Before an election a lot of rumors go around about who can vote, about the dates, about voting by mail and drop boxes, and a single rumor is sometimes enough to keep a person at home thinking their vote does not count or will not arrive in time. So here we set each myth that is circulating beside the fact, in plain words and calmly, and every fact carries its source, almost always the California Secretary of State, your county registrar or the law, so you can check it yourself and decide with good information instead of with a scare. This is the English twin of our Spanish Mito vs Hecho page.
People say that to vote in California you now have to show a photo ID, like a driver license or passport, at the polling place.
California does not require a photo ID to vote. The large majority of people who are already registered do not have to show any identification when they go to vote. Only in one uncommon case, if you registered for the first time by mail and did not include your driver license number or the last four digits of your Social Security number, you may be asked for ID the first time you vote, and in that case many things work, such as a utility bill, a bank statement or a paycheck with your name and address.
Source: California Secretary of State, voter identification rules (sos.ca.gov).
People say that if someone had a criminal conviction in the past, they have permanently lost the right to vote in California.
In California a criminal conviction does not take away your vote permanently. If you have completed your sentence, you can register and vote, and since 2020 people who are on probation or on parole can also vote. The only situation in which a person cannot vote is while they are serving a felony sentence in a state or federal prison, and even then they get the right back when they are released and only need to register again.
Source: California Secretary of State, voting rights for people with a criminal history (sos.ca.gov).
People say that non-citizens vote in large numbers in California elections and that the results cannot be trusted because of it.
Only United States citizens can vote in California's federal, state and county elections, and when registering each person signs a statement under penalty of perjury that they are a citizen. Voting without being a citizen is a crime and is very rare; reviews by county registrars and the state have found no sign that it happens on a scale that changes results. Some cities allow non-citizens to vote only in certain local elections, such as school board races, and that is handled with separate ballots under clear local rules.
Source: California Secretary of State, voter eligibility requirements (sos.ca.gov).
People say that if someone did not register to vote weeks in advance, they have lost the chance to vote in this election.
In California you can register on Election Day itself and still vote. If the regular registration deadline has already passed, there is Conditional Voter Registration: you go to your county registrar's office or a vote center, complete your registration there and cast a provisional ballot that is counted once your eligibility is confirmed. This can be done during the early voting period and also on Election Day.
Source: California Secretary of State, same-day Conditional Voter Registration (sos.ca.gov).
People say that if someone moved or changed their name, their registration stops working and they can no longer vote.
Moving or changing your name does not erase your right to vote; it just means it is a good idea to update your registration. You can update it online in a few minutes before the deadline, and if the deadline has passed, you can still use same-day Conditional Voter Registration at your county registrar's office or a vote center to update your information and vote. Even if you cannot update it in time, you have the right to cast a provisional ballot.
Source: California Secretary of State, how to register and update your registration (registertovote.ca.gov).
People say that ballots arriving by mail are not safe and that it is easy for someone to forge or steal them.
California sends a ballot by mail to every active registered voter, and the system has several layers of protection. Each ballot comes in an envelope with a unique barcode, you sign the envelope, and county staff compare that signature with the one in your registration before counting the ballot. If the signature does not match or is missing, the county notifies you and gives you a chance to fix it. Forging a ballot is a serious crime, and signature verification is designed to catch it.
Source: California Secretary of State, how mail ballots are processed and verified (sos.ca.gov).
People say that if someone votes by mail, their ballot is only counted if the election is very close, and is otherwise left uncounted.
Every valid mail ballot is counted, not only in close elections. Your county registrar counts every mail ballot that arrives on time and whose signature is verified, and the law requires counting mail ballots received up to seven days after Election Day, as long as they are postmarked on or before Election Day. The results announced on election night are preliminary precisely because the count of mail ballots continues for several days.
Source: California Secretary of State, deadlines for receiving and counting mail ballots (sos.ca.gov).
People say that drop boxes for returning a ballot are not official and that anyone can set one up to steal votes.
Official ballot drop boxes are installed and managed by your county registrar under strict state rules. They have to be secured and anchored, monitored, and county staff collect the ballots on a fixed schedule with a chain-of-custody record. The list of the official drop boxes in your area is in your voter information guide and on your county registrar's website, so you can confirm which ones are real before you drop off your ballot.
Source: California Secretary of State and your county registrar's office, official drop box rules (sos.ca.gov).
People say that a family member or neighbor cannot return someone else's ballot, so if you cannot leave home, your ballot goes unreturned.
California law does allow another person to return your mail ballot for you. You fill out and sign your own envelope, and then you can ask anyone you choose, a family member, a neighbor or a friend, to take it to the post office, an official drop box or a vote center. The person who returns it must write their name and their relationship to you on the envelope. There is no limit on how many ballots one person may return, as long as each voter has filled out and signed their own.
Source: California Elections Code, Section 3017, and Secretary of State guidance on ballot return (sos.ca.gov).
People say that election fraud is widespread in California and that it is not worth voting because the results are already fixed.
Election fraud exists as a crime, but studies and official reviews show it is very rare and almost never reaches a scale that could change the outcome of an election. California has signature verification, post-election audits that hand-check a sample of the ballots, voter lists that are kept updated, and observers from the parties and the public who can watch the count. Saying your vote does not count is the only thing that truly leaves it uncounted; the system is built so that your ballot is counted.
Source: California Secretary of State, election security and post-election audits (sos.ca.gov).
If a message about voting reaches you that scares you or makes you doubt, the healthiest thing is to look for the source before believing it or sharing it, and two trusted places exist for that: the California Secretary of State website at sos.ca.gov and your county registrar's office, which is the one that actually runs your election. If a message does not match what those sources say, it is most likely a myth, and sharing it only helps more neighbors stay home.