California Election Guide
BY LYNN LA, CalMatters
We get it, life gets busy. You received your ballot weeks ago and it’s languishing on your pile of mail. But don’t be like the 92% of California voters who haven’t submitted their ballots yet — make plans to vote as soon as you can.
With less than a week until Election Day and no clear frontrunner in the governor’s race, let’s recap some common election questions to prepare you.
Why are so many people running for governor?
It’s a wide-open field in part because the big names in the Democratic Party — former Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla — passed on running for governor. Democratic voters in early spring appeared to be coalescing behind former Rep. Eric Swalwell, but he withdrew from the race following allegations of sexual misconduct.
Who are the candidates?
- Xavier Becerra, Democrat, former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary and former California attorney general.
- Chad Bianco, Republican, Riverside County Sheriff.
- Steve Hilton, Republican, former Fox News host and former adviser to conservative British Prime Minister David Cameron.
- Matt Mahan, Democrat, mayor of San Jose.
- Katie Porter, Democrat, former U.S. representative representing Orange County.
- Tom Steyer, Democrat, billionaire entrepreneur and former presidential candidate.
- Tony Thurmond, Democrat, state superintendent of public instruction.
- Antonio Villaraigosa, Democrat, former mayor of Los Angeles and former Assembly speaker.
How do I find out more about them?
You can learn more about the top candidates in the voter guide, calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/governor/, and watch them explain their stances on housing, justice, healthcare and more.
What’s an open primary and why do we have it?
California’s open primary allows the two candidates who receive the most votes to move on to the general election in November, no matter what party they belong to. The state adopted this system after voters approved Proposition 14 in 2010, which allows voters to pick any candidate in a primary, regardless of their own party affiliation.
Prop. 14 proponents argued that this system would compel candidates to court voters across the political spectrum, which would make California less partisan. But critics said it would limit choices for voters, potentially advancing two candidates from the same political party. That’s a real possibility this year because of the sheer number of candidates running for governor and since no one has secured a clear lead.
Who’s ahead in the polls?
The latest Democratic Party poll shows Republican Hilton and Democrat Becerra leading with 22% and 21% respectively, and Steyer in third at 15%.
Is it too late to vote by mail?
It’s not too late, but don’t cut it too close. Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by election offices within seven days. It’s best to mail your ballot by Thursday, or least five days before June 2 to make sure it’s counted, but if you wait until then, get a hand-stamped postmark from a postal worker inside your local post office.
How can I vote on Election Day?
Besides mailing in your ballot, you can submit your ballot at a drop-off location or vote in-person at the polls from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find your nearest, www.sos.ca.gov/elections/polling-place, and your closest ballot drop-off location, caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/.
When will the ballots be counted?
County elections officials must begin reporting results to the secretary of state on Election Night no more than two hours after they begin tallying votes. Elections officials have 30 days to count ballots and finalize their results to the state, who then has 38 days to certify the results.
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