usually certify before the deadline.
Call 415-473-6456, if you have any questions.
Look for your polling place:
All voters will be mailed a ballot for every election. If you want to vote a ballot at the polls you must:
If you do not bring the ballot you got in the mail:
Just let a poll worker know what kind of help you need.
They can:
You must show ID if:
You can still vote. The poll worker will give you a Conditional Voter Registration form and a ballot. Your ballot will be counted when we confirm you did not already vote in the election.
The most common reasons are:
Contact the Elections Department 28 days after the election.
Vote the ballot mailed to you.
Starting 29 days before the election you may get a vote by mail in person at the Elections Office or give someone your written permission to pick up your ballot. You must write your name, residence address, the name of authorized person, words stating that you give permission, and sign it.
A provisional ballot is an official ballot that you vote and put into a special “provisional envelope". You must write your name and address on the envelope and sign it.
Your provisional ballot will be counted, if:
Here are the main reasons why you may be asked to vote a provisional ballot.
After election day. The Elections Department staff checks the information on your provisional ballot envelope against your information on the voter file. If we can determine that you are a registered voter in Marin County and have not voted in the election, your ballot is counted.
Yes. All of the contests and measures for which you are eligible to vote had you gone to your correct polling place will be counted. Contests and measures for which you are not eligible to vote will not be counted.
We work hard to get polling places that are accessible for all people. But sometimes this is not possible.
To know if your polling place is accessible, you can go to our List of polling Places or check the back cover of your County Voter Information Guide.
If your current polling place is not accessible and you want to vote at an accessible polling place, call us, 415-473-6439, at least 2 weeks before the election.
Yes, all voters will be mailed a ballot for every election. You do not need to sign up
In addition, voters may request to use the Remote Accessible Vote by Mail (RAVBM) system by signing up as described on RAVBM page.
A voter can ask to bet assigned to an accessible polling place if theirs is not accessible by calling no later than 2 weeks before the election, 415-473-6439.
For voters who cannot get into the polling place. A poll worker can bring a ballot to you. After you vote, the poll worker will put your voted ballot in the ballot box.
Voters may request to use the Remote Accessible Vote by Mail (RAVBM) system by signing up as described on RAVBM page.
Marin Access was designed and is sponsored by Marin Transit to coordinate transportation resources for older adults, persons with disabilities, low-income residents, and others who cannot or choose not to drive.
Each polling place has:
The Secretary of State has a TDD hotline: TDD 800-833-8683.
All state propositions are available on audio tape. Call us if you want one: 415-473-6456 or go to the Secretary of State's website.
We will point out the instructions in the voting booth. We can show you how to mark your ballot using a demonstration ballot. Some precincts have bilingual poll workers. Let us know if your precinct needs bilingual poll workers.
No, you must contact the City/Town clerk for nomination documents, manuals, and filing information.
Candidates can pick up papers during the filing period which begins 113 days and ends 88 days before the election.
Yes. If you are unable to come in person, see the Candidate Nomination Papers section of the Candidate Guide on the Election Schedule page for instructions.
Yes. Although it is not required, appointments are a good idea especially if you are new to the process. Call 415-473-6437 to schedule an appointment.
Yes, you can fill out the Candidate's Application Form. When we receive your form, we will prepare your documents so they will be ready when you come to our office
It depends on the office you are seeking. Check the Offices Open section of the Candidate Guide, which can be found on the Election Schedule page.
It is an optional way to let the voters know about you. You can write a 200-word statement that is printed in our Voter Guide. For details about the format and costs check the Candidate Nomination Papers section of the Candidate Guide on the Election Schedule page.
Yes there are rules. Whether flyers, yard signs, or internet ads, make sure you are aware of all campaign finance rules. Visit the Fair Political Practices Commission’s (FPPC) website for rules. and campaign finance information.
Yes, there are special rules and fillings for state and judicial candidates. This information is in FPPC Manual 1 on the FPPC website.
The Elections Home Page will have a link to the List of candidates that have taken papers for filing. The list will be updated daily.
An independent expenditure is any money raised or spent for or against a local candidate or measure by a person or committee not related to a candidate or measure committee.
To ensure transparency about donors, donations, and spending for or against local candidates or measures not connected to a candidate or measure committee.
Ordinance 3519 was approved by the Marin County Board of Supervisors on June 2, 2009.
Any person or committee that makes independent expenditures for or against local candidates or measures.
The committees must complete the Independent expenditure committees filing forms. You must also include a copy of the mailing or advertisement, script or recording of phone call, transmission, or advertisement.
Within 24 hours after the expenditure is made.
Return the forms by one of the following ways:
Anyone who violates any section of Chapter II, intentional or not, shall be subject to fines of $5000 for each violation, or up to 3 times the amount of the message, whichever is greater.