Find a ballot drop box near you for the California Prop 50 election

Hundreds of ballot drop boxes are available for voters to cast ballots in the Prop 50 special election.

Election Day is Tuesday, but more that 5 million vote-by-mail ballots, sent to California’s 23 million registered voters, had been returned, according to the Secretary of State. In Los Angeles County, 952,231 of the more than 5 million vote-by-mail ballots issued have been returned.

The special election is for voters to decide one ballot measure that could reshape California’s Congressional district maps.

Here’s what to know about using a ballot drop box.

Find a ballot drop box in LA County

The ballot drop box program was launched in 2017. Voters can return their ballots by placing them in any of more than 400 drop boxes across the county, sending them through the mail by election day or visiting one of many county vote centers.

The drop boxes will be available until 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Additional ballot dropbox locations for the following counties can be found here:

• Orange County
• Riverside County
• Ventura County
• San Bernardino County

How are ballot drop boxes secured?

The boxes are bolted securely into cement or chained in place and designed to meet security standards provided by the state. Ballots are picked up regularly by two county election workers. Problems or issues can be reported here.

The boxes also have an exterior coating to reduce permanent graffiti or damage

Tampering with a drop box is a felony under California elections code.

How to use a ballot drop box

After finding a ballot drop box near you using this map, place your completed ballot card inside the official return envelope. Seal the envelope. Be sure to sign and date the back of the envelope. Place inside the box.

Click here to check whether your ballot was returned to the county elections office.

Find a LA County vote center

The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s Office vote centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for in-person voting, voter registration and vote-by-mail returns. The county has mailed all voters a postcard listing the nearest 11-day and 4-day vote centers.

Click here to find a Los Angeles County vote center.

A complete list and map of vote center locations is available here, including optional GPS tracking to identify the location nearest at the time of the query. County officials encouraged voters to review their ballots carefully and vote early.

Voters can save time at the vote center with an interactive sample ballot. This optional tool allows voters to view and mark their selections on a smartphone or computer and instantly transfer their votes to the ballot-marking device using their poll pass.

Electioneering violations

The same rules around electioneering at a vote center apply to ballot drop boxes. Electioneering is not allowed within the “immediate vicinity of a person in line to cast their ballot or within 100 feet of the entrance of a polling place, curbside voting or drop box the following activities are prohibited,” the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk office said. Violations can results in fines or jail time.

Here are prohibited activities.

• Do not ask a person to vote for or against any candidate or ballot measure.
• Do not display a candidate’s name, image, or logo.
• Do not block access to or loiter near any ballot drop boxes.
• Do not provide any material or audible information for or against any candidate or ballot measure near any polling place, vote center, or ballot drop box.
• Do not circulate any petitions, including for initiatives, referenda, recall, or candidate nominations.
• Do not distribute, display, or wear any clothing (hats, shirts, signs, buttons, stickers) that include a candidate’s name, image, logo, and/or support or oppose any candidate or ballot measure.
• Do not display information or speak to a voter about the voter’s eligibility to vote.

Voting by mail

Ballots postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days by county elections officials will be processed, verified and counted. Elections officials recommend mailing ballots at least seven days prior to Election Day.

How to register to vote

Eligible voters who have not yet registered can visit any vote center, complete a conditional voter registration and cast a ballot in this election. Once the registration is validated through the statewide database, the ballot is processed like all others.

How to track your ballot

California is one of several states that use the BallotTrax system. Click here to access the system, enter your information and track your ballot. You’ll receive alerts about your ballot’s location.

About the Prop 50 special election

The special election includes only one measure, Proposition 50, which is a proposal to temporarily redraw California’s congressional district lines for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 elections in an attempt to create more Democratic seats in the House.

The special election was called after a similar move in Texas designed to create more Republican seats.

Getting there

LA Metro will be offering free rides across its transit system to help voters get to the polls or drop off their mail-in-ballot. The free rides will be available on Election Day.

After Election Day in California

Here’s what happens after Election Day.

• Nov. 4: Election Day in California. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by Nov. 12.
• Dec. 2: This is the first day for county elections officials to certify election results.
• Dec. 4: The last day for county officials to certify election results.
• Dec. 5: One complete copy of special election returns must be sent from county elections officials to the Secretary of State.
• Dec. 12: A statement of vote is certified by the Secretary of State.