What’s on the ballot? There is a wide range of races for positions statewide, as well as many local competitions. You’ll be asked to ma...
What’s on the ballot?
There is a wide range of races for positions statewide, as well as many local competitions. You’ll be asked to make your choice for Governor (Governor Gavin Newsom is up for re-election), Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer, Attorney General and more.
You will be asked to vote for a representative of the House. And you’ll be asked to vote for the US senator – twice: once to fill out the rest of Vice President Kamala Harris’ term, which ends in January, and once for the full six-year term that begins after that. .
Then, depending on where you live, you’ll have local elections for your city council, district attorney, mayor, state legislators and more. (In San Francisco, for example, voters will be asked if they should recall Chesa Boudin, the district attorney.)
How does the California primary system work?
Since 2011, California has had what’s called a first-two primary system, which means the top two candidates will advance in the November general election, regardless of their political party. The November races could be matchups between two Democrats or two Republicans, rather than between the top Democrat and the top Republican.
In almost all statewide elections, there will be a runoff, even if a candidate gets more than 50% of the vote. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction is a notable exception.
In local races, a candidate can win with the majority of votes. The most publicized example is the race for mayor of Los Angeles. (If a candidate gets more than 50% of the vote this month, they will become mayor without facing a runoff in November.)
Who should I vote for?
Of course, we cannot answer that. But you may want to read your local newspaper’s recommendations, as they will have interviewed candidates. here are the candidates endorsed by the Los Angeles Times in state and local elections in Southern California. The Sacramento Bee has compiled its endorsements here. And here’s the San Francisco Chronicle list of endorsements for national and local elections.
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