Yes, there’s still time to register to vote – although not much. If you’re eligible (check here if you’re not sure) you have until the end of today to register, and you can do so online. Right over here.
During the registration process you’ll be asked to select a party and be given the option of becoming a permanent vote-by-mail voter.
Party affiliations can be confusing – “Independent” is a party. If you’d rather not be part of any party you should register as “No Party Preference.” That may exclude you from voting in primary elections to select a party’s presidential candidate, since many of those are private to party members, but it depends on the party. More on that here.
Becoming a permanent vote-by-mail voter means you’ll get a ballot sent to you in the mail. You can sit down with it in your home whenever you like, fill it out, and then sign the envelope and send it back or drop it off at a polling station on Election day. You can still request a vote-by-mail ballot up until November 1.
If you don’t select that option you’ll have to go to your assigned polling station on election day (find out where that is here) and vote in person.
Still have questions? Here’s an FAQ list.
All done with that? Now here’s the Public Press guide to the monster list of initiatives on this year’s local ballot, and KQED’s guide to statewide elections.