https://www.sos.ca.gov/administration/news-releases-and-advisories/2020-news-releases-and-advisories

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 11, 2020

Secretary of State Alex Padilla Certifies Record Setting General Election Results

SACRAMENTO, CA – Secretary of State Alex Padilla has certified the results of the November 3, 2020 General Election. The election set an all-time record for number of votes cast and reached modern highs for voter turnout and engagement.

22,047,448
Total registered voters (as of October 19, 2020)—a state record.

17,785,151
Total votes cast—a state record. This is 3,174,642 more votes than the previous record set during the November 2016 General Election.

15,423,301
Total vote-by-mail ballots cast—an all-time state record. This is the largest number of vote-by-mail ballots cast in any California election.

80.67%
Turnout of registered voters. The highest since the 1976 General Election.

70.88%
Turnout of the eligible voting age population. The highest since the 1952 General Election.

“I am grateful to all the elections officials and poll workers who stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic — they helped maintain the resiliency of our democracy,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. “Voting may have looked different this year, but it was important to provide Californians safe and convenient opportunities to exercise their right to vote while protecting their health. I would also like to thank the nearly 17.8 million Californians who voted in this election, a new record, many of whom answered our call to vote early.”

“Working together, California delivered an accessible, secure, and safe election during the COVID-19 pandemic by implementing several key measures. Every active registered voter received a ballot by mail in advance of the election and was also provided opportunities to vote early. Many counties deployed vote centers and ballot drop boxes to give voters even greater flexibility. Fortunately, we did not have to start from scratch, as many of the changes implemented for the General Election were based on the successful Voter’s Choice Act. The overwhelming success of the General Election proves the wisdom of California’s policies to increase access to the ballot and will certainly inform future initiatives to build an even more inclusive democracy,” Padilla added.

Click here for footage of Secretary Padilla signing the certification and providing comments in English.

Haga clic aquí para ver el video del Secretario Padilla firmando la certificación y proporcionando comentarios en español.
 

Historic General Election Voter Participation Statistics (2000-2020)

Year

2020

2016

2012

2008

2004

2000

Total Votes Cast 

  17,785,151

 14,610,509 

 13,202,158 

 13,743,177 

 12,589,683 

 11,142,843 

Turnout % of Registered Voters 

   80.67%
   75.27% 

 72.36% 

 79.42%  

 76.04% 

 70.94% 

Turnout % of Eligible Population

   70.88%
   58.74%
 

 55.47% 

 59.22% 

 57.03% 

 51.92% 
Vote-by-Mail
Urgency legislation to address the COVID-19 pandemic made this the first statewide election where every active, registered voter was mailed a ballot. Voters had the option of returning their ballots by mail (using a prepaid postage return envelope) or in-person at any official ballot drop box or voting location. A record 86.72% of ballots cast were vote-by-mail ballots. Click here to view historical vote-by-mail statistics.

Ballot Tracking
In 2020, The Secretary of State launched the “Where’s My Ballot?” tracking tool statewide. In less than a year, over 5 million California voters signed up to receive automated notifications about their vote-by-mail ballots by email, text (SMS), or voice call.

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California Secretary of State Alex Padilla
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2020

Record 22 Million Californians Registered to Vote Heading into General Election

SACRAMENTO, CA – Secretary of State Alex Padilla released the final statewide Report of Registration ahead of the November 3, 2020, General Election. As of October 19, 2020, a record 22,047,448 Californians were registered to vote. This represents an increase of 2,635,677 registered voters since the last Report of Registration at a similar point in a presidential election cycle (October 24, 2016).

87.87% of eligible Californians are registered to vote. This is the highest percentage of eligible citizens registered to vote heading into a General Election in the past 80 years.

Click here to view the complete statewide Report of Registration.

“For the first time, California now has more than 22 million registered voters,” said Secretary of State Alex Padilla. “There are more voters registered in California than the number of people in the state of Florida! Record registration and a historic election points towards a big voter turnout, which could also mean longer lines and wait times on Election Day. If you haven’t voted yet, I highly recommend that you consider voting early.”

“If you missed the voter registration deadline, you still have to opportunity to vote using ‘Same Day’ Registration. 2020 marks the first year that voters can complete the ‘Same Day’ voter registration process and cast their ballot at any in-person voting location in the county or the county elections office,” Padilla added.


Trends in Statewide Voter Registration 1996 – 2020

1996

2000

2004

2008

2012

2016

2020

Democratic

47.2%

45.4%

43.0%

44.4%

43.7%

44.9%

46.1%

Republican

36.4%

34.9%

34.7%

31.4%

29.4%

26.0%

24.2%

No Party Preference

11.3%

14.4%

17.7%

19.9%

20.9%

24.3%

24.0%

Total Number of Registered Voters

15,662,075

15,707,307

16,557,273

17,304,091

18,245,970

19,411,771

22,047,448
Same Day Voter Registration
Eligible citizens who missed the “traditional” voter registration deadline of October 19 and still wish to vote will need to complete the ‘Same Day’ voter registration process at their local county elections office, polling place, or vote center. Voters will be asked to fill out a voter registration form and then be provided a ballot. Their ballots will be counted once the county elections office has completed the voter registration verification process. Voters can complete the ‘Same Day’ voter registration process all the way through Election Day on November 3.



