Your California mail ballot is coming. 5 things to do to make sure it gets counted

California has hit a record number of registered voters this year, and thanks to an executive order issued this year from Gov. Gavin Newsom, all 21 million of them will be receiving a ballot in the mail starting Oct. 5.

Although California has historically had one of the highest rates of mail-in ballots in the country (more than 57% of ballots were cast that way in 2016) many will be casting their votes via postal service for the first time this year.

If you’re not registered to vote yet, you can register up to election day, Nov. 3. If you’re unsure about your registration status, you can check on it by visiting the California Secretary of State’s website. If you’re not yet 18, but will be on election day, you can also pre-register to vote in California.

Each registered voter in California will receive all the materials they need for voting by mail. There’s no need to request an absentee ballot, and there’s no need to pay for postage. Despite some national bickering about the use of mail ballots, California officials say voting by mail is safe and the state is well-prepared to handle the volume.

Still anxious about your vote? Here’s five things you can do to make sure your mail ballot is counted.

Make sure your signature is correct

After filling out the ballot neatly and clearly, voters must seal and sign the return envelope. Elections officials use the envelope signature to verify the ballot, and make sure it matches the signature on your voter registration card. If the signatures don’t match, elections officials will contact the voter in an attempt to resolve the difference.

While it is possible for the elections office to fix your signature if you mess up, you don’t want to risk it. It’s best to sign your full name as it appears on your registration card, and avoid any hurried scribbles. In the March primaries, California officials tossed out 15,000 ballots because of a non-matching signature.

Return it in a timely manner

Prior to this election, mail ballots had to be received by the elections office within three days of the election. Not anymore. This summer, the state Legislature voted to extend the deadline by 17 days to give the postal service and officials more time to deliver and process mail ballots.

That being said, elections officials are anticipating an unprecedented number of mail ballots, and are asking voters to return them as soon as they can to avoid a bottleneck on Nov. 3.

Once you’ve properly signed your ballot, you can mail it back to your county election office. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 in order to be counted. There’s no postage required, so all you have to do is fill it out and pop it in the mailbox.

You can also drop your ballot at a secure ballot drop box, take it to a voting location, or have a trusted person return your ballot for you. You can return your ballot at any time, but no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Track it online

All California voters will be able to track when their ballot is mailed, received and counted through the Secretary of State’s office. Sign up at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov, with the option to receive email and text updates about your ballot.

Don’t cast a second ballot in person

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump encouraged voters who cast a mail ballot to also go to polling places to check whether their ballot had been counted, and if not, vote in person. Generally, that’s not a good idea.

Election officials worried this would prompt voters to cast two ballots, which is a felony in many states. In California, casting two ballots is prohibited, and could land you in county jail for a month.

If you’re worried about a mail ballot getting lost or discarded, it’s best to fill your ballot out carefully and use the state’s ballot tracking tool.

Refer to your county election office if you need more help

While the state has recently enacted more policies to make voting during coronavirus safe and accessible, each county does things a bit differently. If you have questions about where to drop off your ballot, voting center hours, or how to get assistance for people with disabilities or language barriers, contact your county’s election office.