Three nonpartisan polls released last week showed Democrat Xavier Becerra leading the field, while Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Tom Steyer were running closely for second place. Under California’s top-two primary system, the two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the general election regardless of party.

A major factor clouding the race is the pace of ballot returns among Democratic voters. Although millions of Californians have already voted by mail or returned ballots, turnout remains low compared with general elections. As of Sunday, 15.10% of ballots statewide had been submitted, according to Political Data Inc., a voter data firm. That is nearly in line with the June 2022 primary, when 14.53% of ballots had been returned three days before Election Day.

But the partisan breakdown shows a notable shift. Democratic voters have returned 15% of their ballots so far, down from 17% at the same point in 2022. Republican voters, meanwhile, are moving faster than they did four years ago, with 19% of GOP ballots returned, compared with 17% in 2022.

Paul Mitchell, vice president of Political Data Inc., said several factors may explain the difference. Republican voters have a simpler choice, with two major candidates in the race, while Democrats are weighing a larger field that includes six leading contenders. Republicans also have a long history of voting early by mail, a habit Mitchell said may be returning after former President Donald Trump discouraged mail voting in 2020.

Among Democrats, Mitchell said the slowest ballot returns are coming from older white voters, many of whom may still be undecided or waiting to vote strategically. Because California’s primary rules allow two candidates from the same party to advance, some Democratic voters may be concerned about how best to ensure at least one Democrat reaches the November runoff.

“All the stories about two Republicans making the runoff, they might be calculating their vote to make sure that they’re voting in a way that is strategic to make sure that a Democrat gets onto the general election,” Mitchell said.

Kevin Callan, also with Political Data Inc., said some Democrats may not be deeply enthusiastic about any one candidate but still recognize that the June result could effectively decide the state’s next governor.

“Democrat voters know that whichever Democrat candidate makes it into the runoff will be our next governor,” Callan said. “That adds more weight to their decision.”

For voters across Southern California and the Inland Empire, the outcome of the primary will determine who remains in contention to lead the nation’s most populous state for the next four years. With many ballots still outstanding, the final hours of voting could prove decisive.

Original source: CalMatters

The post California Governor’s Race Tightens as Democrats Delay Casting Ballots appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The survey of 986 likely voters, conducted earlier this month, found Becerra leading with 23% support, followed by Hilton at 20%. Democrat Tom Steyer was at 15%, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at 13% and former Rep. Katie Porter at 12%.

The numbers are especially significant in California’s top-two primary system, where the two candidates with the most votes advance to the November election regardless of party. For months, the crowded Democratic field raised the possibility that two Republicans — Hilton and Bianco — could finish first and second, shutting Democrats out of the general election.

Becerra, a former California attorney general who later served as health secretary under President Joe Biden, has gained ground since U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell left the race amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

Jonathan Underland, a spokesperson for Becerra’s campaign, said the poll reflects growing support for the former Biden administration official.

“Becerra has built real momentum — strong poll numbers backed by working Californians who are energized and ready,” Underland said.

Steyer’s campaign disputed the PPIC survey’s findings in a written statement, arguing that the poll failed to capture recent gains for the liberal billionaire. The campaign pointed to its own internal tracking and to another poll conducted for Hilton.

The PPIC poll also offered a broader look at California voters’ mood ahead of the midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress during the final two years of President Donald Trump’s second term.

Three-quarters of likely voters said the country is moving in the wrong direction, the highest share recorded by PPIC in more than 20 years. While 92% of Democrats expressed that view, so did 50% of Republicans. The share of Republicans who said the country is headed in the right direction dropped from 64% in a February PPIC poll to 49% in the latest survey.

The poll also showed a strong advantage for Democrats in congressional races. If the midterm election were held today, 64% of likely voters said they would support the Democratic candidate in their local U.S. House race, compared with 35% who said they would vote for the Republican candidate. Those findings could signal trouble for Republicans as they try to keep control of the House of Representatives.

Younger voters are another group drawing attention in the election. Californians under 29 make up nearly one-fifth of the state’s eligible voters, and many cite concerns about inflation, health care and housing as they weigh their choices.

In a separate election-related development, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law Wednesday barring local police from seizing ballots from election officials.

The law was rushed through the Legislature after Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is running for governor, seized more than 600,000 ballots from the county registrar of voters earlier this year. Bianco said the action was part of a “fact-finding mission” into election accuracy, though he did not present evidence that the ballots had been improperly cast.

The new law took effect immediately, ahead of the June 2 primary. It prevents county registrars from turning over ballots or voting equipment to law enforcement and reaffirms that the attorney general, secretary of state or county election officials can sue any person, business or entity that takes ballots from an election official’s custody.

“We have to step up, and we have to draw the line,” Newsom told reporters. “We have to clarify the rules of engagement. It’s a warning to the folks out there that think they can do the bidding of the Trump administration.”

California lawmakers also are considering a proposal aimed at helping young people affected by gun violence, including in San Bernardino County.

The bill would create a pilot program offering free mental health and counseling services to young people who were shot, witnessed a shooting or lost a family member to gun violence. The program would serve youth in Alameda, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Solano counties.

