How to Vote
Registration Requirements:
How to register:
When to register:
You will need to re-register to vote when:
•You move.
•You change your name.
•You change your political party affiliation.
Napa County Election office number
(707)253-4321
- United States citizen
- California resident
- 18 and older
- Be in good legal terms
- Be in good mental health
How to register:
- Online at RegisterToVote.ca.gov
- On phone at (800)345-VOTE (8683)
- County offices or city halls
- Public libraries
- DMV
- Post offices
- Recruitment offices
- Public assistance offices
When to register:
- Any time but at least 15 days before elections
You will need to re-register to vote when:
•You move.
•You change your name.
•You change your political party affiliation.
Napa County Election office number
(707)253-4321
The Electoral College and Why Your Vote Counts
The system of electoral colleges was created by America's Founding Fathers who were concerned about numerous things such as having a candidate that represented the entire country, and ensuring that voters picked the best qualified candidate. The Founding Fathers were also concerned with the discrepancies in state populations, thus they created the electoral colleges system. Electoral colleges work like this: 538 electors exist and each state gets two electors for each Senator, and one per each member of the House of Representatives. An example of this system is California which has 55 electors based on their number of Senators and Representatives. These electors, who are not publicly elected and are usually affiliated with a political party, basically determine which candidate gets the votes of a state. When a Presidential election is held, the electoral colleges of each state gather the votes. If a majority of any number is found, all of the votes, even votes for the opposing candidate are given to the majority winner. Sounds terrible doesn't it? It gets worse. These electors, whose power and influence allows them to decide which candidate gets the votes from a state, can go "rogue" and vote for the candidate who did not receive the majority vote. After hearing this you may be thinking, does my vote even matter? Well it does. Even though the electoral college process is incredibly outdated, your vote still matters in the process. Although your vote does not have the weight and influence it should, it still has some weight and influence. Abstaining from voting ensures that your vote loses all weight. Even though the process is flawed, nothing will be achieved by doing nothing. The electoral college system can only be eliminated through a constitutional amendment. Constitutional amendments are usually achieved through the support of the American people. No change or amendment will result from not voting. While your voice is not as loud as it should be, don't deny its place in the choir.