To register to vote in California, you must be:

  • A United States citizen,
  • A resident of California (which includes a person who was a resident of this state when they were last living within the territorial limits of the U.S. or D.C. or a citizen born outside of the U.S. or D.C., but whose parent or legal guardian was a resident of this state when the parent or legal guardian was last living within the territorial limits of the U.S. or D.C. and he or she has not previously registered to vote in any other state),
  • 18 years of age or older on Election Day,
  • Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony (for more information on the rights of people who have been incarcerated, please see the Secretary of State's Voting Rights Restored: Persons with a Prior Felony Conviction), and
  • Not currently found to be mentally incompetent by a court of law.