California Midterm Election 2022: Voter guide
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LOS ANGELES - Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8. There are several key races and propositions on the California ballot this year. Below is a voter guide with resources on voting in person and by mail, as well as what you can expect to see on the ballot.
Voting in person
You can vote in person at a selected polling place on Election Day, Nov. 8. Polls are open from 7 a.m to 8 p.m. You can find your nearest poll center by visiting sos.ca.gov.
Vote by mail
Vote-by-mail ballots were sent out to registered California voters on Oct. 10 and drop boxes opened on Oct. 11. Voters wishing to mail their ballots can drop it off at any secure ballot box between Oct. 11 and Nov. 8. To find a drop-off location near you click here.
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Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by county election officials no later than seven days after Election Day. Voters can also drop off their vote-by-mail ballots at any polling site before 8 p.m. Election Day. After mailing your ballot, you can check on its status through the state's Where’s My Ballot? program.
Register to vote
If you are not registered to vote in California, you can register online by visiting registertovote.ca.gov. If you are registering or re-registering less than 15 days before the election date, then you would need to fill out the Same-Day Voter Registration form and request a ballot in person from your county elections office or polling location.
In order to register online you will need, your California driver license or California ID, the last four digits of your social security number and your date of birth.
If you are unaware of your voter registration status, you can check online by visiting voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.
What is on the ballot
This year on the ballot there are several congressional seats up for grabs, the main battlegrounds being Orange County, Los Angeles County and the Central Valley.
U.S. Rep. Mike Garcia (R) and Christy Smith (D) are running for California's 27th Congressional District.
Rep. Katie Porter (D) and Scott Baugh (R) are running for California's 47th Congressional District.
RELATED: Election 2022: Who's on the ballot in Southern California?
Rep. Michelle Steel (R) and Jay Chen (d) are running for California's 45th Congressional District.
Rep. David Valadao (R) and Rudy Salas (D) are running for California's 22nd Congressional District.
Ken Calvert (R) and Will Rollins (D) are running for California's 41st Congressional District.
Katie Porter (D) and Scott Baugh (R) are running for California's 47th Congressional District.
Mike Levin (D) and Brian Maryott are running for California's 49th Congressional District.
Voters will also find Gov. Gavin Newsom's name on the ballot. The Democratic governor is being challenged by Republican state senator Brian Dahle.
The Issue Is: Brian Dahle, Lanhee Chen
Sen. Brian Dahle joins the Issue Is to discuss rising gas prices, homelessness and his run for California Governor against incumbent Gavin Newsom. State Controller candidate Lanhee Chen discusses the role of the controller, abortion rights and California's fiscal future.
There are also seven propositions on the California ballot this year. They range from a woman's right to have an abortion to gambling and education to healthcare.
Click here for a full breakdown of all the propositions on California's ballot
Prop. 1 centers around whether to preserve reproductive health care as a constitutional right in California. If passed, the measure would explicitly prohibit interference with an individual's choice on reproductive health and guarantee the right to abortion and contraception within the state.
Prop. 26 allows for in-person roulette, dice games, sports wagering on tribal lands. Prop. 26, if passed, would outlaw marketing of sports betting to people 21 and under.
Prop. 27 allows for online and mobile sports wagering outside tribal lands. If passed, Californians 21 and older will be able to make sports bets online and/or on mobile apps.
RELATED: California Midterm Election 2022: Breakdown of propositions on the ballot
Prop. 28 would provide additional funding for arts and music education in all K-12 public and charter schools by annually allocating from the state’s General Fund an amount equal to 1% of required state and local funding for public schools.
Prop. 29 requires a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant, with six months of relevant experience, to be on-site during treatment at outpatient kidney dialysis clinics.
Prop. 30 provides funding for programs to reduce air pollution and prevent wildfires by increasing taxes on incomes of over $2 million. Prop 30 is funded by ride-share company Lyft and opposed by Governor Gavin Newsom. State regulators ordered companies like Lyft to make sure nearly all of their rides are in electric vehicles by 2030. Newsom says that Prop. 30 is Lyft’s attempt to make taxpayers pay for that.
Prop. 31 is a referendum on a 2020 law that would prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco products. If passed, in-person stores and vending machines would be prohibited from selling flavored tobacco products and tobacco product flavor enhancers. Prop 31 does not ban hookah tobacco sold and used at the store, certain cigars, or loose-leaf tobacco.