Overview

• Gov. Gavin Newsom called the special election for Proposition 50, a congressional redistricting measure described as favoring Democrats in response to plans advocated in Texas by President Donald Trump.
• The statewide voter information guide is online and mailing in September, and every active registered voter will receive a ballot, with some counties offering up to 10 days of early in‑person voting.
• Counties begin sending ballots by Oct. 6, and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 4 and received by election offices by Nov. 12 to be counted.
• Ballots can be returned by mail, at official drop boxes or vote centers anywhere in the state, or by a trusted person who is not paid to collect it.
• Voters can check and update registration on the secretary of state website by Oct. 20 or use same‑day registration, and officials verify return‑envelope signatures with a cure process, provide multilingual materials, offer ballot tracking, and require employers to allow up to two paid hours for voting if needed.