Elections and Voting

This guide was created to help you vote as an informed citizen. There is information for local, out-of-state, and international students about how to register to vote, and reliable websites and news sources to help you make informed decisions about the issues and candidates on the ballot in San Diego County. Navigate this guide using the topics on the left.

Pahlke, Mary. (n.d.). Pixabay. This image is in the public domain.

2025 Special Election

Have you received your ballot?
Every registered voter should have received a ballot in the mail the week of October 6, 2025.

Check your voter registration to verify your political party preference, home address, and if different your mailing address. If you need to make updates, you can complete a new voter registration online.

November 4, 2025 - Election Day! 
Polls are open 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

What's this election about?

At Trump's request, Texas Republicans recently redrew their state's congressional seats to create five more favorable districts for the GOP, which could help the party maintain control of the U.S. House. Missouri and other GOP-led states have done the same.

The legislative author of Texas’ new congressional districts, Republican state Rep. Todd Hunter, made that point clear during debate: “The underlying goal of this plan is straightforward — improve Republican political performance,” he said.

In response, California lawmakers — led by Gov. Gavin Newsom — want to counter Texas' effort by creating five more favorable seats for Democrats.

Unlike Texas, where the Legislature determines congressional lines, California voters in 2010 gave that power to a bipartisan citizen commission. The commission draws a new map once each decade, after the U.S. Census, to ensure each congressional district has roughly an equal number of people. It last did so in 2021.

Newsom is proposing to temporarily override the commission and create districts more favorable to Democrats until after the 2030 Census. That requires going to the voters for their approval.

This November, Californians will vote on Proposition 50, also known as the "Election Rigging Response Act," which would temporarily suspend the state’s independent redistricting commission and adopt a new map that could add up to five Democratic-leaning congressional seats ahead of the 2026 midterms.

The temporary map would remain in place until 2031, when the commission is next scheduled to draw new districts following the 2030 census. Proposition 50 clearly directs the bipartisan citizen commission to draw a new map in 2031.

Sources:
Lieb, David A. "AP analysis shows Texas and California redistricting efforts could mess with rare partisan balance." AP News. August 22, 2025.
Douglass, Mac. "California redistricting guide: Everything to know about Proposition 50." California Today. September 21, 2025.
Koseff, Alexei. "5 things to know about Gavin Newsom’s plan to redraw California’s election maps." CalMatters. August 18, 2025.
Miller, Maya C. "Here’s how Newsom’s maps are already changing California’s congressional races." CalMatters. September 16, 2025.
Lopez, Ashley. "The California redistricting measure cites Texas, highlighting the partisan stakes." KPBS. September 13, 2025.

In California, the deadline to register to vote for any election is 15 days before Election Day.

If you are registering or re-registering less than 15 days before an election you will need to complete the Same-Day Voter Registration process and request your ballot in person at your county elections office or polling location.

If you miss the registration deadline, you can still vote!

You can “conditionally” register and vote at your county elections office or polling location after the voter registration deadline, up to and including Election Day.

Return Your Ballot - No stamp needed

Remember to sign and date your return ballot envelope. Your signature is required for your vote to count. Then:

• Drop it in the mail - no stamp needed!

Or:

• Return it to one of over 100 official Ballot Drop Boxes and Vote Centers around the County.
  • Ballot Drop Box Locations Map
  • Vote Center Locations Map

Not Registered? Not to Worry!

You can “conditionally” register and vote at your county elections office or polling location after the voter registration deadline, up to and including Election Day.

Vote In-person

You can vote early:

• At any one of over 60 voting locations around the county from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., November 1-3
  • Some vote centers open for early voting on October 25

You can vote on Election Day, November 4:

• Same locations, voting hours change to 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

If you decide to vote in person, don’t be surprised, lines may be long.

Note: This is a non-partisan guide about how to research the issues and candidates that appear on your ballot. Design Institute of San Diego does not endorse any issues or candidates, and inclusion on this page does not indicate an endorsement of a website or the opinions presented there. Design Institute of San Diego is committed to providing our students with the information literacy skills needed to make informed decisions in their life and work, and this guide is one tool to help them gain those skills.