California Primary Election

June 7, 2022
(31st edition)

About This Election

What's on the ballot:  

• The office of U.S. Senate will have TWO separate contests on the ballot. You may vote on both. The first contest is the regular election for the full 6-year term of office beginning 1/3/23. The second contest is a "special vacancy election" (since the current officeholder is temporarily filling a vacancy) for the remainder of the term ending on 1/3/23. 

• Statewide, Congressional, State Assembly and even-numbered State Senate districts

• Local contests for county, municipal and special district offices, judges and local measures 

2022 IN-PERSON VOTING OPTIONS
BY COUNTY

Your voting choices:

• In California state and federal primary elections, the top two vote-getters will advance to the General Election ballot and the one who receives the most votes wins the contest. Under California's "Top Two" open primary law, all registered voters can vote for any candidate of any party regardless of voters' or candidates' party affiliations. 
   
• California local elections are nonpartisan; like state and federal contests, the top two vote-getters proceed to the General Election ballot, unless one candidate receives more than 50% of the Primary election vote, in which case that candidate has won and the contest is over. 
   
• All federal, state and local political district lines were redrawn after the 2020 Census to ensure Californians are equally represented. Visit CalMatters to look up your new state and federal districts.

   

Important Dates

• May 9:   Vote-by-mail ballots start being mailed out to all registered voters; first day of early voting
• May 23:  Last day to register to vote 
• May 24-June 7:  Conditional, "same day" voter registration available at all voting sites and county election offices
• May 28:  11-day vote centers open in Voter's Choice Act counties
• June 4:  4-day vote centers open in Voter's Choice Act counties
• June 7:  Election Day - polling places and vote centers are open statewide 7am - 8pm

Resources

From The California Voter Foundation:

• California Online Voter Guide news release

• Voting FAQ

• Contact Your County Election Office

• Online Voter Tools - Check Your Voting Status

• Vote-by-Mail tips:

From Maplight & the League of Women Voters:

• Voters Edge - comprehensive nonpartisan election information including top donors to candidates and endorsements

From the Secretary of State:

• Live Election Results (beginning after 8 pm Election Night)
• Primary Election Home Page
• Official California Voter Information Guide
• Certified List of Candidates 
• Where's My Ballot? Vote-by-mail ballot tracking service
• California Elections Rumor Control 
• See what voting equipment your county uses
• Election Observation Rights and Responsibilities
• Official Primary Election Calendar 
• About Remote Accessible Vote-by-Mail voting
• Early voting and drop-off locations 
• California Elections Rumor Control 
• Report election mi- and disinformation to the Office of Election Cybersecurity
• Cal-Access and PowerSearch -  official campaign finance disclosure web site for the State of California 
• Guidance for Military and Overseas Voters 

CVF recommends these additional nonpartisan voter resources:

• Find your new political districts and 2022 Voter Guide from CalMatters 
• Easy Voter Guide from the League of Women Voters (available in multiple languages)
• Disability Rights California's hotline for voters with disabilities:  1-888-569-7955
• Election Protection Hotline: 866-OUR-VOTE
• Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot and Backup Ballot from the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP)
• Make sure your Vote-by-Mail ballot is counted - fact sheet from Asians Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles
• About the California Voter's Choice Act - a new voting model implemented in 27 counties
• Verified Voting's Verifier: California voting systems
   

Archived editions of CVF's California Online Voter Guide:

• September 2021 Statewide Recall Election
• November 2020 Presidential General Election
• March 2020 Presidential Primary Election 
• November 2018 General Election
• 1994 - Primary 2018, plus other archived election resources are accessible via CVF's Archived Elections page