Young Latino man in cowboy hat and jeans carries large American flag.

Civic Engagement and Voter Empowerment

Consider participating in civic engagement programs and activities to gain exposure to current issues, which may impact your life, while also learning self-agency and how to inspire positive change in our community.

Register, Vote, and Volunteer

As part of our Mission, we understand that voter empowerment and civic engagement is an essential part of the college experience and contributes to democratic participation in our society.

Through instruction, extracurricular activities, student clubs, internships, and peer-to-peer interactions, there are opportunities to become civically engaged and involved both on and off campus. Our aim is to help demystify voter empowerment and civic engagement, and connect students with resources, services, and partnerships that will help them in their journey to become active and empowered global citizens.

Register to Vote CA

Voter Empowerment

Register to vote in California, you may register in other languages as well after navigating to the website linked below.

Register to Vote in California Inscripción de votante en línea de California
 
Upcoming Election Dates
  • General Election ballot drop-off locations open on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
  • Last day to register to vote for the Nov. 5, 2024 General Election is Monday, Oct. 21, 2024.
  • General Election – Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024
  • Vote-by-mail General Election ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day (Nov. 5, 2024) and received by Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024.
Register to Vote

Are You Eligible to Vote? 
To vote in California, you must be:

Get Started
To vote in California, you’ll need to be registered in California. Not registered yet, or not sure if you’re registered?

Translated Voter Materials

Where to Vote at Mission College

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Vote by mail or In-Person

All active registered voters will receive a vote-by-mail ballot. 

A vote-by-mail voter may vote by mail, in person at the Office of the County elections official, a satellite office established by the elections official, polling place, or vote center on or before the day of the election.

Learn How to Return Your Completed Vote-by-Mail Ballot (video)

Frequently Asked Questions About Vote-By-Mail

  1. Will there be early voting?
  2. How do I verify my voter registration status?
  3. How do I submit my vote-by-mail ballot? 
  4. Once I’ve submitted my ballot, how can I track my vote-by-mail ballot? 
  5. How do I apply to become an elections poll worker?

More Resources

Election Resources

Use these resources to find information on elections, polling locations, early voting and how to vote by mail.

State of California

Counties Near/Serving Sierra College students*

* Election information varies by county

Cities/Towns Serving Sierra College Students

 

Non-Partisan Resources

Use the non-partisan resources below to learn about your representatives, candidates, ballot measures, and more.

Find Your Representatives

California Legislature. You are represented by one (1) Assembly Member and one (1) State Senator:

U.S. Congress. You are represented by one (1) House Member and two (2) U.S. Senators:

National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement (NSLVE)
Colleges and universities nationwide are working to increase political learning across disciplines, decrease political polarization and social divides, and bolster student engagement in democracy. The NSLVE provides Student Voting Rates Reports specific to Sierra College, which illustrate our institution’s and students’ voting data.

U.S. and California Constitutions

The Constitution of the United States

  • Created: September 17, 1787
  • Ratified: June 21, 1788
  • Date effective: March 4, 1789
  • Last amended: May 20, 1992
  • Amendments: 27

The Constitution of California

  • Created: October 13, 1849
  • Ratified: May 7, 1879
  • Amendments: 514
Webinar and FAQs: Increasing Your Voter Access and Ensuring Participation

Ensuring Participation: Increasing Voter Access

On a national scale, voter turnout has not surpassed 62.77% for a presidential election since 1960*. In this webinar, our campus student leaders explore the issue of voting access with elections experts – California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, State Senator Ben Allen. What is the state doing to encourage people to vote? How is California increasing voter access, including for vulnerable eligible voters who are homeless and/or disabled? Watch Ensuring Participation Increasing Voter Access. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Click on any of the FAQs below, which will guide you to the relevant California Secretary of State web pages. Use the website as the primary source for elections and voting information.

  1. What is Same Day Voter Registration?
  2. Who is eligible to Pre-Register to Vote before age 18? And, how do I pre-register?
  3. Is there in-person early voting in my county? Where do I drop off my vote-by-mail ballot
  4. Where is my polling place?
  5. What is the California Voter’s Choice Act (VCA)?
  6. Does my county participate in VCA?
  7. How does California ensure access to Voters with Disabilities? Check out the following two videos: Accessible Vote-by-Mail for Voters with Disabilities and Vote Centers and Accessibility.
  8. If individuals have a primary language preference other than English, are voter registration applications available to them?
  9. Does California provide the restoration of voting rights for individuals who have been formerly incarcerated?
Webinar and FAQs: Cybersecurity and Election Interference

In 2016, national intelligence agencies confirmed that the Russian government interfered with the 2016 presidential election. This was done through propaganda created on social media platforms. No successful hacking of elections systems occurred. To prevent this from happening again and to prevent possible security breaches, Congress allocated $380 million in 2018 to help states strengthen their election cybersecurity. How has California used funding to strengthen the state’s voting system? What concerns were state elections officials addressing when they made their decisions?

In this webinar, campus student leaders explore election security issues with experts – California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, and Alliance for Securing Democracy’s David Levine.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Click on any of the FAQs below which will guide you to the relevant California Secretary of State web pages. Use your state’s Secretary of State website as the primary source for elections and voting information. 

  1. What is a provisional ballot? What happens after you cast it?
  2. What is a common misunderstanding about provisional ballots?
  3. How can you check the status of your provisional ballot by phone or online?
  4. Where are the safe in-person voting locations in my county?
  5. What is the Office of Election Cybersecurity and Enterprise Risk Management?
  6. How is California working with national intelligence agencies to improve election cybersecurity?

7. How are elections secured in California in all phases of the elections process?

8. What is California doing to curb election misinformation – Vote Sure Initiative?

9. In addition to voting, how can voters help combat elections misinformation?

Related Resources

Research and studies that are mentioned in the webinar can be found here. For accurate and timely information, we recommend that you begin your research here.

  1. National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) – #TRUSTEDINFO2020
  2. U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Homeland Security
  3. Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD)

4. National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) – State Statutes Prohibiting Tampering with Voting Systems

Civic Engagement

Consider participating in civic engagement programs and activities to gain exposure to current issues, which may impact your life, while also learning self-agency and how to inspire positive change in our community.

County elections officials depend on reliable, dedicated teams of poll workers to make every Election Day run smoothly. Apply at the Secretary of State’s Vote Safe California Poll Worker Portal.

Who can be a poll worker?

  • A registered California voter
  • A legal resident of the United States who would be eligible to vote except for their citizenship status
  • An eligible high school student

 What does a poll worker do?

  • Sets up and closes a polling place
  • Helps voters understand their rights
  • Protects ballots and voting equipment

Why be a poll worker?

  • Get involved and assist voters
  • Contribute to your community
  • Earn extra money (amount varies by county)
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