Get ready to vote in the CA Governor Recall Election!
The 2021 California Governor Recall Election is on Tuesday, September 14, 2021. California voters will decide whether to recall the governor from office, and choose a replacement to be governor if the recall vote is successful.
- August 16, 2021: First day to vote by mail.
- August 30, 2021: Registration deadline
- September 14, 2021: Election Day
All California's active registered voters will receive a vote-by-mail ballot for the September 14, 2021 recall election. The Contra Costa County elections office will begin mailing ballots by August 16, 2021.
Not sure if you’re registered to vote? Check voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.
Register today at registertovote.ca.gov.
Missed the August 30 voter registration deadline? No problem! You can still vote in this election! If you missed the deadline, go to a voting location. You can register and vote on the same day – all the way up through Election Day, Tuesday, September 14.
- Do you want to recall the governor (remove him from office)?
- If the governor is recalled, who do you want to replace him? Forty-six candidates will be listed.
- If more than 50% of voters say “no” to the first question, the governor remains in office.
- If more than 50% of voters say “yes” to the first question, the person who gets the most votes on the second question becomes the governor.
- A replacement candidate does NOT need more than 50% of the votes to win, they simply need more votes than any of the other candidates.
- You don’t need to answer both questions! You can answer just the first or second question, or both. It’s your choice.
- No matter how you answer question 1, you can still vote for a replacement candidate.
- All registered voters will get a ballot in the mail about a month before Election Day.
- Mark your ballot and seal it inside the envelope provided. Don’t forget to sign and date the envelope!
- You have 3 ways to vote: mail your ballot, drop it off, or vote in person.
- Want to vote by mail?
- Mail your ballot back early! It must be postmarked by Election Day, Tuesday, September 14. You can fill it in and mail it back as soon as you receive it.
- No stamp? No problem. You do not need a stamp to mail back your ballot.
- Want to drop off your ballot?
- Drop off your ballot at any voting location or a secure drop off location.
- For details and locations check caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov.
- If you decide to drop off your ballot, you must drop it off no later than 8PM on Election Day, September 14.
- Want to vote in person?
- Find your voting location at findmypollingplace.sos.ca.gov.
- Early voting, starting before Election Day, will be available in some locations. Find an early voting location near you at caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov.
- At in-person voting locations you can:
- Vote in person.
- Drop off your completed ballot.
- Vote with an accessible voting machine.
- Get help and voting materials in multiple languages.
- Click here to view Voter’s Edge for candidate details as well as information about the meaning of Yes and No votes, financial impacts, arguments for and against, and the major contributors, including an option to view the content in Spanish.
- See the LWVDV news article Voter's Edge for CA Governor Recall Election for information on how you can help voters learn more about the candidates.
The cost of California’s upcoming gubernatorial recall election has been finalized at $276 million, according to the State Finance Department. The updated estimated county-by-county cost for a special election came to $243.6 million, plus $32.4 million to the Secretary of State's Office to run the special election.
See Voter Registration Days article and stay tuned for more.
- California Gubernatorial Recall Election - Frequently Asked Questions (California Secretary of State site)
- September 14, 2021 California Gubernatorial Recall Election. Includes the option to vew the content in Spanish or Chinese. (Contra Costa County Elections site)
- Voter’s Edge: Get the facts before you vote with Voter’s Edge, the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund and MapLight’s unbiased online ballot lookup tool, including the option to view the content in Spanish.
- Elections and Voting: LWVDV page with election and voting information for Contra Costa county.