Frequently Asked Questions

All Poll Sites are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Information on your voter registration affidavit will be used by election officials to send you official information on the voting process, including the location of your polling place and the issues and candidates that will appear on the ballot. Commercial use of voter registration information is prohibited by law and is a misdemeanor.

Voter information may be provided to a candidate for office; a ballot measure committee; or other persons for election, scholarly, journalistic, political, or government purposes, as determined by the State. Driver's license and social security numbers, or your signature as shown on your voter registration card, cannot be released for these purposes.

If you have questions about the use of voter information or want to report suspected misuse of such information, call the Secretary of State's Voter Protection and Assistance Hotline at: 1-800-452-VOTE (8683).

You can check your registration status by calling our office.

Kern County Elections Division
(661) 868-3590 or
1-800-452-VOTE (8683)

You have to update your registration if:

• You change your name (marriage; divorce; adoption, etc.).
• Change your address.
• Change your political party.

Check or update your registration.

Yes. View more information on voting rights as a person with a criminal history.

View information on how to remove yourself from the voter roll. 

How to remove a family member from the voting roll.

If you are under 18 you can Pre-register. In order to pre-register you must be 16 or 17 years old and meet all other registration requirements. You will automatically be registered to vote on your 18th birthday when you pre-register.

If you do not want to belong to any political party, mark 'no party preference'. If you want to belong to a party that is not on the list, mark 'Other' and print the name of the qualified political party of your choice on the blank line.

A No Party Preference (NPP) ballot contains only the names of candidates for voter-nominated offices and local nonpartisan offices and measures. For a presidential election, NPP voters will receive a 'non-partisan' ballot that does not include presidential candidates. You can request a ballot for ONE of the parties who allow NPP voters to request their party's presidential ballot.

BY law we are required to give voter information to candidates, ballot measure committees, other persons for election, scholarly, journalistic, political, or governmental purpose. Items that remain confidential and are never provided to anyone are your social security number, your driver's license number, and your signature.

If you have any questions about the use of voter information or wish to report suspected misuse of such information, please call the Secretary of State's Voter Protection and Assistance Hotline at: 1 (800) 345-VOTE (8683).

If you forget to sign your ballot return envelope or we are unable to verify the signature on the envelope as yours, we will send you a Combined Signature Verification and Unsigned Identification Envelope Statement. You must complete and return the Combined Signature Verification and Unsigned Identification Envelope Statement by the deadline specified for us to count your ballot.

If your ballot was mismarked, lost or damaged, you can request a replacement ballot. Replacement ballots are available 29 days before an election. (For Military & Overseas Voters replacement ballots are available 45 days before an election.)

Contact our office at (661) 868-3590 and we can send a new envelope to you. You can also contact our office by email at elections@kerncounty.com.

When we receive your ballot, your signature on the return envelope will be compared to the signature on your voter registration card to make sure it matches and that you are the authorized voter. Your ballot will then be separated from the envelope to protect and maintain its secrecy.

Ballots and return envelopes will be sent to Military and Overseas Voters between 60 and 45 days before an election.

All Poll Workers must attend an overview training session to work at a poll site. Only workers that have been selected to work in the upcoming election will be able to make an on-line reservation for a training class.

Advance reservations are required for all training classes. Reservations are made on a "first come first served" basis.

Poll workers are required to arrive at their assigned site at 6 a.m. on Election Day and stay until closing is complete, usually around 9:30 p.m. Polls are open for voting from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. You will also be required to help set up the poll site the night before the election. The set-up time will be arranged by your team leader.

Yes, all poll workers must attend a training class. Only workers that have been selected to work at a poll site in the upcoming election will be able to make a reservation for a training class. Advance reservations are required to attend class. Reservations are made on a "first come first served" basis.

No, all poll workers are required to work the entire day on Election Day.

Call the Elections Office to be excused. It is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $100 to quit unless you are excused. If you are a County employee, you must be excused by the Chief Deputy Registrar of Voters.

Yes, all poll workers are required to attend training class before each election.

No, if you are related to anyone on the ballot or working on any campaign you will have to wait until the next election.

No, if you are working on any campaign for any item or person on the ballot you will have to wait until the next election.