San Diego County voters must register by Monday, Oct. 19, to cast a ballot in the Tuesday, Nov. 3, midterm election.
Ballots start arriving in mailboxes Monday, Oct. 5, according to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters' schedule reported by FOX 5 San Diego. In-person early voting at the Registrar's office at 5600 Overland Ave. in San Diego also begins that day, open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
California passed a law in 2021 requiring a ballot be mailed to every registered voter. More than 89 percent of the state's voters used mail-in ballots in the June 2026 primary, according to the Times of San Diego.
Key dates
Here is the full calendar of deadlines:
- Thursday, Sept. 24: Voter information pamphlets mailed to registered voters.
- Monday, Oct. 5: Mail-in ballots begin arriving. Early voting opens at the Registrar's office.
- Tuesday, Oct. 6: Official ballot drop boxes open countywide.
- Monday, Oct. 19: Last day to register to vote.
- Tuesday, Oct. 20: Conditional Voter Registration begins for anyone who missed the deadline.
- Saturday, Oct. 24: Early voting opens at select vote centers, open daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through at least Saturday, Oct. 31.
- Tuesday, Nov. 3: Election Day. Vote centers and drop boxes open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 3: Deadline to certify election results.
Conditional registration available after Oct. 19
Residents who miss the Oct. 19 cutoff can still register and vote through Conditional Voter Registration, or CVR. Starting Oct. 20, eligible residents can visit the Registrar's office or any open vote center, fill out a CVR application and receive a provisional ballot. Once the registration is verified, the ballot counts.
Federal mail-ballot fight adds uncertainty
A federal court dispute over mail-in voting rules could affect the process. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani on Saturday, Sept. 5, issued a preliminary injunction blocking the U.S. Postal Service from enforcing new rules tied to a Trump executive order, according to Big News Network.
The rules would have required states to submit voter lists to the Postal Service and redesign ballot envelopes with federal tracking barcodes. California Attorney General Rob Bonta co-led a 24-state lawsuit challenging the order. "The United States Postal Service cannot sidestep the laws that govern the postal service just to carry out the president's agenda," Bonta said Aug. 27 when announcing the lawsuit.
The Trump administration has appealed. If the Supreme Court intervenes before ballots mail Oct. 5, procedures could change. Voters can check registration status, find vote center locations and track their ballot on the San Diego County Registrar of Voters website.
