Voters in Kings County have the option to cast their ballot in-person by visiting any Vote Center in Kings County.  Vote Centers provide modern features to make voting safe, easy, and convenient. You can also drop off a Vote-by-Mail ballot at any Vote Center – no need to wait, just drop off your ballot, sealed inside your completed return envelope, with the Vote Center worker at the exit table. 

Early Voting at the Elections Department 

The Kings County Elections Department is available for in-person voting 29 days before Election Day. We will have 2 ballot marking devices available for use in addition to the traditional paper ballots. You may also drop off your Vote-by-Mail ballot using the Ballot Drop Box just outside the office door. 

Hours of operation are 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Monday through Friday (excluding holidays), unless otherwise noted.

Voting In-Person at a Vote Center

Vote Centers will be open starting 10 days before Election Day. Vote at the Vote Center by doing the following:

1. Check-in at the Vote Center on the Electronic Poll Pad – Be sure to let the Vote Center staff member who is helping you know if you would like to vote with the ballot marking device or a paper ballot.
2. Get your ballot – Either go to the Ballot-on-Demand station for your paper ballot or proceed to the ballot marking device clerk who will activate your marking session. 
3. Vote – mark your paper ballot by filling in the oval next to your choice or marking the selection on the touch screen.  At the end of your ballot marking device session, the ballot will print out for you to deposit into the ballot box.
4. Verify you marked the correct choices – If you notice a mistake on your ballot, let a member of the Vote Center staff know.  We will spoil your current ballot and issue you a new one or activate another ballot marking session.  By law, we can only give you 3 ballots. 
5. Place your ballot into the ballot box – Don’t forget to get your “I Voted” sticker.

Hours of operation for all Vote Centers will be from 9:00 A.M to 5:00 P.M. on their designated days of operation and from 7:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M on Election Day.  As long as you are in line by the time they close, you will be allowed to vote.  

Use the Interactive County Map to find your nearest Vote Center and Ballot Drop Box.

 Need Voting Assistance due to an Accessibility Need?

Please visit our Vote Accessibility page for information about assistance offered at out Vote Centers including Ballot Marking Devices and Curbside Voting.  

First time voting in a federal election?

You may be required to show identification. Visit our "First-Time Voters" page for more information including forms of acceptable ID.

Language Assistance in Tagalog  

Translations of select elections materials (including facsimile ballots) will be available at the Elections Department and Vote Centers for your convenience. You can also request any translated materials be mailed directly to you by contacting the Elections Department by phone at (559) 852-4401 / 1-800-289-9981 ext. 4401 or by e-mail: elections@countyofkings.com. Please allow for ample time of any mailings.   

Provisional and Conditional Voting

Provisional Voting is a key part of the 2002 Help America Vote Act (HAVA). It provides a failsafe process for voters if their eligibility is called into question when they are attempting to cast a ballot.  The most common causes of Provisional Voting in Kings County are:

• The poll book indicates that your Vote-by-Mail ballot has been returned to the Elections Department.  This could occur if the ballot was returned to us as undeliverable by the United States Post Office.
• A first-time voter voting in a federal election is marked in our system as required to show ID but cannot produce one.

Conditional Voting in the State of California went into effect in January 2017.  This extends the 15-day registration deadline in California to eligible voters, allowing them to register and vote provisionally.  The most common causes of Conditional Voting in Kings County are:

• A voter is new to the county and has not registered to vote.
• A voter has never registered to vote and would like to vote in the current election.
• A voter has turned 18 after the 15-day close of registration and was not pre-registered to vote.

Why do we have provisional voting?

• Provisional voting ensures that no eligible voter is denied their right to cast a ballot if their name is not in the poll book due to clerical, processing, computer, or other error.
• Provisional voting allows the Elections Department the ability to verify that no voter mistakenly votes twice in any given election.

How do I cast a Provisional / Conditional Ballot?

Follow these steps to cast a provisional / conditional ballot:

1. At the time of check in at the Vote Center, it will be determined if you are required to cast your ballot provisionally.  If this is your first time registering to vote, you will automatically cast a conditional ballot. 
2. After signing the poll pad, you will be given either a pink (for provisional) or an orange (for conditional) envelope to complete.  Be sure all sections on the front of this envelope are complete. Do not forget to sign your envelope.
3. Vote your ballot at the voting booth.
4. Place your completed ballot into the envelope and seal it.
5. Give the sealed envelope to the exit clerk.  They will look over the envelope a final time to ensure any necessary information is not missing. They will then place the envelope into the ballot box.  

Remember, when in doubt, vote provisionally. It is your right as a voter to cast a provisional ballot regardless of any issues you might face at the Vote Center. Voting never stops, and a provisional ballot is a way to make sure all voters have the opportunity to vote on Election Day.

Visit the Secretary of State’s website for more information about provisional voting.