California voter registration guide: How to check voter registration status, options to vote, what to know

Voters in California will be headed to the polls or mailing their ballots for the presidential primary election in just a few months.

The primary election is on March 5 and the general election is on Nov. 5.

The deadline to register to vote in California is 15 days before Election Day, which means your voter registration should be postmarked or submitted online no later than Feb. 20. But you can still conditionally register and vote if you miss this deadline through same-day voter registration. Your ballot will be counted once the county elections office verifies your registration.

Here's what you need to know about how to register or check your registration status, how to vote and what to bring with you if you're voting in person before the next election.

How to register to vote in California

If you're not registered yet, you can do so online at registertovote.ca.gov or submit a paper voter registration application to your county elections office no later than Feb. 20. You can have a paper application mailed to you by calling (800) 345-8683 or pick it up at your county elections office, library, Department of Motor Vehicles office or U.S. post office, according to the California Secretary of State.

California residents who meet voting eligibility requirements and are 16 or 17 years old can pre-register to vote so they're automatically registered when they turn 18.

Some information you'll need to provide to register includes your California driver license or identification card number, the last four digits of your Social Security number and birth date. But you can still register if you do not have these through additional steps and your county elections office will assign you with a voter identification number, according to the California Secretary of State.

You must meet the following qualifications to vote in California, according to the California Secretary of State:

• a United States citizen and California resident

• at least 18 years old on Election Day

• not serving a state or federal prison term for a felony conviction

• a court has not found you mentally incompetent to vote

How to check registration status in California

Californians can check their voter registration status online at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov. Some county election offices also will allow you to check through their websites or by phone.

How to vote in person or by mail in California

California voters can either go to a polling place or vote by mail. You can check for nearby polling places online at sos.ca.gov/elections/polling-place.

County elections offices will send vote by mail ballots to all registered voters by Feb. 5 for the primaries. You can also go in person to a county elections office to receive a vote by mail ballot. Ballot drop-off locations will open on Feb. 6 and voting centers will open in Voter's Choice Act counties on Feb. 24.

You can check if your county will have centers for early voting at sos.ca.gov/voters-choice-act/vca-participating-counties. Some participating counties include Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles and Ventura.

If you choose to vote-by-mail, you can return it through any of the below options. Voters can now track the status of their vote by mail ballots online at california.ballottrax.net.

• mail it to your county elections official on or before Election Day

• deliver it in person at a polling place while it is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day

• drop it off at a drop-off location or ballot drop box before polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day

• authorize someone to return it for you, which requires you to fill out the authorization section on your ballot envelope

What to bring if you're voting in person

There is a possibility that you will be asked to show identification to a polling worker when voting in person. But this doesn't have to be a drivers license, passport or ID card. You can also show things like a copy of a recent utility bill or the sample ballot booklet the county elections office mailed to you.

A complete list of acceptable voter identification forms can be found online at www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/voting-california/what-bring.

Ani Gasparyan covers the western Coachella Valley cities of Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City. Reach her at ani.gasparyan@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California voter registration guide: How to check voter registration status