How to Get a California Voter List for Your Campaign

Step by step

Find your district. Check your qualifying paperwork or your county elections office for the exact district, ward or precinct your race covers.
Order the matching list from your county registrar of voters. Fill out your county's application, sign it by hand under penalty of perjury, attach a copy of your driver's license and payment, and deliver it in person or by mail; emailed and faxed applications are not accepted. Use the table below to pick the right list.
Get your file. It depends on the county. San Diego emails an encrypted zip file or sends an FTP link, Los Angeles posts the file to an online account for 7 days, Orange County offers pickup or shipping, and the Secretary of State ships an encrypted DVD. Voting history often comes as a second file you match on voter ID.
Upload it to CampaignKnock. Every voter goes on a map, grouped by household, so you and your volunteers can knock doors and log each conversation from your phone.

Which list to order

Your race	Order this	Price
City council, school board or county supervisor district	County voter file for your city or district, with voting history and district data	Varies by county, about $37 to $80
Mayor or at-large city seat	County voter file for your city, with voting history	Varies by county, about $37 to $80
Countywide office (sheriff, district attorney, assessor)	Countywide voter file	Varies by county, $75 to $146
State Assembly or State Senate	Voter file from the California Secretary of State for the counties in your district	$15 per 1,000 voters, capped at $100

What's in the file

Included

Voter name
Residential and mailing address
Phone number and email, when the voter gave them
Date of birth
Party preference
Registration date
Precinct and districts
Vote-by-mail status
Language preference
Voting history (request it on the application)

Not included

Driver's license and state ID numbers
Social Security numbers
Signatures
Records of confidential voters, such as Safe at Home participants

Who can order it

Only candidates, ballot measure committees, and people with an election, scholarly, journalistic, political or governmental purpose (Cal. Elec. Code § 2194). You may use it only for the purpose on your application. Commercial use, harassing voters, sharing it outside your campaign without approval, or sending it outside the U.S. is prohibited, and misuse is a misdemeanor (§ 18109).

Tips before you order

Name your race and office on the application and describe exactly how you will use the list. Vague answers like "any other lawful use" get rejected.
Check the boxes for voting history and precinct-to-district data, or you may get names and addresses only.
Apply in person if you can. The application needs an original signature and a copy of your ID, and email and fax are not accepted.
Your staff and volunteers can use the list for your campaign, but you are responsible for them. State rules also require strong passwords, locking screens after 15 minutes idle, and deleting the file when you are done.
Phone numbers are included when voters gave them. If you text voters, include a way to opt out.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a California voter list cost?

$37–$146. You order it from your county registrar of voters. Fill out your county's application, sign it by hand under penalty of perjury, attach a copy of your driver's license and payment, and deliver it in person or by mail; emailed and faxed applications are not accepted.

How long does it take to get a California voter list?

3 days to 2 weeks. It depends on the county. San Diego emails an encrypted zip file or sends an FTP link, Los Angeles posts the file to an online account for 7 days, Orange County offers pickup or shipping, and the Secretary of State ships an encrypted DVD. Voting history often comes as a second file you match on voter ID.

Who can get a California voter list?

What is in a California voter list?

It includes voter name, residential and mailing address, phone number and email, when the voter gave them, date of birth, party preference, registration date, precinct and districts, vote-by-mail status, language preference, voting history (request it on the application). It does not include driver's license and state id numbers, social security numbers, signatures, records of confidential voters, such as safe at home participants.

Got your list? Start knocking.

Upload your California voter file to CampaignKnock and every door in your district is on the map, ready for you and your volunteers.

Start free

More voter list guides

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All state voter list guides · This guide explains how the process works. It is not legal advice. Sources: Cal. Elec. Code § 2194 (confidentiality and permitted users) · Cal. Elec. Code § 2188 (application requirements) · Cal. Elec. Code § 18109 (misuse penalty) · 2 CCR § 19001 et seq. (access to voter registration information) · California Secretary of State voter registration information file request · Los Angeles County: Purchasing Voter Registration Files · San Diego County application to access voter registration information · Orange County: Request Voter Data · Sacramento County: Voter File Information

How to get a California voter list for your campaign