What’s on your California Primary ballot? You might be surprised.

League of Women Voters of Tulare County
·4 min read

California’s Primary Election on June 7 is your opportunity to help choose candidates who will be on the ballot for the U.S General Election on Nov. 8. Voting counts, and after the Primary votes are counted, the top two winners in each contest will be on the November ballot.

The State and County will help keep you informed about the election with three separate mailings:

  • The Official Voter Information Guide, which you have most likely already received from the Secretary of State, with information for statewide offices that will appear on every Californians’ ballot: that is, for U.S. Senate, and for California offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Controller, Treasurer, Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner, Board of Equalization, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

  • A separate official information guide from the County Registrar, with information on local offices and any State Assembly and State Senate contests that involve Tulare County. This mailing will include a sample ballot of candidates and issues that will be on the ballot for your specific address.

  • The actual ballot, with return envelope. The County elections office began mailing ballots by May 9, 2022. Every registered voter will be sent a vote-by-mail ballot with the option to return their ballot by mail, at a secure drop box, or in person. Remember to sign your ballot before you return it!

Be prepared for some unusual circumstances in this year’s elections.

Two separate contests for U.S. Senator

You will find two separate opportunities to vote for candidates for U.S. Senator:

  • Regular election of candidates for the full 6-year term of office, beginning on January 3, 2023.

  • Special vacancy election for the remainder of the term ending on January 3, 2023.

The first election for U.S. Senator is the regular, ordinary Primary election. The top two vote-getters will be on the Nov. 8 ballot for the General Election.

The second election for U.S. Senator is to fill the seat vacated by Kamala Harris when she became Vice President. At that time, as provided by law, the Governor appointed Alex Padilla to temporarily fill that seat until the next election. Now Padilla, along with several other candidates, is on the ballot for election to that seat for the remainder of the term, which will be for only two months, ending Jan. 3, 2023.

You will notice that several candidates are running for both the regular full term and in the special vacancy election for the partial, unexpired term. This gives you an opportunity to legally vote twice for the same person. Or you may vote for different candidates for the regular election and the special vacancy election. Your choice.

New District Boundaries

The June 7 Primary Election will be the first opportunity for you to vote in new Districts having recently drawn boundaries for Congress, State Assembly, State Senate, Board of Equalization, and County Supervisor. The newly elected officials who prevail in the November 8 General Election will take office to represent the newly drawn districts on Jan. 3, 2023.

Two separate contests for U.S. Congressional Representative

The new districts apply in all races—with one exception: California’s 22nd Congressional district seat that was vacated by Devin Nunes. The special primary election on April 5 began the process to fill this seat. The two leaders won places on the June 7 ballot in the pre-redistricted District 22. The winner will serve that District until the end of that term, January 3, 2023.

Those in the NEW District 22 will be asked to vote in a second congressional race on June 7 as well. In this case, the two candidates receiving the most votes will go forward to the November 8 election; the winner will serve for two years, January 3, 2023, to January 3, 2025.

More

For more details, California State’s voter information guide can be found on the website voterguide.sos.ca.gov. Also, check out Voter’s Edge California (www.votersedge.org). A free, nonpartisan online guide to elections in California, Voter’s Edge is a joint project of the League of Women Voters of California’s Education Fund and Maplight.

Your vote counts! Be ready to participate in one of your most important Rights in our Democracy.

The League of Women Voters: Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: What’s on your California Primary ballot? You might be surprised.