Sacramento, California – California voters are beginning to receive their ballots for the November general election, and state officials are stressing one message early: voting by mail remains available, legal and secure.
That reassurance comes after California Attorney General Rob Bonta and a multistate coalition recently won a U.S. Supreme Court order blocking new federal mail-voting requirements ahead of the November 3, 2026, election.
Bonta held a press conference as county election offices across California began mailing ballots to registered voters. Vote-by-mail remains a major part of elections in the state. More than 89% of Californians who participated in the June 2026 primary cast their ballots by mail.
“We are just four weeks from Election Day, and I know some Californians may be wondering whether everything coming out of Washington has changed how they can vote. The answer is no,” Bonta said.
He said voters can continue casting ballots by mail, through secure drop boxes, during early voting or in person on Election Day. Bonta also said attorneys general remain prepared to respond to additional efforts that could affect voting rights.
The California Department of Justice plans to assist the Secretary of State’s Office with enforcement of state election laws before and on Election Day. Officials are also directing voters to sos.ca.gov/elections for current voting information.
The registration deadline is Monday, October 19. Eligible residents can register at registertovote.ca.gov. Those who miss the deadline may still use California’s Same Day Voter Registration process in person.
Officials are also urging voters not to wait until Election Day to place ballots in the mail. Changes in Postal Service collection procedures could mean mail deposited in some areas on November 3 is not postmarked until the following day. Ballots arriving with a late postmark are not counted.
Californians planning to vote by mail are therefore encouraged to send their ballots at least one week before Election Day. Voters can also use a secure ballot drop box or vote center, or deliver a completed mail ballot to a vote center on Election Day.
Voters can track their ballot and confirm whether it was counted through Where’s My Ballot.
The latest Supreme Court ruling follows several recent voting-related court victories cited by Bonta, including a California Supreme Court order involving approximately 650,000 ballots seized in Riverside County and an appellate ruling that kept Shasta County’s Measure B from taking effect.