Santa Monica residents who want a mail ballot for the Nov. 3 election must register to vote by the end of Monday, Oct. 19.

The deadline applies to online registration at registertovote.ca.gov, according to the city's election page. Anyone who misses it can still register and vote in person at any Los Angeles County vote center through Election Day using California's conditional voter registration process.

The difference matters. Registering by Monday means a ballot arrives at home. Missing the deadline means a trip to a vote center.

What's on the ballot

Santa Monica voters face a packed local ballot. Twelve candidates are competing for three City Council seats, according to Patch's voter guide. The field includes Mayor Caroline Torosis and former Mayor Lana Negrete, both seeking reelection, along with former Mayor Phil Brock and Rent Control Board Chair Daniel Ivanov.

Five local ballot measures also appear, covering education funding, rent control, eviction protections and hotel taxation. Measure ES would impose a $495 annual parcel tax to fund Santa Monica public schools, generating an estimated $12 million per year. It qualified through a citizen initiative and needs a simple majority to pass.

Mail ballot basics

Los Angeles County began mailing ballots in early October. Every active registered voter automatically receives one. Ballots can be returned by mail (no postage needed), dropped in an official ballot drop box or delivered to a vote center.

Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by county election officials no later than Nov. 10. Ballots deposited in official drop boxes must be returned by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta urged voters at an October press conference in Los Angeles to mail ballots at least one week before Election Day. "In California, every active, registered voter receives a ballot in the mail," Bonta said in a statement. In the June 2026 primary, 148,241 mail ballots were rejected statewide, according to the attorney general's office. Nearly two-thirds were rejected because they were postmarked late or arrived after the seven-day deadline.

Vote center schedule

In-person voting at L.A. County vote centers begins Saturday, Oct. 24. Centers are open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Nov. 2. On Election Day, Nov. 3, hours run 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Additional locations open Oct. 31.

Voters can cast a ballot at any participating vote center in L.A. County, regardless of home address. The county registrar's website lists locations and drop boxes.

To register before the Monday deadline, visit registertovote.ca.gov. To check existing registration status, visit lavote.gov/vrstatus.