Ballots for the 2026 general election went out from county election offices to every voter on the registration rolls, setting the voting period in motion.

Under the Voter's Choice Act model, residents of participating counties have two paths available at any voting centre within their county: dropping off a ballot they have already filled out, or trading in an unmarked one for a ballot to complete on the spot. Any VCA county resident who arrives at the polls without their ballot can still cast a provisional one, which election officials will process and count once they have confirmed the person's registration and established that no other ballot was submitted under that name.

Where the VCA model has not been adopted, each voter's polling place is determined by their registered home address. Under state law, polling places in California have no standing requirement for voters to present identification.

First-time general election participants who enrolled via mail or online without supplying a California ID or Social Security number during that registration process may face an ID verification requirement at the polling place. Among the documents that qualify as valid proof of identity are a driver's licence or state-issued ID card, a passport, student or military identification, a utility bill, a bank statement, a pay stub, or any piece of official correspondence from a government body.

By supplying their name, date of birth, and ZIP code to the ballot-tracking tool, voters can receive status notifications through email, a text, or a phone call. Individual county elections offices may operate their own ballot-status tracking systems as well. To check ballot status in Orange County, voters are required to enter their date of birth along with the final four digits of either their driver's licence, California ID, or Social Security number into a lookup tool maintained by the registrar's office.

In counties that use vote centres, polling locations accept ballots for as many as ten days ahead of Election Day — a window that, this cycle, opened on October 24. Voting locations accept ballots from 7 a.m. through 8 p.m. on Election Day, and election officials advise those who have not yet cast their vote by closing time to hold their place in line.

Under California rules, any mail-in ballot bearing a postmark no later than November 3 remains eligible for tabulation provided county election offices take possession of it within seven days after Election Day. Postal timing on Election Day offers no assurance that a ballot deposited in a collection box will receive that date's postmark. Those submitting ballots by post on or near Election Day are advised to bring them directly to a post office counter and ask a staff member to apply a hand cancellation.

California law bars any electioneering activity within the designated buffer zone surrounding a polling location. Anyone standing in line to vote, or positioned within 100 feet of a polling place entrance, is prohibited from displaying apparel bearing a candidate's name, likeness, or symbol, nor anything that advocates for or against a candidate or ballot measure. Within that zone, any visual campaign material bearing a candidate's name, likeness, or party symbol is barred from public display.

Sharing any spoken words, written materials, or other information with fellow voters — whether backing or opposing a candidate or ballot measure — is prohibited at the polling place. Within that designated zone, the secretary of state's office has outlined additional restrictions: gathering signatures on petitions or nomination papers, and approaching voters about whether they qualify to cast a ballot, are both off-limits.

Under the rules in place, anyone casting a ballot retains the right to take a photo of it and post that image wherever they choose, including on social media. Capturing images or footage of fellow voters — whether through video, photography, or any other recording method — at a polling location is prohibited. Voters are permitted to carry tablets, smartphones, and other personal electronic devices with them into the booth when casting their ballots.

Anyone who observes a breach of electioneering rules or another provision of the state's Election Code has two avenues for filing a complaint — through a local election official or via the secretary of state's online portal.