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California Voter Guide

Get informed in minutes with our Voter Guide for California’s June 2 primary election. Unpack ballot measures and compare candidates in the most important races in California and the Bay Area while learning the easiest ways to cast your vote.

Important Dates

May 4

Voting begins

May 18

Online voter registration deadline

June 2

Election Day: Polls open at 7 a.m and close at 8 p.m. Results will be available starting at 8 p.m.

July 2

Last day for county election officials to certify results.

Top Election News

Key California Elections

Governor

The most wide-open primary for governor in a generation was rocked by sexual assault allegations against a leading candidate — former East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell.

Attorney General

Democratic incumbent Rob Bonta seeks reelection to the state’s top law enforcement position.

Insurance Commissioner

Wildfires and inflation have thrown California into an insurance crisis. Voters will decide who will be the insurance industry’s chief regulator.

Key Bay Area Elections

Get comprehensive information about the top races in each Bay Area county.

A raising crane sits next to stacks of shipping containers in the Port of Oakland. The image is in black and white and contained in a light blue circle.

Alameda County

District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson faces a challenge from her recalled predecessor, Pamela Price, while Oakland voters consider a parcel tax to help balance the city budget.

Two refinery drums sit amongst trees in the hills of Contra Costa County. The image is in black and white and contained in a light blue circle.

Contra Costa County

Voters consider an increase in the county sales tax, and Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez seeks reelection in a crowded field.

A boardwalk passes by a large rock formation along the Pacific coast in Marin County. The image is in black and white and contained in a light blue circle.

Marin County

An open seat for the state Assembly and the Board of Supervisors, plus a proposed extension of the sales tax that funds the SMART train.

A cluster of grapes hangs from a vineyard in Napa County. The image is in black and white and contained in a light blue circle.

Napa County

Rep. Mike Thompson faces his toughest challenge in years from fellow Democrat Eric Jones, a former venture capitalist.

The southern tower of the Golden Gate Bridge is viewed from the San Francisco shore. The image is in black and white and contained in a light blue circle.

San Francisco

Nancy Pelosi’s retirement has sparked a fierce campaign for Congress. Two special elections for supervisor and competing business tax measures are also on the ballot.

A span of the San Mateo Bridge is shown above still bay waters. The image is in black and white and contained in a light blue circle.

San Mateo County

Supervisor Ray Mueller is facing a challenge from Joaquin Jimenez, the former mayor of Half Moon Bay.

Hangar One sits in Moffett Field in Santa Clara County. The image is in black and white and contained in a light blue circle.

Santa Clara County

Open seats for the state Senate and San José City Council, plus a new parcel tax to protect and manage county open space.

Wind turbines rise above agricultural hills in Solano County. The image is in black and white and contained in a light blue circle.

Solano County

An open seat on the county Board of Supervisors is up for grabs in a district covering Dixon and Vacaville.

Rows of vineyards cover a hillside in Sonoma County. The image is in black and white and contained in a light blue circle.

Sonoma County

Incumbent Supervisors David Rabbitt and James Gore are not seeking reelection, opening up two seats on the board.

Voting FAQ

 

How can I make sure I’m registered to vote?

You can check your voter registration status at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov. May 18 is the last day you can register to vote online at registertovote.ca.gov. After that, you can still register in person at your county elections office or an open voting location via Same Day Registration (also called conditional registration) up until when polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, June 2.

Do I have to request a mail-in ballot?

No — every registered voter in California will automatically receive a ballot in the mail. You can use that ballot to cast your vote (see below for where to return it when you’re done), or you can forget that ballot and vote in person. The one that arrived in the mail will be canceled.

My mail-in ballot hasn’t arrived yet. Should I worry?

Counties will start mailing ballots to residents as soon as late April, and their deadline to start doing that is May 4. You can use the state’s Where’s My Ballot tool to see if your ballot has been sent out. If it’s getting closer to Election Day and your ballot still hasn’t arrived, use voterstatus.sos.ca.gov to check that your voter registration is up-to-date with your current address — May 18 is your deadline to update those details online and receive a replacement ballot. If your details are correct but your ballot is still missing, you can call to request a new ballot as long as it’s more than six days before Election Day. After that, you can go to your county elections office in person and request one at the counter.

When voting for California governor, do I have to vote for the party I’m registered with?

No: In a state primary, you can vote for any candidate — not just the candidate with the party you’re registered with — meaning that even if you’re a registered Republican, you can vote for the Democratic candidate or vice versa.

How do I return my ballot?

Ballots can be returned through the Postal Service (the return postage is already paid) or dropped off at a voting location or in a ballot drop box. Keep in mind that the Postal Service must postmark your ballot envelope by the end of Election Day for your vote to count. Because of changes in how the Postal Service is handling mail, voters are advised to visit their local post office before closing time on Election Day and get their ballot envelopes hand-stamped free of charge. If it’s getting late in the day on June 2, you might consider using a county drop box instead of a USPS mailbox to make sure you don’t miss the last collection.

What if I make a mistake on my ballot?

Some counties will provide written instructions on how to correct a mistake on your ballot, such as voting for a candidate you didn’t intend to. But if you clearly mark your intended choice — say, by x-ing out your mistake — your vote can still be counted.

What if I made a mistake with my ballot signature?

Your ballot will not be counted if the envelope is unsigned or if the signature doesn’t match the signature in your voter registration file. Typically, the signature on file is the same as the signature pictured on the front of your driver’s license or state ID. County election officials can reach out to you to correct a missing or mismatched signature in order to count your ballot, even after Election Day.

How do I track my ballot once I’ve returned it?

All registered voters in California can sign up for an online tool to track the status of their mail-in ballots for the June 2 primary election. “Where's My Ballot?” provides automated notifications via email, text or phone when your county elections offices have mailed out your ballot — and when your completed ballot has been received and processed.

Can I still vote in-person?

Yes. In Contra Costa, San Francisco and Solano counties, you will be assigned to a specific location for in-person voting, although some sites will be open for early in-person voting for all voters. In Alameda, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sonoma counties — which have adopted the Voters Choice Act — you can cast your ballot at any vote center in the county.

The KQED 2026 Primary Voter Guide was made by our news and product teams, comprised of Adhiti Bandlamudi, Izzy Bloom, Dan Brekke, Teresa Cho, Kevin Cooke, Emily DeRuy, Joseph Geha, Alexandra Hall, Sydney Johnson, Sahila Jorapur, Marisa Lagos, Joshua Ling, Kimberly Low, Guy Marzorati, Seyoung Oh, Noah Piper, Caroline Sarkki, Molly Solomon, Scott Shafer, Ki Sung, and Danielle Venton.

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Have a correction or feedback? Contact voterguide@kqed.org.

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