Can I drop off my mail-in ballot on Election Day?

As we head into a major election year, state officials are taking extra steps to protect the election process. PICTURED: People cast their votes for US president and local politics November 8, 2016, at Colin Powwell Elementary School, in Centreville, (PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP via Getty Images)

Any registered voter may vote using a vote-by-mail ballot instead of going to the polls on Election Day, according to the Secretary of State.

The ballots can be dropped off at polling sites on March 3 by the time polling stations  close at 8 p.m.

When your vote-by-mail ballot is received by your county elections official, your signature on the return envelope will be compared to the signature on your voter registration card to ensure they match. To preserve the secrecy of your ballot, the ballot will then be separated from the envelope, and then it will be tallied.

All valid vote-by-mail ballots are counted in every election in California, regardless of the outcome or closeness of any race.

For  more information on that, the Secretary of State has outlined how the official canvass of the vote is completed.

The only catch? Voters must have applied to vote by mail by Feb. 25.