Kern County, California
Your guide to voting in Kern County, California: registration, sample ballots, ID requirements and where to get local help. Home to about 923,000 people, Kern County ranks 11th in population among California's 58 counties. In California, each county elections office, often called the registrar of voters, handles registration, mails ballots and publishes the county voter information guide with your sample ballot.
Next Election
March 7, 2028
Voter Portal
Register Online
What's On My Ballot?
ID Requirements
Absentee / Early Voting
Registration Deadline
Register online or by mail at least 15 days before an election; conditional same-day registration is available after the deadline.
Why Voting Matters
In Kern County, the people who show up to vote decide who represents everyone. The next election for Kern County voters is California's presidential primary on March 7, 2028; local elections can come sooner, so check your local election office. Local work in health care and retail means debates over health care costs directly affect Kern County families.
In the 2024 presidential election, about 283,000 ballots were cast in Kern County, down about 7% from 305,000 in 2020. With roughly 673,000 adults living in the county, that is around 42% of adult residents, below the statewide rate of about 51%.
Around 389,000 adults here did not vote for president. Some aren't eligible, yet the rest are untapped power: one more voter in every 20 of them would mean about 19,500 extra Kern County ballots, enough to change the result in many close contests.
Kern County spans about 8,132 square miles of small towns and countryside, averaging roughly 113 people per square mile. The county is home to about 2.3% of California's population.
ZIP codes in or partly in Kern County include 93203, 93205, 93206, 93215, 93219, 93220, 93222 and 93224, plus 58 more. Confirm your registration, read through your sample ballot before Election Day, and choose whether you will vote early, by mail or in person. Invite someone you know in Kern County to join you.
Voter Assistance Resources
Local election help in Kern County: In California, each county elections office, often called the registrar of voters, handles registration, mails ballots and publishes the county voter information guide with your sample ballot. For registration, polling places, early voting and absentee ballots, contact the Kern County elections office (registrar of voters).
Statewide directory, California Secretary of State's county elections offices list:
https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices
See your sample ballot. California county elections offices (your county mails and posts your sample ballot):
https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices
You can also preview a personalized ballot at Vote411.org.
To ask a question or report a problem at the polls, call or text Election Protection at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683), a free nonpartisan hotline. For help in Spanish call 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682); for Asian languages call 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683).
Voters with disabilities in Kern County can ask for an accessible voting machine, curbside voting where offered, and help from a person of their choice. If you run into barriers, contact Disability Rights California, California's Protection and Advocacy agency, at (888) 569-7955. VoteRiders (844-338-8743) offers free help with voter ID.
Need a ride? Many local transit agencies and ride services offer free or discounted rides to the polls on Election Day, so check what is available before the next election. See our California voter page for statewide options. Details can change, so confirm with the official election office.
Military and overseas voters can get help from the Federal Voting Assistance Program at 1-800-438-VOTE (8683) or fvap.gov.
Sign up to be an election worker
Election workers (often called poll workers) keep voting running smoothly in Kern County. Most are paid for their time, get free training, and help their neighbors cast their ballots. You can work a full day, a shorter shift, or help before Election Day. County and municipal election offices recruit and train their own workers, and the EAC's Help America Vote page links to yours. Find out how to sign up:
https://www.eac.gov/help-america-vote
Take the Next Step
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