Vacaville, California Public Records

California residents can register online at registertovote.ca.gov up to 15 days before an election. Those who miss that deadline can still participate through Same Day Conditional Voter Registration, available at vote centers and county elections offices through Election Day itself. Registration requires either a valid California driver license or ID number, or the last four digits of a Social Security number. Since automatic voter registration through the DMV began in 2018, registration rates have climbed significantly. Voters can verify their registration status, locate their polling place, and preview sample ballots at www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration or through Solano County's voter lookup system. Municipal elections in the city determine City Council members and the mayor. Three council seats appear on the ballot in November 2024. Voters directly elect the mayor, a practice adopted in 2006 when the city moved away from having the council select one of its own members for that role. Local ballot measures addressing taxes, bonds, or charter amendments also go before voters during municipal elections. Campaign finance disclosures and candidate filing information for local races can be obtained through both the Solano County Registrar and the City Clerk's office at City Hall. Finding your assigned polling location is straightforward through Solano County's lookup tool at www.solanocounty.com/depts/rov/voter_information. Enter your address and the system displays your vote center location, hours, and accessible voting options. Solano County adopted the Voter's Choice Act model for the 2020 election, replacing traditional precinct polling places with vote centers that open for multiple days before Election Day. Any registered county voter can visit any vote center in Solano County rather than being restricted to a single assigned precinct. Election results broken down by precinct, including data specific to the area, are published at www.solanocounty.com/depts/rov/elections_and_voters/election_results.Current federal, state, and local election schedules, ballot contests, candidate filings, and certified results for Vacaville voters are published by the California Secretary of State (https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections). All 80 California State Assembly seats face election, including the district representing the city. County offices on the ballot include Sheriff, District Attorney, Assessor-Recorder, and Board of Supervisors seats in Districts 1 and 3. Local measures may include tax initiatives or bond measures for schools and infrastructure. Candidate filing for 2026 begins in early 2026, with updates posted at the Registrar's website. California operates as a universal vote-by-mail state, automatically sending every registered voter a ballot approximately 29 days before each election. Voters can return their mail ballot by postage-paid mail (postmarked by Election Day), drop it at official drop boxes throughout Solano County, or deliver it to any vote center. The state also offers ballot tracking through wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov, sending notifications when ballots are mailed, received, and counted. In-person voting remains an option at vote centers for those who prefer that method. Public election records in California include voter registration lists, available for purchase by qualified requestors under Elections Code Section 2188. Campaign finance reports for state and local candidates can be accessed at cal-access.sos.ca.gov for state races and through the Solano County Registrar for local candidates. Candidate statements, filings, and precinct-level election results are also public. Individual voter history showing which elections someone voted in (but not how they voted) is public record, while actual ballot choices remain confidential. The Registrar's office maintains these records and processes public records requests under the California Public Records Act.