Promoting Early Voting and Protecting Voting Rights Together: Attorney General Bonta and Nonprofit Organizations Engage Californians Ahead of Special Election

OAKLAND — With the November 4, 2025 Special Election just over one week away, California Attorney General Rob Bonta held a virtual press conference with nonprofit organizations that are encouraging Californians to vote early, reminding Californians about their voting rights, and addressing local voting needs and concerns. Vote centers opened for early in-person voting in all Voter’s Choice Act counties this past Saturday, October 25, and eligible Californians can still register to vote in-person through Same Day Voter Registration (Conditional Voter Registration). Voters who did not receive their vote-by-mail ballot, or whose ballot was lost or damaged, can request a replacement ballot. The application should be returned to their local county elections office. A voter can also request a replacement ballot from their county elections office by phone, email, fax, or other electronic means.

The Attorney General enforces California’s election laws to ensure free and fair elections. In the lead up to the election and on Election Day, the California Department of Justice will be on call to provide assistance to the Secretary of State’s Office in enforcing California’s election laws, as needed, through a team of attorneys and administrative staff located across the state. Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber have recently held two joint press conferences — one in Los Angeles and the other in San Francisco — to raise awareness of voting rights and underscore the benefits of voting early.  

“Our election laws provide the backbone for a free and fair election, and as California’s top law enforcement officer, I will do everything in my power to protect your right to vote. At the same time, I want to thank the many nonprofit organizations that are working tirelessly to ensure that Californians can make their voices heard at the ballot box, no matter how those Californians plan to vote,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Democracy is not self-executing. It functions best when we know our rights, stay engaged, and take civic engagement seriously. I continue to encourage early voting — all California active registered voters have been mailed a vote-by-mail ballot and can return those ballots by mail, drop box, or vote center. Sending it ahead ensures your vote is counted and avoids last-minute complications, especially because, in many parts of California, recent changes in the U.S. Postal mail service mean that your ballot may not be counted if you drop it off at a post office or a USPS mailbox on Election Day. Vote centers have also opened for early in-person voting in 29 counties.”

“In the final days of this special election, the Latino Community Foundation is proud to stand with local leaders and Attorney General Rob Bonta to promote early voting and to remind Californians of their voter rights,” said Julián Castro, CEO at the Latino Community Foundation. “Our democracy is strongest when everyone participates, including the millions of Latinos who continue to shape California’s future. Together, we can set the standard for what democracy should look like across this nation.”

“Voting is one of our most powerful tools for creating change. Thanks to its voters, its leaders, and the work of many organizations, California has become a national leader in making voting more accessible, more convenient, and more inclusive for everyone,” said Shilpi Agarwal, Legal Director at ACLU Northern California. “But rights cannot stand on their own — we must defend and exercise them. And we can do just that by voting — and voting early — in upcoming special election.” 

“CAUSE’s 'Together We Vote' programming shows that civic participation can be creative, fun, and community-driven,” said Nancy Yap, Executive Director of the Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE). “Together takes many forms — whether you join us at a community event, drop your ballot in an official drop box, or vote early at a local vote center, every act of voting connects us and strengthens our collective voice.”

“Valley Voices is committed to ensuring that every resident in the Central Valley has the opportunity to make their voice heard. Our organization is actively registering new voters and providing nonpartisan education about the voting process ahead of the upcoming election,” said Ruth López, Executive Director at Valley Voices. “Through community events, outreach in rural areas, and collaboration with local partners, we aim to empower individuals with the knowledge and resources they need to participate fully in our democracy. Every vote counts, and Valley Voices is proud to help our community engage in shaping the future of our region."

Voting Early or On Time

Due to changes in the U.S. Postal mail service, in areas outside California’s major coastal cities, a ballot dropped in the U.S. mail on Election Day might be collected too late to be counted. Under the U.S. Postal Service’s new process, mail dropped off at post offices and mail collection boxes more than 50 miles from a U.S. Postal Service regional hub is collected the next day, instead of the same day (see map below). This means that, in some areas, ballots dropped off at a post office or mail collection box on Election Day won't be postmarked until the day after, making them late. Late ballots are not counted. Californians are encouraged to drop off their ballots a day, or a few days, before Election Day. 

See below for some alternative ways to ensure your vote is counted:

• Drop off your ballot at a secure ballot drop-off box or vote center. Ballot drop-off boxes opened on October 7, 2025 and remain available until Election Day.
• If you’re cutting it close, drop off your completed mail ballot at a vote center on Election Day.
• If you can’t make it to a vote center, you can go to any post office and ask at the counter for a postmark on your ballot to ensure you get credit for mailing your ballot on time.
• Get your ballot in the mail at least a few days before Election Day. 

