Register to vote

Eligibility 

To register to vote in San Francisco, you must be: 

1. A San Francisco resident and, for most contests, a U.S. citizen 
2. At least 18 years old by the date of the next election
3. Not in state or federal prison for the conviction of a felony 
4. Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court 

Registration options

You have 3 options:   

1. Online voter registration application

You can register to vote online up through the registration deadline.

If you do not have a signature on file with the DMV, you must print, sign, and return the application by mail or in person.

2. Paper voter registration application  

You can pick up a paper application from our office, the post office, or library. You can also contact us to get an application by mail. Complete and return the application by the registration deadline.

3. Conditional voter registration application

You can visit the City Hall Voting Center or a polling place and tell a poll worker that you want to register and vote. This option is available after the registration deadline through 8 p.m. on Election Day.

After you register to vote 

You can check your voter registration status online. It usually takes 2 to 3 business days for us to process your registration. 

We will send you a Voter Notification Card to confirm your registration in about 2 weeks. If you find any errors on your Voter Notification Card, please email us or call 415-554-4375. 

Special cases

• If you are on parole or in county jail, you may register and vote.

• If you are experiencing homelessness, you may register and vote.

• If you are deployed or living overseas, you may sign up for military and overseas voter status.

• If you are not a U.S Citizen, you may be eligible to register and vote in local School Board elections. 

• If you are 16 or 17 years old, you may pre-register to vote online or using a paper application. Your registration will become active on your 18th birthday.

• If you are a new resident to California or registering here for the first time, you may want to review information for new voters.