California voters still have time to cast a ballot in person for the 2026 primary election, but not much. Vote centers are open across the state until Tuesday at 8 p.m., giving eligible voters a final window to show up, vote and get their ballots into the system before the deadline closes.
That window matters now because Californians searching for Steve Hilton and the primary are trying to sort out the last hours to vote, not the months-long campaign around it. In-person voting centers were open from May 23 to June 1 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on June 2 they open statewide from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Anyone who filled out a vote-by-mail ballot can walk into a vote center and ask a poll worker where to submit it, and a ballot for someone else can be dropped off if the voter is authorized to do so and is not being paid per ballot.
Eligible citizens who still need to register or re-register within 14 days of an election can use same-day voter registration at a county elections office, polling place or vote center. Once a county elections office finishes verifying a submitted ballot, it will be processed and counted. That verification step is why voters are being pushed to act before the deadline rather than wait for a later chance that will not come.
Most voters do not have to show identification before casting a ballot, but there is one exception that can catch people off guard. First-time voters who registered by mail and did not include a driver’s license number, state identification number or the last four digits of a Social Security number on the form may be asked to show ID at the polls. The secretary of state also provides a toll-free voter hotline at 345-8683 for questions about voting rules and acceptable forms of identification.
The election has already been volatile enough that even a few missing hours could matter to voters who are still deciding whether to show up in person. For anyone still needing to vote, the deadline is not abstract: Tuesday at 8 p.m. is the last confirmed chance to cast a ballot at a California vote center.
