Time Off

• Time off for workers to vote is mandatory in California. Employers are required to post signs in the workplace saying that the workers may request time off to vote. Workers can receive paid time off, but only if their shift covers the entire time period when the polls are open. According to the California Secretary of State, employers must post signs about an upcoming vote and the opportunity to receive time off at least 10 days before a statewide election is held.
  
  

Eligibility

• Voting rights apply to eligible California voters. A voter in the state must register at least 15 days before the election is held, which may be determined by the postmark date if voting forms are returned through the mail. California requires that voters be at least 18 years old when the election is held, are legally registered residents of the state, and are not in jail or convicted felons.
  
  

Non English Voting

• California requires conduction of the voting process in languages other than English. California provides versions of election ballots in Spanish and other languages and requires election officials to accept them. According to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California requires voting authorities to hire elections officials such as assistant registrars and precinct board members who speak languages other than English. Voting assistance is mandatory in areas where many of the voters in a precinct do not speak English as their main language.
  
  

Non English Information

• Translation requirements also apply to information about the election and voter registration. State warnings such as the time off announcement signs are posted in Spanish and other languages in the California workplace. State laws also require the provision of voting guides in non-English versions, as well as translations of other legal documents such as voter registration forms. Translation requirements are also dependent on the number of voters in a precinct who do not speak English as their primary language. For example, the City of Long Beach is required to provide guide materials in Khmer, Tagalog and Vietnamese.
  
  

Voting Process Rights

• Voting rights apply to the voting process itself. In California, each voter has the right to ask the precinct officials questions about how the vote is conducted, including questions about electronic machines that tally the vote. A voter may also decide that a ballot is damaged, and voting officials in the precinct are required to furnish a replacement ballot. According to the California Secretary of State this right also applies to ballots intended to be mailed.