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HomeElections CodeDiv. 2Ch. 2Art. 1§ 2101 Voter Eligibility Requirements

§ 2101 Voter Eligibility Requirements

Elections Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 2101 Voter Eligibility Requirements

This law says who can register to vote in California. You must be a U.S. citizen, live in California, not be in prison for a felony, and be at least 18 years old. If you're 16 or 17, you can preregister to vote.

Key Takeaways

  • •You must be a U.S. citizen and live in California to register to vote.
  • •You must be at least 18 years old to vote, but you can preregister at 16 or 17.
  • •If you are in prison for a felony, you cannot register to vote.

Example

A 17-year-old high school student wants to vote in the next election.

They can preregister to vote now because they are a U.S. citizen, live in California, and are 16 years old. They can fully register and vote when they turn 18.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 2101 Voter Eligibility Requirements

(a) A person entitled to register to vote shall be a United States citizen, a resident of California, not imprisoned for the conviction of a felony, and at least 18 years of age at the time of the next election. (b) A person entitled to preregister to vote in an election shall be a United States citizen, a resident of California, not imprisoned for the conviction of a felony, and at least 16 years of age. (c) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: (1) “Imprisoned” means currently serving a state or federal prison term. (2) “Conviction” does not include a juvenile adjudication made pursuant to Section 203 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 320, Sec. 1. (AB 646) Effective January 1, 2021. Note: The operational condition in Sec. 10 of Ch. 320 was satisfied by approval of Prop. 17 (ACA 6) at the Nov. 3, 2020, election.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

register to votepreregister to voteimprisonedconviction

Related Statutes

  • § 2106 Voter Registration Eligibility Statement
  • § 10200 Election Validity Standards
  • § 10201 Election Proposition Submission
  • § 18108 Voter Registration Fraud Penalties
  • § 18108.1 Voter Registration Fraud Penalties

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Elections Code. Section 2101.
View Official Source