Registration Comparison October 19, 2020 Report vs. October 24, 2016 Report


Political Party
# Registered (2020)
% of Total (2020)
# Registered (2016)
% of Total (2016)
Change in % Points (2016 to 2020)

Democratic
10,170,317
46.13%
8,720,417
44.92%
+1.21

Republican
5,334,323
24.19%
5,048,398
26.01%
-1.82

No Party Preference
5,283,853
23.97%
4,711,347
24.27%
-0.30

American Independent
646,830
2.93%
507,377
2.61%
+0.32

Green
84,807
0.38%
94,647
0.49%
-0.11

Libertarian
196,108
0.89%
139,805
0.72%
+0.17

Peace and Freedom
103,476
0.47%
75,640
0.39%
+0.08

Unknown/Other
227,734
1.04%
114,140
0.59%
+0.45
The Report of Registration includes:
  • Voter registration by political party, by county, city, congressional district, state senate district, state assembly district, supervisorial district, and board of equalization.
  • Statewide voter registration by age group by county.
  • Historical comparisons to previous reports in presidential election years.
  • Reports on political bodies attempting to qualify as political parties (by county).
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California Secretary of State Alex Padilla
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 29, 2020

What to Expect During the California Vote Count Process

SACRAMENTO, CA – On November 3, 2020 California county elections officials will work through the night counting ballots. In California, the vote count process does not end on Election Night. Due to state laws that ensure voters’ rights, ballots will continue to arrive and be counted after Election Day.

“California elections officials prioritize the right to vote and election security over rushing the vote count,” said Secretary of State Alex Padilla. “By law, county election officials have 30 days to count every valid ballot and conduct a post-election audit. Every vote-by-mail ballot goes through signature verification. Several safety nets to protect voting rights, including Same Day Voter Registration and provisional ballots, require additional processing time by elections officials, but we’d rather get it right than get it fast.”

“To prepare our election for the COVID-19 pandemic we have taken several steps to protect voters. Every active, registered voter was mailed a ballot. We also extended the time for vote-by-mail ballots to arrive to county elections offices. Ballots postmarked on or before Election Day can arrive up until November 20 and still be processed and counted.”

“On Election Night, we will have a good picture of most contests, but the outcomes of close contests may take days or weeks to settle. This is normal. Baseless accusations of fraud during the thorough and transparent vote count process only serve to undermine confidence in our democracy. As California’s Chief Elections Officer, voting rights and election integrity are my top priorities,” Padilla added.

Who counts ballots in California?
California counties handle the printing, mailing, and processing of ballots. The Secretary of State’s office does not process ballots in any way.

What are the first results we will be seeing on Election Night?
The first election results are typically ballots received before Election Day. For this election, county elections officials were allowed to being opening and processing vote-by-mail ballot envelopes up to 29 days before Election Day, but those results cannot be accessed or shared with the public until all polls close on Election Day.

Typically counties can’t begin processing vote-by-mail ballots until 10 business days before an election, but urgency legislation allowed them to begin processing ballots earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and increased volume of vote-by-mail ballots.

Why do some counties show no precincts have reported, yet some votes have been counted?
Many county elections officials choose to tally and report these early voted ballots before results come in from precincts, which are sometimes far away from county headquarters. Early voted ballots simply appear as raw vote totals because, in this initial stage, the ballots are not attributed to individual precincts.

Why have some counties not reported any results immediately after the polls close?
Each of the 58 county elections offices processes ballots differently, and the distances poll workers must travel from polling places to county offices vary greatly. State law requires county elections officials to send their first batch of results to the Secretary of State’s office no more than two hours after they begin tallying votes after polls close on Election Day. County elections officials continue to report results periodically on Election Night until all precinct vote totals have been reported. County elections officials will continue to count ballots up to 30 days after Election Day.

When are vote-by-mail ballots counted?
Vote-by-mail ballots that are received by county elections officials before Election Day are typically counted on Election Day. Many more vote-by-mail ballots are dropped off at polling places, drop box locations, or arrive at county elections offices on Election Day. Due to urgency legislation For this election vote-by-mail ballots postmarked on or before Election Day and received by county elections officials no later than 17 days after Election Day must be processed.

Depending on the volume of these types of ballots, it takes up to 30 days for county elections officials to verify voter records and determine if ballots have been cast by eligible voters. The frequency of updated results will vary based on the size of each county and the process each local elections office uses to tally and report votes.

How and when are provisional ballots counted?
In California, provisional ballots serve as a fail-safe method of ensuring all voters who show up to the polls can cast a ballot.

