Your Voice Has Power: Make a Plan to Vote

October 13, 2026

Your vote can help shape what’s in your pocket. If you know about the California Earned Income Tax Credit, you know that tax credits can make a real difference for working Californians and their families. The CalEITC can put money back into the pockets of eligible workers, and the Young Child Tax Credit can provide additional cash back to eligible families with young children.

But these credits didn’t happen by accident.

California’s tax credits are shaped by decisions made through the state’s legislative and budget processes. The CalEITC was created in 2015, expanded in subsequent years, and the Young Child Tax Credit was created through the 2019–20 state budget.

That means elections matter to your economic life.

The people you elect make decisions about taxes, budgets and programs that can affect how much money stays in working families’ pockets. Voting doesn’t guarantee a particular policy outcome. But it gives you a say in who makes those decisions.

So if you’ve ever claimed the CalEITC, received the Young Child Tax Credit, relied on CalFresh, or cared about making the state budget work for working people, make a plan to vote. Here are some tips to make sure your vote makes an impact.

Check your voter registration

Don’t assume your registration is up to date. If you’ve moved, changed your name, or haven’t voted recently, take a moment to check.

California’s My Voter Status tool lets you check your registration and voter information.

Check your voter registration →

Not registered? Register to vote.

You have two options: 

• Register by the October 19 deadline:
  • If you’re eligible to vote in California, you can easily register online by October 19, 2026 to vote in the November 3, 2026 General Election.
  • Prefer to register using a paper application? You can pick one up at your county elections office, public library, DMV office, or U.S. Post Office. You can also request a paper voter registration application by calling (800) 345-VOTE (8683) or contacting California Elections Division staff.
  • For the November 3, 2026 General Election, your application must be postmarked or hand-delivered to your county elections office by October 19, 2026.

Learn more at RegisterToVote.gov →

• Same Day Registration: Missed the October 19 registration deadline? Same Day Voter Registration, also called Conditional Voter Registration under California law, provides a way for eligible California voters to register or update their registration and vote during the 14 days leading up to and including Election Day.
  • You can complete Same Day Registration at your county elections office, polling place, or vote center. You’ll cast a provisional ballot, which will be counted once your county elections office verifies your registration.
  • To find an early voting location where you can register and vote, visit California’s early voting location lookup.
  • Need to register on Election Day? Use the polling place lookup tool to find your local voting location.
  • Have questions about where to complete Same Day Registration? Contact your county elections office.

 

Make a Plan to Vote

Once you’re registered to vote, make a plan to vote either by mail or in person. 

Vote by Mail

Voting by mail makes it easy to cast your ballot from home. In California, every active registered voter is automatically mailed a ballot before Election Day. For the November 3, 2026 General Election, ballots are being mailed beginning October 5. 

Once your ballot arrives, complete it, seal it and sign the return envelope. You can return your ballot by mail, drop it in an official ballot drop box, or return it in person at a voting location or county elections office. If mailing your ballot, send it as soon as possible; it must be postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days after Election Day. Learn more at CA.gov.

Want to make sure your ballot made it? Sign up for California’s Where’s My Ballot? service to receive updates by text, email or phone.

Learn more about voting by mail →

Vote in Person

California voters have several options for voting in person, including early voting and voting on Election Day.

• Before you go:
  • Find your polling place or vote center.
  • Check your registration status.
  • You do not need to bring your voter registration card to vote.
• At your polling place or vote center:
  • When you arrive, check in with a poll worker. Follow the instructions provided at your voting location and review your ballot before submitting it.
  • If you need to register to vote or update your registration, you can use Same Day Voter Registration at your county elections office, polling place, or vote center.
  • If you are in line when your polling place closes, stay in line—you have the right to vote.

Keep showing up

Voting is where your voice starts—not where it ends.

The policies that shape our paychecks, tax credits, public benefits, schools, neighborhoods, and opportunities are built through decisions made year-round. Voting helps determine who gets to make those decisions—and whose priorities are represented when they do.

So check your registration. Make your voting plan. Cast your ballot. Then keep showing up: stay informed, ask questions, connect with your neighbors, and hold elected leaders accountable.

Because when working people make their voices heard, we can do more than influence a single election. We can raise the baseline for every Californian.

 

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