You may register at any time, but to be eligible to vote in an upcoming election, your Voter Registration Form must be submitted online by midnight no later than 15 days before that election. If you are mailing a Voter Registration Form, it must be postmarked no later than 15 days before that election and received by the San Mateo County Registration & Elections Division by the close of the polls on Election Day.
If you are not registered to vote and you would like to vote in an election that is less than 15 days away, read Conditional (Same-Day) Voter Registration.
Voter Qualifications
You may register to vote if you meet all of the following requirements:
- Citizen of the United States
- Resident of California
- At least 18 years of age on or before Election Day
- Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony
- Not prohibited from voting by a court because of mental incompetency
Once your registration form is received and processed, we will send you a Voter Notification Card within three to four weeks indicating that you are now a registered voter. You can also check your eligibility online. If you are unsure about your voting status, please contact the San Mateo County Registration & Elections Division at 650.312.5222 or registrar@smcacre.org or check your status at My Election Info.
Register to Vote Online
You may register to vote or change your registration information online. You will be redirected to the Secretary of State’s website where you will be asked to enter your personal information and provide your driver’s license number and the last four digits of your Social Security number.
The Secretary of State’s website is also for voters who want to update their registration information with a new address, new name, party change, Permanent Vote by Mail status or other information. Re-registering using the website will not create a duplicate record.
Note: Please make sure all fields are entered accurately. Allow 48 hours or more for applications to process.
Register to Vote via the Mail
You may register by mailing a completed Voter Registration Form to the San Mateo County Registration & Elections Division.
Forms are available in person at public libraries, city and county offices, California Department of Motor Vehicles offices and at U.S. Post Offices. You may also call our office at 650.312.5222 and we will mail a form to you within one business day.
To pick up a Voter Registration Form in person, look at our index for a location near you.
Pre-Register to Vote at 16, Vote at 18
16 and 17-year-olds can pre-register to vote if they meet all of the following requirements:
- Citizen of the United States
- Resident of California
- Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony
- Not prohibited from voting by a court because of mental incompetency
Applicants will be sent confirmation when their voter pre-registration application is processed, or they will be contacted if more information is needed to confirm their eligibility.
Re-register to Vote
When you need to register to vote again
You must re-register to vote if you:
- change your name (or if you would like to have your name match your driver’s license)
- change your address
- want to change your political affiliation
How do you re-register?
Pick up a Voter Registration Form from a library, post office or City (or Town) Hall.
Call the Registration & Elections Division to request a Voter Registration Form mailed to you.
When you re-register to vote, your new voter information will be merged with your previous voter information (such as which elections you voted in) in our records.
You can find information about what each political party stands for, and what the no party preference selection means, at the California Secretary of State’s website. You can also learn more about the political parties from the Easy Voter Guide Fast Facts – How to Choose a Political Party. The Easy Voter Guide is produced by the the League of Women Voters® of California Education Fund and the California State Library.
If you need further assistance with completing the Voter Registration Form, please call the Registration & Elections Division at 650.312.5222. You can select English, Spanish, Filipino or Chinese when you call. We can speak with you in more than 200 languages via a telephone interpreter service.
Assistance at the Secretary of State’s office is also available in the following languages at the following toll-free phone numbers:
Chinese 800.339.2857
Japanese 800.339.2865
Spanish 800.232.8682
Tagalog 800.339.2957
Uniformed and Overseas Voters
San Mateo County voters who are overseas or in the military may register and apply for a Vote by Mail ballot by completing a Federal Post Card Application form (Standard Form 76). Registering as an overseas or military voter enables you to receive your ballot by email, fax or mail.
This form is available at your local US Embassy or by visiting the Federal Voting Assistance Program website.