Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Registrar: Fire-Displaced Voters in Altadena and Pasadena Could Risk Missing June Primary Ballots

County registrar urges thousands still in temporary housing to update registration before May 18

More than 15 months after the Eaton Fire destroyed over 9,400 structures and displaced thousands of residents in Altadena and Pasadena, the Los Angeles County Registrar’s office is warning that fire survivors who have not updated their voter registration may not receive ballots for the June 2 primary election.

Vote-by-mail ballots begin mailing May 4. The last day to register and receive one is May 18. The county does not forward ballots — they go only to the address on file. For displaced residents whose registered address is a lot that burned to the ground, the result is a ballot with nowhere to land.

The stakes on the June ballot are substantial. California’s open governor’s race — with Gov. Gavin Newsom term-limited — headlines a primary that also includes the Los Angeles mayoral contest, in which incumbent Karen Bass faces roughly 40 challengers, eight LA City Council seats, and three LAUSD school board seats.

Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean C. Logan has repeatedly urged displaced voters to act. “We don’t forward ballots because they are specific to where you’re registered to vote,” Logan said in a previous statement regarding wildfire-displaced residents.

The urgency is grounded in displacement data. A January 2026 survey by the nonprofit Department of Angels found that roughly 65 percent of displaced Altadena households were still in temporary housing, according to a report published in the Los Angeles Times. Data compiled by the address-tracking firm Melissa, also reported by the Times in February 2026, showed that while most displaced residents stayed within Los Angeles County, at least 1,600 relocated to other states.

The Registrar’s office has outlined two options for displaced voters, posted on its wildfire recovery page at lavote.gov/recovery.

Residents staying somewhere temporarily — with family, in a rental, or in transitional housing — do not need to change their permanent address. They can keep their home address on file and add a separate temporary mailing address. This preserves their original voting districts, allowing them to continue voting on local contests tied to their home community in Altadena or Pasadena.

Residents who have permanently relocated should update their residential address. Doing so may change their voting districts and the contests that appear on their ballot.

Voters can make either change online at RegisterToVote.ca.gov or by calling (800) 815-2666 and selecting option 2. When re-registering online, those adding a temporary mailing address should enter their permanent home address in the “Home Address” section and check the box indicating their mailing address is different.

The Registrar’s office has also noted that voters who submitted a U.S. Postal Service change of address may receive a notice asking them to confirm their information. No changes are made to voter registration until the voter responds, according to the lavote.gov recovery page.

As part of broader voter education efforts, the Registrar’s office on March 12 announced it is mailing outreach postcards to approximately 4.8 million registered voters countywide, according to an announcement from the office. The postcards, translated into 18 languages, provide information about voting options and key election dates, according to a press release from the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office.

“These outreach mailings ensure voters receive early information about their voting options and have the opportunity to request election materials in the language that best supports their participation,” Logan said in the March announcement, according to the press release.

Vote Centers across Los Angeles County open May 23 and remain open through Election Day on June 2. Voters who miss the May 18 registration deadline can use same-day conditional voter registration at any Vote Center or the Registrar’s office through Election Day.

Voters can create a personalized voting plan or receive election updates at plan.lavote.gov or by texting PLAN to LAVOTE (528683).

The Eaton Fire ignited on January 7, 2025, in Eaton Canyon and burned more than 14,000 acres through Altadena and into parts of Pasadena, killing at least 19 people. It was the second most destructive wildfire in California history. For the thousands of survivors still scattered across the region and beyond, the June primary will be an early test of whether displacement translates into disenfranchisement.