California's Democracy Profile
Quick Facts About California
Number of House Seats in 2026
52
2024 Presidential Vote %
California's Democracy Score
Overall Score
31/36.5
High
Who Votes 7.75/11
Voter Registration
3/5
Medium
Representation & Participation
4.75/6
High
How to Vote 9.75/12
Voting in Person
5/6
High
Voting by Mail
4.75/6
High
Protecting the Vote 13.5/13.5
Election Security
7/7
High
Independence & Integrity
6.5/6.5
High
California's Democracy and Election Laws and Policies
Click on each issue for more information and to see where the state fits into the national landscape.
key
- Indicates state law or policy
- Indicates local laws or policies and/or partial law
- Indicates no law or policy
- Enumeration not applicable
Who votes
| Voter Registration | Score | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Exists? | Score | |||
| Automatic Voter Registration | 0.5/1 | |||
| Negative Law: Voter Roll Purges Based Soley on Infrequent Voting | No Negative Law | 0/-1 | ||
| Negative Law: State has a proof of citizenship requirement for registration | No Negative Law | 0/-1 | ||
| Online Voter Registration | 1/1 | |||
| Registration Deadlines | 1/1 | |||
| Membership in Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) | 0/1 | |||
| Negative Law: Restrictions on Voter Registration Drives | Negative Law | -0.5/-1 | ||
| Voter Preregistration | 1/1 | |||
| Voter Registration Total | 3/5 | |||
| Representation & Participation | Score | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Exists? | Score | |||
| Direct Citizen Initiative Process | 1/1 | |||
| Native American Voting Protections | 1/1 | |||
| Partisanship of State Primary Election Systems | 1/1 | |||
| Voter Registration Rates | 1/1 | |||
| Voter Turnout Percentage | 0.25/1 | |||
| Voting Rights for Formerly Incarcerated People | 0.5/1 | |||
| Representation & Participation Total | 4.75/6 | |||
How to Vote
| Voting in Person | Score | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Exists? | Score | |||
| Curbside Voting for Voters with Disabilities | 1/1 | |||
| Election Day Holidays and Paid Time Off to Vote | 0.5/1 | |||
| Adequate Early Voting Period | 1/1 | |||
| Negative Law: Voting Wait Time and Line Length | No Negative Law | 0/-1 | ||
| Provisional Ballot Availability & Counting Procedures | 0.5/1 | |||
| Availability of Vote Centers (county wide polling places) | 1/1 | |||
| Voter Identification Requirements for In-Person Voting | 1/1 | |||
| Voting in Person Total | 5/6 | |||
| Voting by Mail | Score | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Exists? | Score | |||
| Availability of No-Excuse Absentee Voting | 1/1 | |||
| All-Mail Voting States | 1/1 | |||
| Negative Law: Added Requirements to Return Absentee Ballots | No Negative Law | 0/-1 | ||
| Negative Law: Third Party Ballot Collection Policies | Negative Law | -0.25/-1 | ||
| Ballot Drop Box Policies & Availability | 0/1 | |||
| Mail Ballot Receipt Deadlines | 0.5/0.5 | |||
| Prepaid Ballot Postage | 0.5/0.5 | |||
| Online Absentee Ballot Application Availability | 1/1 | |||
| Permanent Absentee Voter List Availability | 1/1 | |||
| Voting by Mail Total | 4.75/6 | |||
Protecting the Vote
| Election Security | Score | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Exists? | Score | |||
| Ballot & Signature Cure Availability (Opportunity for Voter to Correct Errors) | 1/1 | |||
| Protections Against Election Disinformation | 1/1 | |||
| Ballot Tracking for Mail Voting | 1/1 | |||
| Absentee/Mail Ballot Verification | 1/1 | |||
| Security of Voting Machines (Hand Marked Paper Ballots) | 1/1 | |||
| Post-Election Audits Required | 1/1 | |||
| Risk-Limiting Audits | 1/1 | |||
| Election Security Total | 7/7 | |||
| Election Independence | Score | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Exists? | Score | |||
| Negative Law: Election Officials Face Threats of Undue Criminal Penalties/Fines | No Negative Law | 0/-1 | ||
| Negative Law: State Legislature Interference in Elections | No Negative Law | 0/-1 | ||
| Efficient Absentee/Mail Ballot Processing | 1/1 | |||
| Guns in Polling Places | 1/1 | |||
| State Voting Rights Acts | 1/1 | |||
| "Voter Intent" Laws to Standardize Ballot Interpretation | 0.5/0.5 | |||
| Independence of State Congressional Redistricting | 1/1 | |||
| Nonpartisan Election Observation Policies | 1/1 | |||
| Negative Law: Bans on Private Funding of Election Offices | No Negative Law | 0/-1 | ||
| Laws Protecting Election Officials Against Threats | 1/1 | |||
| Election Independence Total | 6.5/6.5 | |||
California's Democracy Score
Overall Score
31/36.5
High