Voting Rights 

It is important for Californians to know their voting rights. Below is information on the California Voter Bill of Rights, additional information on state and federal protections for Californians with disabilities as they access their right to vote, and a consumer alert about the spread of misinformation online. 

California Voter Bill of Rights

The rights available to the public when voting can be found in the California Voter Bill of Rights. Those rights are the following:

1. The right to vote if you are a registered voter.
2. The right to vote if you are a registered voter, even if your name is not on the list of registered voters, by casting a provisional ballot.
3. The right to vote if you are still in line when the polls close.
4. The right to cast a secret ballot without anyone bothering you or telling you how to vote.
5. The right to get a new ballot if you have made a mistake, if you have not already cast your ballot.
6. The right to get help casting your ballot from anyone you choose, except from your employer or union representative.
7. The right to drop off your completed vote-by-mail ballot at any polling place in California.
8. The right to get election materials in a language other than English if enough people in your voting precinct speak that language.
9. The right to ask questions to elections officials about election procedures and watch the election process.
10. The right to report any illegal or fraudulent election activity to an elections official or the Secretary of State’s Office.

The California Voter Bill of Rights is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese, Arabic, Armenian, Bengali, Burmese, Gujarati, Hmong, Ilocano, Indonesian, Laotian, Mien, Mongolian, Nepali, Persian, Punjabi, Syriac, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.

Denial of any of these rights can be reported in English through the Secretary of State’s confidential toll-free Voter Hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683). Other language options, including Spanish, Tagalog, and Chinese, are available and can be found here. In addition, reports can be made via email at elections@sos.ca.gov. Elections officials are encouraged to contact their local law enforcement regarding potential violations of law.

Consumer Alert on Misinformation’s Impact on Voting Rights

With millions of Californians turning to social media, artificial intelligence, and other internet sources for news and information about elections, the California Department of Justice published an updated consumer alert to warn about how election misinformation can potentially interfere with voting rights. California law makes it a crime to intentionally mislead voters about their eligibility to vote, or about where and when to vote.

Rights of Voters with Disabilities 

The California Department of Justice has previously released a publication entitled "Access to Voting for People with Disabilities," which includes information about the federal and state laws that protect voters with disabilities. For example:

• The federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 requires that election officials allow voters to receive assistance from a person of the voter’s choice if the voter is blind or has another disability that requires assistance.
• The federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires voting facilities to have accessible voting systems, parking, and routes to the entrance.
• California’s Voter’s Choice Act requires that vote centers comply with federal accessibility requirements and be equipped with voting units or systems that are accessible to voters with disabilities.
• California Government Code section 11135 prohibits disability-based discrimination in programs and activities that are conducted, operated, or administered by the state or by any state agency, are funded directly by the state, or receive any financial assistance from the state. A violation of the ADA is also a violation of section 11135.

If a person believes that they or someone else was discriminated against based on a disability while registering to vote or voting, they may file a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department. 

Role of Law Enforcement

The California Department of Justice has also published a law enforcement bulletin entitled "Protecting California Voters and Election Workers on Election Day and Early Voting," which discusses California laws that prohibit engaging in election interference, voter intimidation, and voter deception. Law enforcement officers should be aware of these statutes as they relate to the protection of voters in California. For example:

• Any person who, before or during an election, tampers with, interferes with, or attempts to interfere with, the correct operation of, or willfully damages in order to prevent the use of, any voting machine, voting device, voting system, vote tabulating device, or ballot tally software program source codes is guilty of a felony.  
• Blocking access to voting locations, or disrupting the process of opening or closing polling stations, is unlawful, too.

In addition, the Secretary of State’s Office issued an updated memorandum concerning voter intimidation explaining, in part, that:

• It is a felony for any person to possess a firearm at a voting location or in the immediate vicinity of a voting location.
• It is illegal for any uniformed peace officer, private guard, or security personnel or any person who is wearing a uniform of a peace officer, guard, or security personnel to be stationed at or in the immediate vicinity of a voting location.
• Shirts, hats, or other displays that indicate a person is with "Election Security" or "Ballot Security" or apparel or accessories with any semblance of a logo or display that might be confused with any private guard or security company or government agency are prohibited. This includes observers and anyone who is not there to vote. 

For a graphic of key election dates, and options for turning in your ballot on election day, please see here. 

For a map highlighting the U.S. Postal Service regional hubs, please see here.