Procrastinators guide for California primary election — candidates, issues and how to vote
WHAT AM I VOTING ON?
You will decide who you want for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state controller, state treasurer, attorney general, insurance commissioner and the superintendent of public instruction. Also on the ballot are candidates for State Board of Equalization, the U.S. House of Representatives, the State Assembly and the State Senate.
You will choose a U.S. senator twice: once to fill out the remaining term and again for a full term beginning next year.
There also are local elections, including for county supervisor, district attorney and sheriff.
WHEN SHOULD I VOTE?
The deadline to vote is June 7. Ballots can be turned in that day at voting locations no later than 8 p.m. Ballots that are mailed in must have a postmark no later than June 7, and they will be accepted as late as June 14.
You can track your ballot once it has been mailed in. Here’s how.
WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES?
Incumbent Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom survived a recall in 2021 and appears strongly positioned to hold on to his office this fall. His most prominent opponent is Republican State Sen. Brian Dahle. Also running against Newsom is No Party Preference candidate and author Michael Shellenberger.
Neither the lieutenant governor, the secretary of state, state treasurer nor the superintendent of public instruction races have drawn serious challengers. Democratic incumbents Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Secretary of State Shirley Weber, State Treasurer Fiona Ma and Superintendent Tony Thurmond appear set to win their elections.
The race for controller is a heated one, with Democrats Malia Cohen, Ron Galperin, Steve Glazer and Yvonne Yiu battling it out alongside Republican Lanhee Chen.
In the contest for attorney general, Newsom appointee Rob Bonta, a Democrat, is running for a full term. He’s facing challenges on his right flank from Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert, who is listed as a No Party Preference candidate, and Republicans Nathan Hochman and Eric Early.
Though there are several candidates for insurance commissioner, the real race boils down to Democratic incumbent Ricardo Lara and Democratic challenger Marc Levine.
Finally, Democratic Newsom appointee Alex Padilla is running for a full term as U.S. senator. Though he faces more than 20 challengers, the most prominent is Republican attorney Mark Meuser.
Not sure who to vote for? Let The Bee help! You can find the list of Sacramento Bee endorsements here.
HOW DO I CHECK MY VOTER REGISTRATION?
This part’s easy: Simply visit this website. The bad news: The deadline to register to vote in the primary election was May 23. The good news: You can conditionally register to vote at your county elections office or polling place up to and including Election Day.
HOW CAN I VOTE IN SACRAMENTO COUNTY?
You can take your ballot to one of the dropoff locations, or visit a vote center if you need assistance, such as requesting a new ballot. For more information, you can call the Sacramento County Voter Registration and Elections Office at (916) 875-6451.
HOW CAN I VOTE IN PLACER COUNTY?
You can find a list of ballot dropoff locations here. For more information, you can call the Placer County Office of Elections at (530) 886-5650.
HOW CAN I VOTE IN EL DORADO COUNTY?
The county maintains a number of voter centers, which you can find here, and ballot dropoff locations, which you can find here. For more information, you can call the El Dorado County elections office in Placerville at (530) 621-7480 or, from El Dorado Hills, (916) 358-3555, ext. 7480. The South Lake Tahoe office can be reached at (530) 573-7955, ext. 7480.
HOW CAN I VOTE IN YOLO COUNTY?
You can find information on voting centers and ballot dropoff locations by visiting here. For more information from Yolo County elections, call (530) 666-8133.
WHO’S TELLING THE TRUTH? FACT CHECKS:
Fact check: What 3rd District congressional candidates got wrong (and right) in their debate Tuesday
Fact check: Gavin Newsom says California gun deaths dropped after state passed gun laws
Fact check: Did Gavin Newsom’s parole board release Sacramento suspect early?
Fact Check: Gavin Newsom says California tops Florida in every economic category. Is it true?
Fact check: Are California sentencing laws to blame for recent robberies?
This story was originally published June 2, 2022 at 3:00 AM.