Voter Information-How to Become a Voter in California

How to Get to Vote

Voter information specific to those who reside in Milpitas, California

Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters is modernizing voting and providing voters with greater flexibility and convenience.
Starting with the March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary Election VOTERS w​​ill have more options an​d will get to choose WHEN, WHERE, and HOW to vote​!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​:

1. Every registered voter will receive a Vote By Mail ballot starting 29 days before Election Day
2. Voters can vote at any of the Vote Centers in Santa Clara County
3. Approximately 22 Vote Centers will open for 11 days including Election Day and approximately 88 Vote Centers will be open for 4 days including Election Day for a total of 110 Vote Centers throughout the County on Election Day
4. Vote Centers will offer more space, additional services and new enhanced voting equipment​

Vote Centers in Milpitas

Search here for sites outside of Milpitas that may be closer to where you work.

Online Registering to Vote
To vote in California, you must be:
At least 18 years old by election day
A U.S. citizen
A California resident
Registered at least 15 days before the election
Not in prison or on parole for a felony
Not declared mentally incompetent by court action

Offline Way
Swing by any fire department, the library, the post office, or City Hall and ask for a voter registration form.

Vote By Mail Ballot
Be a Permanent Absentee Voter
Recent changes in state law has made it possible for any registered voter to sign up and automatically receive their ballot by mail for every election.

The all-new style ballot box for Vote-by-Mail ballots for the current election is now in the Milpitas City Hall lobby. It will remain through to Election Day for the convenience of all Santa Clara County voters, not just those who live here, but also for those who work here.

County of Santa Clara Registrar of Voters
1555 Berger Dr. Bldg. #2, San Jose, CA 95112.
Office hours: Monday – Friday 8 am – 5 pm.
Responsible for:

• Voter Registration
• Maintaining voter registration records
• Conducting federal, state, school, and local elections
• Administering candidate nomination procedures
• Administering the provisions of the campaign reporting laws

Voter Registration Form

No longer any neighborhood polling places. See list of voting centers above.

Rock the Vote
If you have a printer, just fill out the form online, print and sign. A non-profit, non-partisan group. Targets young voters and the underrepresenteded.

Voter Guides

California Online Voter Guide
Voter guide provides nonpartisan information on California propositions and statewide, congressional, and state legislative contests.

California Online Government Voter Guide Home Page
The California Voter Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working through research, oversight, outreach and demonstration projects to improve the election process so that it better serves the needs and interests of voters.

California Voters’ Edge Information
California League of Women Voters website for the Santa Clara County ballot. Information about candidates and issues.

California Elections and Voter Information
From the Secretary of State. Lots of information on the gubernatorial primary candidates.

Voting Day Information

Find Your Polling Center
Select election and then enter your residence address.

Check Status of Your Ballot
Under the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, every voter who casts a provisional ballot is entitled to find out from his/her county elections official if the ballot was counted and if not, the reason why it was not counted.

On the Ballot

California Voter Information Guide
The Voter Information Guide for the November 3, 2020. Statewide Direct Primary Election is now available in PDF

League of Women Voters Directory
Find information about contests on a November 8, 2016 ballot in California State Government

Qualified Statewide Ballot Measures
The following is a list of statewide measures that have qualified for the ballot. For those measures that are currently attempting to qualify, see the Initiative and Referendum Qualification Status page.

Political Districts

The California Voter Foundation’s California Map Series
Maps of the state’s political districts, regions and counties. This series was created to give the public a better understanding of the political districts and jurisdictions where we live and vote.

Political Parties

AMERICAN INDEPENDENT PARTY

American Independent Party
California Affiliate of the Constitution Party, the AIP is California’s fastest growing political party. Californians have recognized the need for a major change in government policies, a return to constitutional government, and control of the government by the governed.

DEMOCRATS

California Democratic Party
Information on Campaigns, Party Structure & More.

Democratic National Committee
The DNC plans the Party’s quadrennial presidential nominating convention; promotes the election of Party candidates with both technical and financial support; and works with national, state, and local party organizations, elected officials, candidates, and constituencies to respond to the needs and views of the Democratic electorate and the nation.

GREEN PARTY

Green Party of California
Find out who the Green Party candidates are for California political offices.

Green Party of California
Please join us as we build towards a more democratic, cooperative, cleaner, safer world where we the people, not the corporations, make the decisions that affect our lives.

Green Party of the United States
A confederation of state Green Parties.  Committed to environmentalism, non-violence, social justice and grassroots organizing, Greens are renewing democracy without the support of corporate donors.

LIBERTARIANS

Libertarian Party of California
If you describe yourself as socially tolerant and fiscally responsible, you’re a Libertarian! We believe you-not the government-should decide how to run your life, checkbook, retirement, education and family.

Libertarian Party
Committed to America’s heritage of freedom: individual liberty and personal responsibility; a free-market economy of abundance and prosperity; and a foreign policy of non-intervention, peace, and free trade.

NATURAL LAW PARTY

Natural Law Party – California
Founded in April 1992 to “bring the light of science into politics.” Its founders, a group of a dozen educators, businessmen, and lawyers, knew that field-tested solutions to America’s problems already existed but were being ignored by government.

REPUBLICANS

California Republican Party
Your online source for Republican news, events, and information from all over California. (Not available in other languages.)

Republican National Committee
Republicans have a long and rich history with basic principles: Individuals, not government, can make the best decisions; all people are entitled to equal rights; and decisions are best made close to home. (Not available in other languages.)

Initiative Information

How to Qualify an Initiative
This is a summary of the statewide initiative procedure and the requirements for preparing and qualifying initiatives. This guide is intended for statewide initiatives only. For information regarding the qualification of local initiatives, please contact your county elections official or city clerk. Please contact the Secretary of State’s Initiative Coordinator at (916) 657-2166 for more information.

See also ~ More Voter Information