San Bernardino County Requirements
Qualifications to register
To register to vote in San Bernardino County, a person must be:
• A United States citizen
• A resident of California
• A resident of San Bernardino County
• At least 18 years old on Election Day
• Not in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony
• Not found by a court to be mentally incompetent
Military and Overseas Voters
To register as a military/overseas voter, a person must:
• Meet the qualifications listed above, and
• Be in the military or a spouse or dependent of someone in the military or armed services;
• Be overseas temporarily or by virtue of employment;
• Be overseas indefinitely.
Address Confidentiality Program
Victims of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault are eligible to participate in a program administered by the Secretary of State that offers victims anonymity when registering to vote.
College Students
A college student should register to vote in the county where they claim permanent residency. A permanent residence address may be the residence where the student lives while at school or at his or her parents’ residence.
New Citizens
Any new citizen who has a swearing in ceremony that takes place after the voter registration deadline is eligible to register and vote at the Elections Office beginning on the 14th day before an election and ending at the close of polls on Election Day. In order to do so they must have established residence in the state of California and show proof of citizenship.
Voting Rights for Those with Criminal Convictions
In 2011, the Legislature passed and the Governor signed the Criminal Justice Realignment Act (CJRA). Under Penal Code section 1170(h), low-level felons are sentenced to county jail and/or supervision by the county probation department instead of state prison. CJRA has caused some confusion about voting rights among people who have criminal convictions. Below states who is eligible and who is not eligible to register to vote in California.
You are not eligible if:
• You are in a state prison.
• You are in a county jail serving a state prison sentence.
• You are on parole.
You are eligible if:
• You are in county jail serving a misdemeanor sentence.
• You are in county jail because jail time is a condition of probation.
• You are on probation.
• You are on mandatory supervision.
• You are on post-release community supervision.
• You are done with parole.
California Penal Code section 2910 allows the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation (CDCR) to make agreements with local governments to house felons in a county jail or other correctional facility. For more information, please visit CDCR's website. If you have questions about your voting rights, please contact your parole or county probation office.
