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Cal Poly Election Guide
Important Dates
• September 16, 2025 - National Voter Registration Day
• October 20, 2025 - Last Day to register to vote
• November 4, 2025 - Election Day
2026 Primary Election - June 2, 2026
• Monday, May 4: No later than this date, county elections officials shall begin mailing each registered voter a vote-by-mail ballot.
• Monday, May 18: Last day to register to vote online or by mail ahead of the Primary Election.
• Tuesday, May 19 – Tuesday, June 2: Same Day Voter Registration is available — voters can “conditionally” register and vote at a county elections office or polling location after the voter registration deadline, up to and including Election Day.
• Tuesday, June 2: Primary Election — polls shall be open throughout the state from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
2026 General Election - November 3, 2026
• Monday, October 5: No later than this date, county elections officials shall begin mailing each registered voter a vote-by-mail ballot.
• Monday, October 19: Last day to register to vote online or by mail ahead of the General Election.
• Tuesday, October 20 – Tuesday, November 3: Same Day Voter Registration is available — voters can “conditionally” register and vote at a county elections office or polling location after the voter registration deadline, up to and including Election Day.
• Tuesday, November 3: General Election — polls are open throughout the state from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Files and Resources
Bookmark prepared by Cal Poly Campus Health and Wellbeing.
Guide for voting and the upcoming general election prepared for Cal Poly Students by ASI.
Prepared by the SLO County Clerk-Recorder's office for Cal Poly Students.
Ways to Vote
Every active, registered voter in California will be mailed a ballot for the 2026 Primary and General Elections at the address provided at time of registration.
Vote By Mail
Return ballot by mail - Dates have not yet been announced for the June 2nd Primary Election.
Return ballot in person - Dates have not yet been announced for the June 2nd Primary Election.
Vote Early in Person
County elections officials offer early voting at their offices, and may counties offer early voting at additional locations prior to Election Day.
The early election dates and locations for the upcoming election cycle have not been announced yet. Once announced, the early voting locations, dates, and times can be found at CAEarlyVoting.sos.ca.gov or contact your county elections office.
County contact information can be found by visiting the Secretary of State's website at: www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices
Vote at the Polls on Election Day
County elections officials offer early voting at their offices, and may counties offer early voting at additional locations prior to Election Day.
The early election dates and locations for the upcoming election cycle have not been announced yet. Once announced, the early voting locations, dates, and times can be found at CAEarlyVoting.sos.ca.gov or contact your county elections office.
County contact information can be found by visiting the Secretary of State's website at: www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices
Absentee Voting & Voting by Mail
Absentee voting and vote-by-mail allow voting before Election Day by mail or drop-off for any registered voter. Out of state students can utilize this resource to assure that they get to cast their vote.
States allow voters who cannot or do not want to vote in person to cast mail-in or drop off ballots through absentee voting or vote-by-mail programs. Absentee and mail-in ballots can be cast for both primary and general elections.
Absentee voting
Although most states have absentee voting, deadlines and rules on who can take part vary. Some states require an excuse to vote absentee. Others do not. In most states, you must request an absentee ballot to vote in each election. But in some states, you may qualify to sign up to receive absentee ballots for every election. Learn if your state offers permanent absentee voting.
Vote-by-mail
Instead of absentee voting programs, some states offer vote-by-mail (also known as all-mail) programs. They automatically send ballots to all registered voters in the state before Election Day. See which states offer vote-by-mail programs.
How to vote absentee or by mail as an out-of-state students
- Visit Can I Vote and choose your state from the dropdown menu. It will take you right to your state's absentee voting or vote-by-mail page.
- Know your state’s absentee and vote-by-mail ballot deadline. Make sure you follow your state’s deadlines for requesting and returning your ballot. See your state’s voting deadlines.
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Know your options for returning your absentee or vote-by-mail ballot. Check with your state or local election office to learn about other ways to return your ballot besides postal mail.
Resources
National Association of Secretaries of State Absentee & Early Voting
[Information adapted from USA.gov & vote.gov websites]
General Election Fact Sheet for Cal Poly Voters - The County of San Luis Obispo Office of the Clerk-Recorder has prepared a fact sheet tailored specifically for Cal Poly students.
A voter may apply to vote by mail at any time until after the seventh day prior to an election and a vote by mail voter may vote in person at the office of the county elections official or at a satellite location established by the county elections official on or before the day of the election (pursuant to Chapter 1 of Division 3 of the Elections Code).
[Information adapted from California Secretary of State website]
Voter Registration
The deadline to register to vote for any election is 15 days before Election Day. For the upcoming election cycle, the voter registration deadline is October 20th, 2025.
You can apply to register to vote by filling out an online application on the Secretary of State's website, or pick up a paper voter registration application at your county elections office, library, DMV or post office. The paper application must be postmarked or hand-delivered to your county elections office at least 15 days before the election, on or before October 20th, 2025.
