California Nov. 4 Mail Ballots Face USPS Postmark Risk

California’s Nov. 4 special election will mail ballots to all registered voters and centers on Proposition 50, a temporary mid‑decade redistricting plan to redraw congressional lines. The U.S. Postal Service changed processing this year so ballots dropped at post offices or collection boxes far (about 50 miles+) from regional USPS hubs may receive a next‑day postmark and could be disqualified if not postmarked by Nov. 4, prompting Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber to urge voters to mail early, use secure drop boxes or vote centers, or seek a counter postmark. Counties plan to mail ballots Oct. 6–8, open drop boxes Oct. 7, and operate in‑person vote centers beginning Oct. 25 (Oct. 27 in Maricopa); voter registration deadlines are Oct. 20 (with some jurisdictions earlier), and county-specific return rules and ballot‑tracking tools are available. County election offices say they face accelerated timelines and reduced resources—San Diego will run far fewer vote centers than in a general election—and are intensifying outreach to limit low special‑election turnout. Los Angeles County is providing multilingual materials and ballot‑tracking services, Maricopa County is conducting separate all‑mail local elections with distinct return rules, and some counties (e.g., Kern) also have local measures on the Nov. 4 ballot.