California’s 40th Congressional District

Instead of going to the polls on Election Day, you may vote using the vote-by-mail ballot that will be sent to you.

After you have voted, insert your ballot in the envelope provided, making sure you complete all required information on the envelope.

You may return your voted ballot by

1. By drop box
   • Drop off your completed ballot in the return envelope at a secure official drop box in your county at any time between October 5 through the close of polls on November 3.
2. In person
   • Drop your completed ballot in the return envelope off at a secure drop box, polling place, vote center, or county elections office by 8:00 p.m. on November 3. Voting locations will be available in all counties before Election Day. Voting locations offer voter registration, replacement ballots, accessible voting machines, and language assistance.
3. By mail
   • Return your ballot by mail as soon as you receive it. Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received not later than 7 days after Election Day. To ensure your ballot is postmarked by Election Day make sure to mail it at least five days before Election Day, November 3, 2026. If mailing on Election Day, get a hand-stamped postmark from a postal employee inside a United States Post Office.
4. Authorizing someone to return the ballot on your behalf.
   • Anyone may return your ballot for you, as long as they do not get paid on a per ballot basis.

When your vote-by-mail ballot is received by your county elections official, your signature on the return envelope will be compared to the signature(s) in your voter registration record. To preserve the secrecy of your ballot, the ballot will then be separated from the return envelope, and then it will be tallied.

Status of your Vote-By-Mail Ballot

California Elections Code section 3017(c) requires county elections officials to establish procedures to track and confirm the receipt of voted vote-by-mail ballots and to make this information available by means of an online access system using the county’s elections division web site or via a toll-free telephone number.

You may also check the status of your ballot by visiting, “My Voter Status.”

Where’s My Ballot?

The California Secretary of State is now offering Where’s My Ballot?—a way for voters to track and receive notifications on the status of their vote-by-mail ballot. Powered by BallotTrax, Where’s My Ballot? lets voters know where their ballot is, and its status, every step of the way.

A voter who has signed up will receive notices via email, text, or voice message from the county elections official regarding the status of the voter’s vote-by-mail ballot including:

• When the ballot has been delivered
• The date that the voter’s ballot is expected to be delivered to the voter
• If the voter’s ballot is returned as undeliverable to the county elections official by the USPS
• When the voter’s completed ballot has been received by the county
• Whether the voter’s completed ballot has been accepted or a reason why the ballot could not be accepted and instructions of steps the voter can take in order to have the ballot accepted
• The deadline for the voter to return his or her ballot if the county has not received a voter’s completed ballot by specified dates as determined by the county elections official

On November 3rd, you can vote in person at your polling place, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Find your voting location by just entering your home address HERE.