All provisional ballots are carefully checked by county elections officials to confirm that the person who voted provisionally is both registered and that they did not cast a ballot by mail or at another polling location on Election Day. Due to the additional human review and verification needed for provisional ballots, they are typically counted after Election Day and vote-by-mail ballots.

How and when are Same Day Voter Registrations processed?
Same Day Voter Registration, also known as Conditional Voter Registration in state law, is a safety net for Californians who miss the deadline to register to vote or update their voter registration information for an election.

Eligible citizens who need to register or re-register to vote within 14 days of an election can complete this process to register and vote at their county elections office, polling place, or vote center. Their ballots will be processed and counted once the county elections office has completed the voter registration verification process.

How will we know how many ballots remain to be counted?
Two days after the election, counties must provide the Secretary of State an estimate of their remaining unprocessed ballots report. The Secretary of State’s office will post this “unprocessed ballots report” online and provide daily updates as new estimates are provided from the county elections offices.

When will the vote counting period end and election be certified?
Election results will change throughout the canvass period as vote-by-mail ballots, provisional ballots, and other ballots are processed. Depending on the volume of these types of ballots, it may take up to 30 days for county elections officials to verify voter records and determine if ballots have been cast by eligible voters. The frequency of updated results will vary based on the size of each county and the process each county elections office uses to tally and report votes. County elections officials must report their final results to the Secretary of State for the Presidential contest by December 1 and all other state and federal contests by December 4. The Secretary of State will certify the results on December 11, 2020. The Electoral College will convene on December 14, 2020.
California Secretary of State Alex Padilla
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 5, 2020

Millions of Vote-by-Mail Ballots on the Way to All Registered California Voters; Early Voting Begins at County Elections Offices 

SACRAMENTO, CA - Voting begins in California today. Today is the date by which county elections offices are required to have mailed ballots to every active, registered voter for the November 3, 2020, General Election. In-person early voting is also now available at every county election office.

"For the first time, every active, registered voter in California will have a vote-by-mail ballot in hand weeks before the election," said Secretary of State Alex Padilla. "This expansion of vote-by-mail will maintain the resiliency of our democracy during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no safer way for voters to vote than from the comfort and safety of home. And with multiple layers of security — ballot watermarks, unique barcodes on each vote-by-mail ballot return envelope, required signature verification, and ballot tracking — Californians can vote-by-mail with confidence."

“I urge all Californians to vote early this year, and voting-by-mail makes it easy. Every vote-by-mail ballot comes with a prepaid postage return envelope. Voters can return their ballots by mail or in-person to any drop box, elections office, or voting location. Every person that votes early will help keep lines shorter and reduce wait times at in-person voting locations on Election Day,” Padilla added.

Voting-by-mail is already widely popular in California. For the past eight statewide elections in California, a majority of the votes cast were through vote-by-mail ballots. Click here to view historical California vote-by-mail statistics.

NOTE: The Secretary of State's office does not issue, receive, or count ballots. Elections officials in each of California's 58 counties print, process, and count ballots.

Vote-by-Mail Ballot Tracking
The Secretary of State's "Where's My Ballot?" tracking tool is available statewide. All California voters can now sign-up WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov to receive automated notifications about their vote-by-mail ballots by email, text (SMS), or voice call. This is an expansion from the 25 counties who offered the tool for the March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary Election.

Voters who sign up for "Where's My Ballot?" will receive automatic updates when the county elections office:

  • Mailed their ballot.
  • Received their ballot.
  • Counted their ballot.
  • Has any issues with their ballot.

Tips for Vote-by-Mail Voters:

  • If you're not sure of your registration status, visit the Secretary of State's My Voter Status tool at:VoterStatus.sos.ca.gov.
  • Every vote-by-mail ballot comes with a first-class prepaid postage return envelope.
  • You can drop off your ballot at any polling place, vote center, or your county elections office, through Election Day.
  • Before returning your ballot, you must remember to sign and date the return envelope provided with your vote-by-mail ballot.
  • Ballots that are returned by mail must be postmarked on or before Election Day, and received by county elections officials no later than 17 days after the election.

Vote-by-Mail Security:

  • The vendors who print ballots for California elections must be certified by the Secretary of State.
  • Vote-by-mail ballots have specific paper types and watermarks.
  • Every vote-by-mail ballot return envelope has a unique bar code that elections officials scan. Ballots cannot be returned in a different envelope.
  • Vote-by-mail ballots cannot be forwarded by the USPS.
  • California county elections officials check each and every vote-by-mail ballot that is cast.
  • Elections officials check to see if the voter has already cast a ballot elsewhere.
  • A voter's signature on the vote-by-mail ballot return envelope is compared against the voter's registration record. If a signature is missing or does not match the registration record, elections officials will reach out to the voter. If the voter does not respond and provide a missing/corrected signature, the ballot will not count.

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