Santa Barbara County, California
Voting in Santa Barbara County, California? Find registration links, ID rules, early and absentee voting options and your sample ballot here. Home to about 444,000 people, Santa Barbara County ranks 20th 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
Every eligible adult in Santa Barbara County, California holds the same power on Election Day: one vote that counts exactly as much as anyone else's. The next election for Santa Barbara County voters is California's presidential primary on March 7, 2028; local elections can come sooner, so check your local election office. With restaurants and hospitality and health care among the county's biggest employers, issues like tourism and small businesses are decided by the officials voters choose.
About 185,000 people voted for president in Santa Barbara County in 2024 (down about 8% from 200,000 in 2020). That equals roughly 53% of the county's estimated 348,000 adults, close to the statewide rate of about 51%.
Around 163,000 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 8,140 extra Santa Barbara County ballots, enough to change the result in many close contests.
Santa Barbara County covers about 2,735 square miles, with roughly 163 residents per square mile. The county is home to about 1.1% of California's population.
ZIP codes in or partly in Santa Barbara County include 93013, 93014, 93067, 93101, 93102, 93103, 93105 and 93106, plus 33 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 Santa Barbara County to join you.
Voter Assistance Resources
Questions about voting in Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara 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.
Free, nonpartisan help is available before and on every Election Day: call or text the Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683). Spanish: 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682). Asian languages: 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683).
Voters with disabilities in Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara 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
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