To find out if you are currently registered to vote, visit Check Status of Your Voter Registration.
Per the Secretary of State's website, to register to vote, you must be:
- A United States citizen and a resident of California (for information on voters in the military or overseas, please see Military and Overseas Voters),
- 18 years old or older on Election Day,
- Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony (for more information, please see Voting Rights Restored: Persons with a Prior Felony Conviction), and
- Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court (for more information, please see Voting Rights: Persons Subject to Conservatorship).
In elections conducted by your county elections official, you can “conditionally” register and vote at your county elections office after the 15-day voter registration deadline. For more information please go to Same Day Voter Registration.
For more information about the elections and registration, please consult:
General Election Fact Sheet for Cal Poly Voters - Prepared by the County of San Luis Obispo Office of the Clerk-Recorder for Cal Poly Students
Voter Registration and Civic Engagement, ASI
San Luis Obispo County Elections and Voting Information
Secretary of State Online Voter Registration
Secretary of State Election Information
Secretary of State Voter Registration Status Tool
The civic and election information provided applies to the county where Cal Poly is located. Election information varies by county. You can check the Secretary of State website containing the voter registration status tool to find election information for the county where your voter registration is active.
[Information adapted from California Secretary of State website]
Self Care for Managing Election Stress
Prioritizing self-care is an important step in our daily lives, especially in times of distress. In the wake of heightened emotions and concerning incidents throughout the country and on our campus, here are a few tips for self-care to get you to through the next upcoming days.
UNPLUG.Limit your consumption of media, particularly of the 24-hour news cycle of social media variety. Stay informed, of course, but instead of constantly scrolling your newsfeed, try one of these other options.
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BE PRESENT.It is important to be aware of and acknowledge our thoughts and feelings. Pay attention with non-judgmental curiosity, and give yourself permission to feel the way you do. Although distraction can be useful, unaddressed intense emotion can also have negative impacts. |
FIND A HEALTHY ESCAPE.Do something engaging or energizing to manage your feelings rather than turn to potentially harmful or hurtful coping mechanisms (i.e. excess substance use) Get outside. Practice mindfulness. Exercise. Journal. Meditate. Read something light. Make art. Watch a funny movie. Laughter is often a good antidote for stress and anxiety. |
CONNECT.Engage with supportive friends and allies. Talk about it if you need to, but also communicate your boundaries when needed. Not everyone will share your perspective. Give yourself permission to walk away from a conversation that is feeling uncomfortable, heated or too stressful. Reach out to a mental health professional such as those at Counseling Services or another trusted individual. |
REPLENISH.Get back to self-care, and focus on restoring yourself. Get enough rest. Eat well. Drink plenty of water and fluids. Move daily… walking, stretching, breathing are great ways to replenish. |
DO SOMETHING.Channel what you are feeling into something that is meaningful and purposeful to you. Get informed and be proactive around issues that matter to you. Find ways to engage with your community through volunteering and advocacy. |
It’s easy to feel alone or isolated during these times, but remember there are resources throughout campus with the sole purpose of helping you find your way. Below are links to a few resources and pages that may be helpful during these turbulent times or for any other problems you may be facing.
Connections
Free Speech
Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of a democratic society and is essential to the educational process. Universities have a special obligation not only to tolerate but also to encourage and support the free expression of ideas, values, and opinions, even where they may be unpopular or controversial.
Cal Poly accepts and embraces this obligation, recognizing that such expression may take a variety of forms, such as speeches, signs, written materials, public assemblies, parades, demonstrations and artistic representation.
Cal Poly will ensure that individuals and groups have wide latitude to lawfully exercise the right of free expression and that their constitutionally protected right to free expression is not abridged. CSU Policies and Cal Poly Policies will be enforced to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the University community while protecting lawful free expression activities.
For more information, please visit the Dean of Students Free Speech webpage.
Campus Partners
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Office of the Dean of Students 805.756.1281
Civil Rights & Compliance Office (CRCO) |
Report Bias
Statement on Commitment to Community
Cal Poly is committed to maintaining a broad and inclusive community that values diversity and fosters tolerance and mutual respect, in which all members embrace core values of academic excellence, open inquiry, free expression, and diversity. Membership in the Cal Poly community is consistent with the highest principles of shared governance, social and environmental responsibility, engagement, and integrity. We embrace and encourage our community differences in age, disability, race or ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran or military status, and other characteristics that make our community unique. All community members have the right to participate fully in Cal Poly’s programs and activities free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation (bias).
How to Report
Anyone who has knowledge of or has experienced a bias incident, on or off campus, involving Cal Poly students, faculty and/or staff, may report the incident in a variety of ways.
