Last Chance: Register to Vote in California

In the first month since launching, more than 544,000 Californians have submitted a voter registration application using the online system, according to Secretary of State Debra Bowen. Californians must register to vote by 11:59 p.m. Monday (Oct. 22) if they want to participate in the Nov. 6 election.  

"Given all of the important issues on the November ballot, I am delighted so many Californians want to make their voices heard," Bowen said Wednesday in a news release. "Since registering to vote is easier than ever with the quick online option, there is no excuse for not being ready to vote on Election Day."

• Related: How to Register to Vote in Palos Verdes

Hundreds of thousands of registration applications are submitted in the final weeks before a voter registration deadline, especially in presidential election years.  

Voter registration applications must be submitted by midnight 15 days before the election. Postmarks count for paper applications, and online applications must be submitted—not started—by 11:59 p.m. on the Oct. 22 deadline (online registration records are time-stamped upon completion).

To encourage people to sign up, Los Angeles County registrar workers will be staffing registration tables at more than a dozen locations.

The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's "Outreach Team" plans to "hit the streets to get the message out that it's the last chance to register to vote in this presidential election," according to Dean Logan, county registrar/clerk. "With the launch of online voter registration, there is no excuse not to register to vote."

According to the county clerk's office, about 3 million eligible county residents are not registered to vote.

Anyone who is not registered, has recently moved or changed his or her name needs to register. People who are unsure if they are registered can check at lavote.net.

County officials will set up registration tables at 18 locations Monday afternoon/evening to make it easier for people to register. At the East Los Angeles Civic Center location, the county will provide screens for people to view the final debate between President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney.

The registration locations, most of which will open at 5 p.m. and remain open until 11 p.m. or midnight, will be at:

• East L.A. Civic Center, 4801 E. Third St.
• Starbucks, 9028 Flair Drive, El Monte
• Starbucks at Montebello Town Center
• NALEO Educational Fund, 1122 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles
• Magic Johnson Starbucks, 5301 W. Centinela Ave., Los Angeles
• The Korea Daily, 690 Wilshire Plaza, Los Angeles
• La Curacao, 3160 E. Imperial Highway, Plaza Mexico, Lynwood
• Florence/Firestone Branch Office, 7807 S. Compton Ave., Los Angeles
• Starbucks, 8595 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood
• Starbucks, 7258 Canoga Ave., Canoga Park
• Wendy's, 17684 Sherman Way, Van Nuys
• Starbucks, 11739 Rosecrans Ave., Norwalk
• Home Depot Center, 18400 Avalon Blvd., Carson
• Starbucks, 4708 E. Second St., Long Beach
• Starbucks, 141 E. Willow, Long Beach
• Wendy's, 18507 Devonshire St., Northridge
• Wendy's, 14645 Roscoe Blvd., Panorama City
• Wendy's, 1575 Victory Place, Burbank

The list of registration locations and operating hours is available online at lavote.net.

Find your voting precinct

To find your precinct by your address, visit lavote.net and click on the voting & elections link. Scroll down under "Quick Links" to locate your polling place. 

The official California voter registration application is at RegisterToVote.ca.gov. Paper applications are available at post offices, public libraries, many government offices and more. Keep up with the latest California election news and trivia by following @CASOSvote on Twitter.

—City News Service contributed to this report.