Nicole Kravitz-Wirtz, an associate professor with the Centers for Violence Prevention at UC Davis, said young shooting survivors often receive treatment for physical injuries but are left without a clear path to continuing mental health care.

The Assembly advanced the bill to the Senate on Tuesday. However, the proposal does not yet include a funding source. A legislative analysis estimated the grants would cost about $7,800 per survivor each year.

Original source: CalMatters

The post Where the California Governor’s Race Stands Now appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The law makes it a crime to remove voted ballots from the custody of local election officials, a provision prompted in part by an incident earlier this year in Riverside County. Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is running for governor, seized more than 600,000 ballots from the county registrar of voters, saying his office was looking for evidence of fraudulent voting. No evidence has emerged showing that ballots were improperly cast.

Newsom said the state needed to make clear that election materials cannot be taken or handled outside established legal procedures.

“We have to step up, and we have to draw the line,” Newsom told reporters before signing the bill. He said the law is intended to clarify election rules and serve as a warning to those who might try to interfere with California’s voting process.

The measure, Senate Bill 73, was initially introduced by state lawmakers amid concerns about possible federal interference in California elections. Those concerns were heightened by tensions between the state and the Trump administration, as well as the national political stakes surrounding control of Congress.

But the Riverside County ballot seizure shifted the debate from a theoretical concern to an immediate one, prompting lawmakers to move quickly so the restrictions would be in place before voters cast ballots in the primary.

Under the new law, county registrars are prohibited from turning over ballots or voting equipment to law enforcement officers, including county sheriffs and deputies. If the law had been in effect at the time of the Riverside County incident, Registrar Art Tinoco would have been barred from allowing the sheriff’s department to take custody of the ballots, even with the search warrant deputies presented.

Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, a Democratic coauthor of the bill and former Santa Cruz County registrar of voters, said voters must be able to trust that ballots remain secure.

“Voters should never wonder whether ballots were improperly handled,” Pellerin said. “And law enforcement powers should never be misused in ways that jeopardize the integrity of our democratic process.”

The law also confirms that the state attorney general, secretary of state or local election officials may sue any person, company or entity that takes a package containing ballots from an election official’s custody.

Voting rights advocates welcomed the swift action, calling the Riverside County seizure extraordinary.

Kim Alexander, president of the nonprofit California Voter Foundation, said she was not aware of any similar ballot seizure occurring elsewhere in the country. The Legislature’s response, she said, signals to voters that state officials recognized the seriousness of what happened.

The law includes additional provisions allowing the attorney general and secretary of state, in certain circumstances, to override county election officials. Supporters say those safeguards are intended to prevent local officials from undermining statewide election rules, such as by allowing armed personnel to gather near voting sites.

Those provisions come amid scrutiny of election administration in Shasta County, where Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis has drawn attention for his ties to 2020 election deniers and public skepticism of voting machines. Curtis, who had no prior experience running elections before being appointed registrar in 2024, also reduced the number of ballot drop boxes in the county. He has faced allegations of workplace violence and harassment, including claims that he threatened to drag employees from his office by their hair. Curtis has denied the accusations.

The new law also bars individuals from allowing law enforcement officers to access, disrupt, alter or take possession of voting technology without a court order.

Another section prevents election observers from challenging voter signatures. That issue gained attention last fall when the U.S. Justice Department, at the request of the California Republican Party, announced it would send election observers to California during the special election on Proposition 50. The move prompted concerns among Democrats and voting advocates that President Donald Trump was attempting to influence the outcome.

Alexander said the removal of ballots is only one potential threat to confidence in California elections. She also pointed to the state’s extended vote-counting timeline, which has become a frequent target of conspiracy theories and unsupported claims about election results.

Election advocates are urging Newsom to include roughly $55 million in the state budget for county election offices to purchase updated equipment and hire more staff, with the goal of speeding up ballot counting.

Newsom said Wednesday that budget discussions over election funding are progressing and that an agreement is expected soon.

Original source: CalMatters

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The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office’s Southwest Station in Temecula said it is partnering with law enforcement agencies, public health departments and community organizations for the weeklong campaign.

“Every child deserves to travel safely,” Deputy Strizver said. “During Child Passenger Safety Week, we urge all parents and caregivers to know for sure that their children are in the right seats and that those seats are installed correctly. Keeping a child in the right seat for their age and size can make all the difference in a crash.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly half of all car seats, 46 percent, are misused. Properly installed car seats reduce fatal injury risk by 71 percent for infants under 1 year old and by 54 percent for toddlers ages 1 through 4.

California law requires children under 2 years old to ride in a rear-facing car seat, unless they weigh at least 40 pounds or are at least 40 inches tall. Children under 8 must still be secured in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat. Those 8 and older, or who are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall, may transition to using a seat belt, but a booster seat is recommended until they fit the seat belt properly.

Parents and caregivers are encouraged to keep children in rear- or forward-facing seats as long as possible and to use the “Five-Step Test” to determine whether a child is ready to safely ride with just a seat belt.

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