With Election Day one week away, millions of Californians still have ballots sitting at home as voters weigh a crowded and unsettled race for governor.
As of the latest statewide ballot-tracking figures cited by Political Data Inc., about 92% of California voters had not yet returned their ballots. Voters still have time, but election officials urge residents not to wait until the last moment, especially if they plan to vote by mail.
The June 2 primary features a wide-open contest for governor, with several well-known Democrats and Republicans competing for just two spots on the November ballot. Under California’s primary system, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party.
The field became especially fluid after some of the state’s most prominent Democrats, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, opted not to run. Former Rep. Eric Swalwell had appeared to be gaining support among Democratic voters earlier in the year, but he left the race after allegations of sexual misconduct.
The candidates include Xavier Becerra, a Democrat and former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary who previously served as California attorney general; Chad Bianco, a Republican and Riverside County sheriff; Steve Hilton, a Republican, former Fox News host and former adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron; Matt Mahan, a Democrat and mayor of San Jose; Katie Porter, a Democrat and former Orange County congresswoman; Tom Steyer, a Democratic billionaire entrepreneur and former presidential candidate; Tony Thurmond, a Democrat and California’s superintendent of public instruction; and Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democrat, former Los Angeles mayor and former Assembly speaker.
Recent polling has not shown a decisive front-runner. A Democratic Party poll showed Hilton at 22%, Becerra at 21% and Steyer at 15%, leaving open the possibility of a closely contested finish.
California’s top-two primary system has been in place since voters approved Proposition 14 in 2010. Supporters said it would encourage candidates to appeal beyond their party bases, while critics warned it could narrow choices by allowing two candidates from the same party to advance to November. With so many contenders in the governor’s race, that remains a possibility this year.
Voters who still plan to mail their ballots should make sure the envelopes are postmarked on or before Election Day and received by county election offices within seven days. Election officials generally recommend mailing ballots at least five days before June 2. Those mailing close to the deadline should consider taking the ballot inside a post office and requesting a hand-stamped postmark.
Ballots also may be returned at official drop boxes or voting locations. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Voters can look up polling places and ballot drop-off sites through the California Secretary of State’s office or their county elections office.
Results will begin coming in on election night, but final tallies will take longer. County election officials must begin reporting results to the secretary of state no more than two hours after they start counting. Counties have 30 days to complete their counts and submit final results, and the state has 38 days to certify the election.
In addition to governor, voters will see several statewide offices on the ballot, including superintendent of public instruction, lieutenant governor, controller, secretary of state, treasurer and insurance commissioner.
Another office on the ballot is the Board of Equalization, an elected tax board created by the state in 1879. Its authority is now limited largely to property tax oversight, though the office has also served as a steppingstone for politicians seeking higher office.
For Inland Empire voters, the governor’s race carries a local connection through Bianco, the Riverside County sheriff, who is among the Republicans seeking a place in the November runoff. But with the field divided and many ballots still unreturned, the outcome remains uncertain heading into the final days of voting.
Original source: CalMatters
