More than 1.4 million vote-by-mail ballots are making their way to registered voters across Riverside County as voting for the Nov. 3 general election gets underway.
Once your ballot arrives, you can mail it through the U.S. Postal Service or return it at an official ballot drop-off location, a vote center or the Riverside County Registrar of Voters office at 2720 Gateway Drive in Riverside. Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before Nov. 3 and received by election officials within seven days of Election Day.
And of course, you can always vote the old-fashioned way: in person, either on Election Day itself or early, at one of the county's vote centers. However you choose to vote, ballots returned in person must be turned in by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Here's what voters in the Coachella Valley need to know about when and where to cast their ballots.
When is the last day to register to vote in California?
The deadline to register to vote online or by mail for the Nov. 3 general election is Monday, Oct. 19.
Not sure if you're already registered? You can check your voter registration status through the California Secretary of State's website at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov. The online form asks for your name, date of birth, California driver's license or identification card number and the last four digits of your Social Security number.
Missed the deadline? You can still register and vote through conditional voter registration, also known as same-day voter registration, from Oct. 20 through Election Day at a county elections office and voting locations.
When should I mail my ballot?
Election officials recommend mailing your ballot at least seven days before Election Day to ensure it is postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by the Riverside County Registrar of Voters by Nov. 10.
If you mail your ballot on Election Day, ask a postal employee inside a U.S. post office to give it a manual postmark before you leave. No postage is required.
Where to drop off your ballot in Coachella Valley
Ballot drop-off locations across the Coachella Valley open Oct. 5 and accept completed mail-in ballots through Nov. 2. Most are open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, but locations inside government buildings follow regular city business hours. Check those hours before you go at voteinfo.net/november-3-2026-general-election.
Come Election Day, all ballot drop-off locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Here's where you can drop off your ballot:
Cathedral City
- Cathedral City City Hall, 68-700 Avenida Lalo Guerrero
- Cathedral City Library, 33-520 Date Palm Drive
Coachella
- Bagdouma Park Community Center, 51-251 Douma St.
- City of Coachella Civic Center, 53-990 Enterprise Way
Desert Hot Springs
- Desert Hot Springs City Hall, 11-999 Palm Drive
Indian Wells
- Indian Wells City Hall, 44-950 Eldorado Drive
Indio
- Desert Recreation District-Indio Community Center, 45-871 Clinton St.
- Indio City Hall, 100 Civic Center Drive
- Workforce Development Center, 44-199 Monroe St.
La Quinta
- La Quinta City Hall, 78-495 Calle Tampico
- Trilogy at La Quinta, 60-750 Trilogy Parkway
Palm Desert
- CSU San Bernardino-Palm Desert, 37-500 Cook St.
- Palm Desert City Hall, 73-510 Fred Waring Drive
- Portola Community Center, 45-480 Portola Ave.
- Sun City Palm Desert, 38-180 Del Webb Blvd.
Palm Springs
- James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center, 480 W Tramview Road
- Palm Springs City Hall, 3200 E Tahquitz Canyon Way
Rancho Mirage
- Rancho Mirage City Hall, 69-825 Highway 111
Thousand Palms
- Jack Ivey Ranch Country Club, 4580 Varner Road
Where to vote in person in Riverside County
Prefer to vote in person? Most vote centers across the Coachella Valley will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 31 through Nov. 2. The Palm Desert Community Center will serve as a Super Vote Center, which means it will have more check-in stations, voting booths and election officers than a standard vote center.
Those saving their trip to the polls for Election Day can vote from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at any vote center. And don't forget: If you're in line by 8 p.m., stay put. You still have the right to cast your ballot.
Want to beat the Election Day rush? You can vote from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 24 through Nov. 2 at the Indio Library, La Quinta City Hall and Demuth Community Center in Palm Springs.
Here's where you can cast your ballot in person — and leave with an "I Voted" sticker:
Bermuda Dunes
- Bermuda Dunes Community Center, Multipurpose Room A, 78-400 Ave. 42
Cathedral City
- Cathedral City City Hall, Study Session Room, 68-700 Avenida Lalo Guerrero
- Cathedral City Library, Community Room, 33-520 Date Palm Drive
- Northgate Community Church, Kids Town Center, 30-010 Date Palm Drive
Coachella
- Bagdouma Park Community Center, Main Room/ Multipurpose Room, 51-251 Douma St.
- Coachella Library, Program Room, 1500 6th St.
Desert Hot Springs
- Desert Hot Springs Library, Community Room, 14-380 Palm Drive
- First Community Baptist Church, Fellowship Hall, 66-272 First St.
Indian Wells
- Indian Wells City Hall, City Council Chamber, 44-950 Eldorado Drive
Indio
- Don F. Kenny Regional Learning Center, Conference Room, 47-336 Oasis St.
- Indio High School, Performing Arts Center Lobby, 81-750 Ave. 46
- Indio Library, Community Room, 200 Civic Center Drive
- Indio-Riverside County Office of Education, Conference Room 126, 47-110 Calhoun St.
- Workforce Development Center, Conference Room 402, 44-199 Monroe St.
La Quinta
- La Quinta City Hall, Study Session Room, 78-495 Calle Tampico
- St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 47-225 Washington St.
- Trilogy at La Quinta, Desert Vista Ballroom, 60-750 Trilogy Parkway
Mecca
- Mecca Family & Farmworkers Service Center, Community Room, 91-275 66th Ave., Suite 600
Palm Desert
- CSU San Bernardino-Palm Desert, Health Science Lobby, 37-500 Cook St.
- Palm Desert Community Center, Gymnasium, 43-900 San Pablo Ave.
- Palm Desert Greens, Recreation Center, 73-750 Country Club Drive
Palm Springs
- Demuth Community Center, Multipurpose Room, 3601 E. Mesquite Ave.
- James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center, Meeting Room, 480 W. Tramview Road
- Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Fellowship Hall, 1020 E. Ramon Road
Rancho Mirage
- Rancho Mirage Library, Community Room, 71-100 Highway 111
- The River, Suite A-113, 71-800 Highway 111
Salton City (Imperial County)
- West Shores High School, 2381 Shore Hawk Ave., Salton City
Thousand Palms
- Jack Ivey Ranch Country Club, Ruthie's Library, 74-580 Varner Road
What if my ballot never arrives, I lose it or make a mistake?
If your vote-by-mail ballot never arrives or is lost or damaged, you can request a replacement by calling the Riverside County Registrar of Voters at 951-486-7200, visiting its office or going to a vote center once locations begin opening across the county.
Voters who make a mistake on their ballot can also exchange it for a new one at an elections office or vote center, as long as they have not already cast it. You can also complete a replacement ballot application through the California Secretary of State's website and return it to the county elections office.
If Election Day is approaching and you still do not have your ballot, you can vote in person at a vote center in the Coachella Valley. Poll workers may ask you to cast a provisional ballot, a regular ballot placed in a special envelope and counted only once election officials confirm you are registered and have not already voted.
How can I track my ballot?
You can use California's Where's My Ballot? tool to see when your vote-by-mail ballot is mailed, received and counted. To receive automatic updates by email, text message or voice call, sign up at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov.
Jennifer Cortez covers education and breaking news in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: How to vote in Riverside County, by mail ballot or in person
