Voter Information

Are you registered to vote?

The first step to take in order to vote is to get registered! Being registered and having an up-to-date registration means having a more efficient voting experience.

Check your voter status here.

You can register to vote in Kern County if you are all of the following:

You are a United States citizen.
You are a Kern County resident.
You will be 18 years old by the next election.
You are not found by a court to be mentally incompetent. Persons Subject to Conservatorship
You are not serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony. Voting Rights: Person with a Criminal History

If you are not registered, it's not too late!

There are a number of different ways to register if you meet the qualifications. You can do one of the following:

Pick up a form in person. You can go to any of the following locations in Kern County:
- Fire Stations
- U.S. Post Offices
- DMV Offices
- Public Libraries
- Kern County Elections Division, 1115 Truxtun Avenue, 1st floor, Bakersfield, CA. 93301-4639

Call Kern County Elections by phone to request a Registration Form to be sent by Mail:
- Kern County Elections Division: (661) 868-3590 or 1-800-452-VOTE (8683)

The deadline to register to vote for any election is 15 days before Election Day. Please register early!

What Happens after I have Registered to Vote?

You will receive a Voter Notification Card in a few weeks from the Elections Office. Confirm that the information on the registration card is correct.
The Elections Office will send you a voter pamphlet a few weeks before the election.
Read the voter pamphlet carefully. Ask questions to learn and make knowledgeable decisions! Mark your voter pamphlet.
Take the voter pamphlet with you into the voting booth at your polling place on Election Day to save time.

[Information adapted from the Kern County Elections website.]

Elections are Tuesday, June 2, 2026!

Ways to Vote

Drop Box

You may return your voted ballot by dropping your ballot off at an official drop box; or vote-by-mail ballots that are personally delivered to a ballot drop-off location must be delivered no later than the close of polls at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
Official drop boxes will be available 29 days prior to the election and are available 24 hours a day.

View the official drop box locations in Kern County.

In Person Voting

Even though you will be sent a vote-by-mail ballot for every election, you can still choose to vote in person at your polling place. You may also return your voted ballot by returning it in person to any polling place or the office of your county elections official; vote by mail ballots that are personally delivered must be delivered no later than the close of polls.
All polling sites are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m on Election Day.

Find your assigned poll site.

Vote by Mail

Beginning 29 days before the day of the election, the Elections Official will begin mailing the vote by mail ballots. We encourage you to vote early by mailing in or dropping off your ballot to your county elections official. Be sure to sign and date your return envelope. There is no postage required. Vote by mail ballots mailed in must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by your county elections office no later than 7 days after Election Day.

If you are not sure your vote-by-mail ballot will arrive in time, bring it to any polling place between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Additional Resources for Voting:

Not from Kern County or California? You can still vote!

Use the State and Local Election Offices website to find specific information on your local elections.