How to get the California voter file.

The short version.

The California voter registration file is a public record you request from the state elections office. You pay a fee, sign a use affidavit, and get the list of registered voters for your district — names, addresses, and registration details. Then you hand it to Motion51 and we load it, geocode it, and cut your turf.

California's file is unusually cheap -- the fee is capped at $100 for the entire state -- but it is a strict, ID-verified, mail-only process, and the data may be used only for election, political, journalistic, scholarly, or governmental purposes.

Where to request it.

What it costs.

$15 per 1,000 records, capped at $100 total for the full statewide file (~22M voters). Specific-voter records (max 10 per application): $30 per record, capped at $100. Confidential contact info (where authorized): $15/1,000, capped at $100. Payment by check to 'Secretary of State'.

How to request it, step by step.

1. Download the Voter Registration Information File Request application (PDF) from the Secretary of State.
2. Describe your intended use -- it must be one of the permitted purposes (election, political, journalistic, scholarly, or governmental).
3. Sign the application with a wet signature and attach a clear copy of your government-issued photo ID.
4. Mail or hand-deliver it with a check payable to “Secretary of State.” Email and fax submissions are not accepted.
5. The Elections Division ships the file on an encrypted DVD, generally within 7-14 business days.

How long it takes.

Typically 2-6 weeks from receipt of complete application. Faster during off-election windows; slower in the 60 days before a statewide election when staff is consumed with election ops. SOS will return incomplete applications and restart the clock.

Use restrictions — read before you order.

Elections Code 2188 (who may receive) and 2194 (use restrictions). Permitted uses: election, scholarly, journalistic, political, or governmental purposes only. Commercial / personal / private use prohibited - misdemeanor under EC 2194. No resale, lease, loan, or transfer to third parties except as permitted by EC 19005. Cannot be used for harassment, advertising, solicitation, marketing, or sale of products/services. Safe at Home program enrollees, certain protected persons (judges, peace officers, reproductive health workers) suppressed by statute.

Costs, forms, and rules change between cycles. Always confirm the current details on the official California page linked above before you send payment. This page is a plain-language summary, not legal advice.

California voter file FAQ.

Once you have the file, Motion51 takes it from there.

Getting the file is the errand. The campaign is what happens next: loading tens of thousands of addresses, putting them on a map, cutting them into walkable turf, and tracking every door. That's what Motion51 does.

Send us the file the state gives you and we load it in, geocode the addresses, and set up your district so volunteers can start knocking. The app works offline for the stretches where cell coverage drops, and every door is logged with a timestamp. If you're weighing a race in California, our For Candidates page walks through the next steps.