USD's mail center has weekday hours. Make sure you know it will be open when you plan to mail your ballot.
- If you live on campus, you will receive mail at the mail center. You will receive an email when your ballot arrives.
- If you want to register to vote with your campus address, list your on campus address as your permanent address on your voter registration form.
- If you want to register to vote in another state or city and or receive your mail ballot on campus, make sure your county registrar of voters (in California or another state) knows that your campus address is your mailing address.
The mail center cannot guarantee same-day postmarking for outgoing mail, so make sure you mail your ballot back early!
Contact your county voting officials to find out what you can do.
If you are living in San Diego and you have not received a ballot by the election, you will be able to vote provisionally at one of the county voting stations. In the past, the Degheri Alumni Center has been available for in person voting for anyone who is registered to vote in San Diego County, so this could be an accessible option for in-person voters. For specific details visit the "Where Do I Vote?" tab here.
Track your ballot and learn more from the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.
California
You may return your voted vote-by-mail ballot by mailing it to your county elections official. Your ballot is already addressed and postage is paid.
Vote-by-mail ballots that are mailed must be postmarked on or before Election Day. If you are not sure your vote-by-mail ballot will arrive in time if mailed, bring it to any polling place in your county between poll opening and closing on Election Day.
Other States
Your ballot should come with an official envelope. Make sure you follow all instructions, including signing your envelope and including any required postage stamps.
In many states, ballots must be received by elections officials BY Election Day at the latest. That means you need to mail that ballot early--seven days early at the bare minimum, to be sure it gets there in time to be counted.
California
Yes, in California you can return it in person to a polling place or the elections office in your county on Election Day; or authorize a relative or person living in the same household as you to return the ballot on your behalf.
Vote-by-mail ballots that are personally delivered must be delivered no later than the close of polls on Election Day.
Other States
In other states, rules may vary. Contact your county elections officials to learn more.
Millions of Americans vote by mail every year, and almost every vote gets counted.
However, some mail-in-ballots will not be counted because of voter errors. Don't let this be you! The most common errors are:
- Failing to mail the ballot early enough that it is received by Election Day. In most states, mailed ballots must be through the mail and received by the county elections officials by close of business on Election Day. Given the processing time required by the postal service, exacerbated by budget cuts and other issues, you should mail your ballot at least a week early--try for two weeks early-- to make sure it gets through the mail and to your local elections officials in time to be counted.
- Failing to sign your ballot envelope. You don't sign your ballot. Your vote is secret and anonymous. But most states require that you sign the envelope that your ballot is mailed in. Elections officials will match that signature to the one the state has on file (from when you registered to vote or got your driver's license). If you don't sign it, or if your signature doesn't match, your vote may not be counted.
- Corruption of the ballot itself. Ballots will be read by machine. If you vote twice in one race, or you draw Xs where you should fill in bubbles, your vote won't be counted. Don't spill coffee on it or let your dog chew on it either!
First, and most importantly, there is little to no voter fraud in the United States.
Mail voting is safely used for all, or almost all voting, in Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, and Hawaii.
Because government power is valuable, it is always possible that some might try to cheat to help a party or individual stay in power. It is the responsibility of state and local elections officials to make such cheating difficult or impossible.
- There are a few high profile cases of mail ballot fraud
- Elections officials in both political parties agree that mail voting is safe and reliable
- Studies show that mail voting is reliable and states' security systems are competent
If you are concerned about voter fraud, contact your local elections officials and ask them what they do to prevent it.