Pre-register to vote at 16 or 17. Vote at 18.
What is Pre-Registration?
Today's youth are the leaders of tomorrow, and pre-registering to vote is the first step towards making a difference and shaping the future.
If you are 16 or 17 years old and meet the voter eligibility requirements, you can pre-register to vote. On your 18th birthday, you will automatically be registered to vote.
Whether you're at school or at home, you can pre-register online in less than five minutes on your phone, tablet or laptop. Click here to pre-register to vote.
Who is eligible to pre-register to vote?
To pre-register to vote, you must be:
- A United States citizen and a resident of California
- 16 or 17 years old
- Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony
- Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court
What you will need:
- Your California drivers license or California identification card number
- The last four digits of your social security number
- Your date of birth
If you do not have a California driver license or ID card, you will need to complete the pre-registration process by printing a paper form and mailing it to:
Registrar of Voters
Voter Registration Division
1555 Berger Drive, Bldg. 2
San Jose, CA 95112
How to Pre-Register to Vote with Toonie and Steve
It's Toonie's 16th birthday and he's eager to participate in democracy. He's still too young to vote, but he can still take the first step to becoming a registered voter. Follow along with Toonie and Steve to see how easy it is to pre-register to vote.
Get Involved
High School Student Election Program
For over 20 years, the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters' Office has offered qualified high school students the opportunity to participate in our democratic process by serving as Election Officers. Serving as a Student Election Officer on Election Day is an invaluable, real-world experience that will lay the groundwork for a lifetime of civic involvement and responsibility.
Resources for Future Voters
5 TED-Ed Animated Videos to Watch this Election Season
Politics can be baffling. Here are a few TED-Ed Animations that can help to demystify US elections.
Rock the Vote
For 30 years, Rock the Vote has revolutionized the use of pop culture, music, art, and technology to engage young people in politics.
Vlog Brothers: Why I Didn't Vote (And Six Reasons You Might Not)
The Vlog Brothers discuss the six explanations eligible voters most commonly cited for not voting, and the importance of doing the work (and it is work!) to participate in U.S. political life.
Teacher Resources
GrowingVoters.org
GrowingVoters.org provides free hands-on virtual and classroom activities on voting and elections to invite student voice and power to actively take part in the U.S. electoral system.
iCivics
iCivics inspires life-long civic engagement by providing high quality and engaging civics resources to teachers and students across the nation.
TeacherVision
Find lessons, printables, and activities, plus great ways for students to get involved in local politics, like holding classroom debates or writing letters to representatives.
High School Outreach
One of our goals is to encourage more Santa Clara County youth to get involved in elections and voting.
Our high school outreach team is available for tabling events and school presentations to educate students about the importance of voting, elections, and becoming civically-engaged. We encourage future voters to pre-register to vote and we explain various ways to get involved in the community, from volunteering with the county to finding causes they support.
For more information and to partner with us, please email: [email protected].
