If you are currently 18 years old and a citizen of the U.S, you now have the right to participate in choosing who represents you in our state and federal government. As California’s June 7th primaries rapidly approach, it’s time to get prepared to exercise your voting rights and stand up for what you believe in, whether that be sexual and reproductive health and justice, environmental issues, or immigration. In order to do that, you must register to vote. Here’s how!
How Do I Register to Vote?
You can fill out both an online application or pick up a paper application at any DMV, post office, public library, or government office.
If you’ve registered before, it’s still a good idea to check again! If you’ve moved or changed your address, you’ll need to re-register. You can check to see if you’re a registered voter here.
If you are 16 years old you can pre-register so that once you are 18, you’re already prepared to vote. If you’re not eligible to pre-register, spread the word about the importance of voting and talk to your friends, family, and peers about your elected officials and the issues happening in your city/town and across California.
When Can I Register?
For the upcoming June 7th primary, the deadline to register is May 23rd. If you don’t plan on voting by mail, California allows voters to register and vote in person on Election Day. You can find your local polling place here.
Why Do I Need to Vote on June 7th?
Voting is one of the best ways to make a change about the issues you care about. It’s important to read up on local and national candidates and see what they think about sexual health education and information, reproductive health issues, and other topics that matter to you!
The June 7th primaries are what decides who gets placed on the ballot for the November ___ 2022 election. Learn more about the different state and federal positions here.
Now that you finally have all the tools, it’s more important than ever to do your research about each candidate, and pick the ones whose platform aligns with your beliefs and values. Happy voting!