[KHTS] – California residents must register to vote by today in order to participate in the upcoming Nov. 4 general election, according to California Secretary of State Debra Bowen.

Voter registration closes 15 days prior to any California election.

“Registering to vote is one of the easiest and most important things you can do in a democracy,” said Bowen in a news release. “Don’t give up your voice by not voting. Register by Oct. 20 so that you can weigh in on proposed changes to our laws and decide who leads our government.”

A person must re-register to vote after moving, changing names or changing political party preference.

Eligible Californians can register online or get a paper application at local libraries, post offices, California Department of Motor Vehicles offices and other government offices, according to the news release.

Voter registration applications are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese.

The polls open around 7 a.m. on Nov. 4 and the location of the nearest polling place can be found on the back of your sample ballot booklet or on the Los Angeles County Registrar/ Recorder website. Polls close around 8 p.m.

Voters can also mail in their ballot if registered to do so.

There are also several services for voters with special needs.

For questions, contact Contact Special Services Liaison Julia Keh at 562-462-2754 or jkeh@rrcc.lacounty.gov

There are almost five million registered voters in the Los Angeles County, 292 candidates and 39 measures on the ballot this year, according to Dean C. Logan, Registrar-Recorder/ County Clerk for the Los Angeles County.

New updates in the polls this year, according to Logan include:

• Voter information kiosks in 10 languages will be available at every polling place. These kiosks replace flyers and brochures displayed at polling places.
• Newly redesigned sample ballot booklets now use plain language and a clean layout to

display important voter information.

• Newly enacted laws authorize permanent legal residents to work as poll workers around the

county in an effort to serve our population.

Voter registration records are maintained at county elections offices.

The Secretary of State offers Californians a convenient web portal for checking their own voter registration status.

For more information about registering to vote, visit Secretary Debra Bowen’s elections page.

Keep up with the latest California election news and trivia by following @CASOSvote on Twitter.