Nearly 80% of Californians Are Registered to Vote

As of registration deadline on October 22, a record 19,696,371 Californians were registered to vote, according to Secretary of State Alex Padilla. The number represents 78.16 percent of eligible voters statewide, an increase of about 1.9 million since the 2014 gubernatorial election and “the highest percentage of eligible citizens registered to vote heading into a gubernatorial election since 1950,” according to Padilla’s office.

In Santa Barbara County, 74 percent of eligible voters are registered.

In related news, “There is a new opportunity for California citizens who missed the voter registration deadline — conditional voter registration,” according to a statement from Padilla’s office. “If you missed the regular voter registration deadline, you may not be able to vote at your local polling place or by mail, but you still have an opportunity to cast a ballot. [Through] Election Day, you can go to your county election office or a designated satellite location to complete the conditional voter registration process by filling out a voter registration card and a ballot. Once county elections officials complete the regular voter registration verification process, your ballot will be processed and your vote will be counted.”

Californians unsure of their voter registration status can check it at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.