Deadline to Register to Vote For California Primary Election 2016

California voters are typically an afterthought in presidential primary elections with the major party nominations already sewn up by the time we vote in June. Not this year. Democrat Bernie Sanders has been winning delegates and swears that he can wrest the nomination away from Hillary Clinton. On the Republican side, California voters could potentially put spike strips in front of Donald Trump's campaign bus.

California is a winner-take-all state, and we have the most delegates in the nation because of our population. On the Democratic side, 11.5 percent of total delegates are in play: 548. For Republicans, because their divvy up delegates differently, the total is just under 7 percent: 172 delegates.

Related:

• When Is California's Presidential Primary 2016?

Whether you’re currently registered as a Republican, Democrat, Independent, or not registered at all--you may register or switch your party affiliation to have an impact on what happens at the upcoming conventions.

The deadline to register for the June 7 primary is May 23, but why wait--you can do it online right now.

Click this link to register to vote in California. The link goes to the Secretary of State’s office. You only need three things to complete your online registration:

• Your California driver license or California identification card number
• The last four digits of your social security number
• Your date of birth

If you're uncertain if you are currently registered to vote in California, check the status of your voter registration.

You may switch your party affiliation at any time, so you may switch following the primary election.

If you still have questions, check the Secretary of State's Frequently Asked Questions page.

--Image via Shutterstock