Register at your county elections office or at a temporary registration place set up by the elections office. You can also register at your high school or college. Any person qualified to register can apply to the county elections office by mail, telephone or in person. Or, register online at www.ss.ca.gov.
No. voting record books close 15 days before an election. You must be registered by then.
The county elections office establishes the polling place in your neighborhood.
Yes, if you have become a resident there and have registered to vote. Otherwise, you will need to vote my mail voter's ballot (also known as an absenbtee ballot). Contact your home county elections office at least 7 days before the election for a mail voter's ballot. Your completed ballot must be received on or before election day at 8pm.
No. To serve on a jury, you must:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Be a U.S. citizen.
- Be able to understand English.
- Live in the court's jurisdiction.
- Not have been convicted of a felony or malfeasance while in public office (unless your civil rights have been restored by, for example, a pardon.)
How are potential jurors selected?
They are selected randomly from voter registration and Department of Motor Vehicles lists, telephone directories, utility company lists and other such lists that provide a cross-section of citizens. Once summoned to court, the prospective jurors then make up the panel from which trial jurors are chosen.
Do all potential jurors wind up serving on a jury?
No. The court typically brings in more prospective jurors than will be needed. This is because some people are automatically excused and others may be excused during the jury selection process.
If I'm summoned for jury duty, do I have to respond?
Yes. If you fail to respond to a jury summons, you can be held in contempt of the court and be fined or imprisoned or both. If you cannot serve on the summons date, however, you may ask for one postponement to a more convenient time. (Read the summons from your particular court to find out how to respond in your county.)
You might be excused from jury duty if such service would cause undue hardship for you or the public, or for certain other reasons (see below). Also, if you do not meet the eligibility requirements for jury service or you are under a conservatorship or you are a peace officer, contact your local jury office. You might be disqualified or temporarily excused from service. Whatever your circumstances, however, do not ignore the jury summons.
Why would a judge excuse some people and not others?
Judges have the right to excuse prospective jurors for a variety of reasons. The prospective juror may:
- Have immediate family members related to someone involved in the case.
- Have a financial interest in the case.
- Have been convicted of a felony, have prejudice or bias or have formed an opinion regarding the outcome of the case.
The judge may also excuse a potential juror is service on the jury would cause undue hardship on him or her or on the public. Judges may use their discretion.
What happens during the jury selection process?
Names are chosen at random from those called for jury duty. The judge asks general questions and excuses people for the reasons mentioned above. Lawyers may do more questioning and as the judge to excuse others for the same reason. In addition, each lawyer is allowed, without providing any reason, to excuse a certain number of prospective jurors from the case.
What if I can't get time off work to report for jury service?
Employers are required to give employees time off for jury duty. (Depending on your employer, however, you may lose wages during that time.) Also, it is against the law for an employer to fire or harass you for reporting to jury duty as long as you have given the employer reasonable notice. If this occurs, notify your local jury office or the judge assigned to your trial.
There are also laws allowing students to be excused from classes to fulfill their jury service.
Will I be paid anything for my jury service?
Yes, but not much. Beginning on the second day of service, the county will pay you at least $15 a day (unless you continue to receive your regular pay from a government or public employer during jury service) and 34 cents per mile in mileage costs one way.
What happens if I'm not selected to serve on a jury?
If you are not chosen as a juror on the first day of your jury service, you will be excused and cannot be summoned back for such service for at least one year. This is because California has a "one-day or one-trial" jury service system. If you are chosen to sit on a jury, you will be expected to serve as a juror throughout the trial. Once the trial concludes, however, you will not be summoned back for at least one year.
Trials can range from a day or two in length to months or, in rare cases, even longer. However, the judge in the case will have some ideas of what to expect. And if serving as a juror in a long trial would be extremely difficult for you, you will have an opportunity to explain your situation to the judge.
Being on a jury can be a rich and rewarding experience. There are countries in which the citizens do not have such a right. As a juror, you will be called upon the judge the facts. And the trial judge may take away your decision only in very limited circumstances.