Waited until the last minute to vote? Here’s what you need to know for the election

Fall is filled with distractions. Classes to attend, football to be watched, leaves to be raked. Plenty of time to vote, you may have said to yourself.

Until there isn’t. You have until Tuesday.

What am I voting on?

In June, you had an abundance of choices for many of the statewide and legislative offices. This November, you have two for each. California’s “jungle primary” system ensures that the top two vote-getters advance to the November election, regardless of political affiliation. This is why you might have a race with two Democrats or two Republicans.

You will have a chance to vote for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state controller, state treasurer, attorney general, insurance commissioner and superintendent of public instruction.

You can choose a U.S. Senator — for both a full term and to finish former Sen. (and current Vice President) Kamala Harris’ remaining term. There will be candidates for U.S. House of Representatives, for State Senate, State Assembly and Board of Equalization.

You can vote on whether to retain a number of California Supreme Court and appeals court justices.

There will be local elections as well.

Finally, there are seven initiatives on this year’s ballot. Among the questions you will be asked: whether you want to place the right to abortion and contraception in the state constitution and if sports betting should be legal online or in tribal casinos.

When should I vote?

Now! What are you waiting for?

But seriously, chances are that if you’re reading this, you’re a late voter. You’re in luck. The deadline to vote is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

If you’re visiting a voter center, you have until 8 p.m. Tuesday to turn in your ballot. If you’re mailing your ballot, it will be accepted until Nov. 15 — as long as it is postmarked no later than Nov. 8.

Want to track your ballot? Here’s how.

Who are the candidates?

As mentioned above, you will have a choice of two candidates for most of the elected offices that you are voting on.

For governor: Democratic incumbent Gov. Gavin Newsom and Republican state Sen. Brian Dahle.

For lieutenant governor: Democratic incumbent Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and Republican Angela Underwood Jacobs.

For secretary of state: Democratic incumbent Shirley Weber, a Newsom appointee, and Republican Rob Bernosky.

For controller: Democrat Malia Cohen and Republican Lanhee Chen.

For treasurer: Democratic incumbent Fiona Ma and Republican Jack Guerrero.

For attorney general: Democratic incumbent Rob Bonta, a Newsom appointee, and Republican Nathan Hochman.

For insurance commissioner: Democratic incumbent Ricardo Lara and Republican Robert Howell.

For U.S. Senate (both full and partial term): Democratic incumbent Sen. Alex Padilla, a Newsom appointee, and Republican Mark Meuser.

Check out our Voter Guide for more info on the candidates. Not sure who to vote for? Take a look at The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board’s list of endorsements.

What about the ballot measures?

As mentioned, voters are being asked to consider seven ballot measures this year.

Proposition 1 would enshrine the right to abortion and contraception in the California Constitution.

Proposition 26 would legalize sports betting at tribal casinos and certain race tracks.

Proposition 27 would legalize sports betting on computers and mobile devices.

Proposition 28 would provide a significant boost to arts and music K-12 education.

Proposition 29 would require licensed medical personnel to be on-site at state dialysis clinics.

Proposition 30 would tax the rich to fund electric vehicle infrastructure and wildfire response.

Proposition 31 would ban most flavored tobacco products from being sold in the state.

How do I check my voter registration?

Good news, this part’s easy. Simply visit this website.

There’s bad news, though. The deadline to register for the November election was Oct. 24. If you missed it, don’t worry. You can conditionally register 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 election information, call (530) 666-8133.

Who’s telling the truth? Check out out fact checks

▪ Democrat Kermit Jones says Republican Kevin Kiley would ban all abortions. Is that true?

▪ Gov. Gavin Newsom says Prop. 30 was devised to benefit one company. Is that actually true?

▪ Did this Republican candidate for Congress vote to raise California’s gas tax?

▪ Sports betting to solve homelessness? Dodgy claims made by Prop. 26 and 27 campaigns, fact checked

▪ Democratic candidate for California controller studied socialism in Venezuela. Fact or smear?

▪ Did U-Haul run out of trucks as Californians fled the state?

▪ Did Gov. Gavin Newsom admit that his state of emergency was illegal?

This story was originally published November 3, 2022 at 6:00 AM.