How to Cast a Ballot in Yolo County

Vote by Mail

Every active registered voter in California is mailed a ballot no later than 29 days prior to an election for which they are eligible. Voters who registered or updated their registration just prior to or after that 29-day mark are mailed the ballot once the information is entered into the registration system.

• Return by mail - must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the Yolo County Elections Office no later than 7 days after Election Day. Make sure you check your local post office's hours of operation on Election Day.
• Return in person - to our Elections Office or any voting location in California before 8 pm on Election Day.

Find more information about Vote-by-Mail Voting.

Drop Off Your Ballot at a Ballot Drop Box

Drop your ballot into any official Ballot Drop Box in California no later than 8 pm on Election Day. The Ballot Drop Box link is maintained by the California Secretary of State.

Vote in Person Before Election Day

In the November 5, 2024 General Election, the Yolo County Elections Office operated 12 Vote Centers for early and on Election Day. It is anticipated there will be up to 13 Vote Centers for the June 2, 2026 Statewide Direct Primary Election.

• Three vote centers for ten days prior to Election Day from 10 am to 6 pm.
• Nine additional vote centers for three days prior to Election Day, from 10 am to 6 pm. More vote centers may be added in 2026.
• The Mobile Vote Center on specified days in some Yolo County towns, from 10 am to 6 pm.

The number of Vote Centers is determined each election based on the number of active registered voters in Yolo County.

The Vote Center and Ballot Drop Box Locations page under the Current Election page contains information about Yolo County locations and times of operation specific to a current election and is posted 29 days before Election Day.

Please practice all safety protocols recommended by the Federal, State, and Local Health Officials if you vote in person at a Vote Center.

Vote in Person on Election Day

All Vote Centers are open on Election Day:

Tuesday from 7 am to 8 pm

Please be aware that you may experience a wait time when voting in person on Election Day. The Yolo County Elections Office tracks wait times at Vote Centers and provides this helpful information on the Vote Centers and Ballot Drop Boxes Locations page under the Current Election page when the Vote Centers are open.

Write-in Candidates

A vote for a write-in candidate is only counted if the candidate has qualified for the ballot and is a "certified write-in candidate." The deadline for candidates to file nomination papers to become a certified write-in candidate is 14 days prior to Election Day. The official certified list of write-in candidates will be available on the Yolo County Elections website and at any Yolo County Vote Center. Votes for characters like "Mickey Mouse" and others not on the Certified List of Write-in Candidates are not tabulated or reported in the election results.

The California Secretary of State website provides the Certified List of Write-in Candidates for state and federal contests.

The Yolo County Elections Office provides the Certified List of Write-in Candidates for local contests.

Understand your Ballot using Copies of Translated Ballots (Facsimile Translated Ballots)

Yolo County provides copies of ballots translated into Chinese, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, and Spanish. Voters can use the translated ballots as a reference for voting their official ballot. Copies of the translated ballots are available on this website, by mail upon request, and at Yolo County Vote Centers.

View translations of the official ballots for Chinese (中文 - 複製選票), Korean (한국어 - 투표용지 복사본), Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ- ਨਕਲ ਬੈਲਟ), Russian (русский - ФАКСИМИЛЬНЫЙ БЮЛЛЕТЕНЬ), and Spanish (Español - Boleta Facsímil).