California General Election: 2024 Voting Guide

LOS ANGELES - The 2024 General Election in California will take place on Tuesday, November 5.

Voters across the country will be deciding which candidate will become the next President of the United States – Kamala Harris or Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, in California, voters will decide on several key races, including the U.S. Senate seat, Congressional seats, and state and local offices. In Los Angeles County, early voting begins on October 7, and voters have the option to vote by mail, at drop-off locations, or in person at voting centers across the county. In California, dates and times for early voting vary by where you live. Find out when early voting begins in your county on the California Secretary of State's website here.

Below is a breakdown of the top races and measures as well as key information on how to vote.

How to register to vote

The last day to register to vote in the general election is October 21, 2024. You can register to vote online at registertovote.ca.gov.

If you are registering or re-registering less than 15 days before Election Day, you will need to complete the Same-Day Voter Registration and request your ballot in person at your county elections office or polling location.

To register online or in person, you will need to provide your California driver's license or California identification card number, the last four digits of your social security and your date of birth.

Not sure if you are registered in California? You can double-check if you are registered, where you are registered and your party preference online at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.

Any voters who have not designated a party preference on their registration are considered a "No Party Preference (NPP)" voter, and your ballot will not have presidential candidates on it.

Mail ballots

Mail ballots will start being delivered October 7. All registered voters in California will receive a ballot in the mail. Vote-by-mail ballots can be returned by mail, at a drop-off location, or at your county election office. Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by November 12.

You can track and receive notifications on the status of your vote-by-mail ballot through the California Secretary of State's Where’s My Ballot? program.

How to find your vote center

Vote centers are open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. starting October 26 to November 4. On Election Day, November 5, voting centers have extended hours and are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

After receiving your ‘Official Sample Ballot’ you can scan the QR code inside to find your local voter center or a ballot drop box. You can also find your local vote center by entering your zip code on the state website at sos.ca.gov/elections/polling-place.

Ballot Drop Box locations

Designated Ballot Drop Box locations can be found on the California Secretary of State's website at caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov.

How to track your mail-in ballot in California

After mailing your ballot, you can check on its status through the state's Where’s My Ballot? program.

Once signing up, you can check when your ballot was mailed, received, and counted.

Voters can also receive notifications via email, text, or voice message from the county regarding their ballot status.

Key Dates

Ballots will start getting mailed to voters on Oct. 7.

Ballot drop-off locations open on Oct. 8.

The last day to register to vote – either online or by mail, is Oct. 21.

Same-day registration begins Oct. 22.

Vote centers open for early in-person voting on Oct. 26.

Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. This is also the last day to vote by mail. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 5 and received by your county elections office by Nov. 12.

How are votes counted?

According to the California Secretary of State, on Election Night, county elections officials must begin reporting results to the Secretary of State no more than two hours after they begin tallying votes after the polls close. The first results are typically ballots received before Election Day, which include vote-by-mail ballots and early voting location ballots. County elections officials may begin opening and processing vote-by-mail ballot envelopes up to 29 days before Election Day, but those results cannot be shared with the public until polls close.

By law, California county elections officials have 30 days, also known as the canvass period, to count every valid ballot and conduct a required post-election audit.

What is on the ballot?

One of the most competitive races in the state to watch is the race for US State Senate against Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff and former LA Dodger Republican Steve Garvey.

In LA County, another top race to watch is for LA County District Attorney. Former U.S. Assistant Attorney General Nathan Hochman will try to unseat current DA George Gascón. During the March primary election, neither candidate earned more than 50% of the vote, therefore, they both advanced to the general election.

Top Congressional races include District 27 between Mike Garcia (R) and George Whitesides (D); District 45 between Michelle Steel (R) and Derek Tran (D); District 41 between Ken Calvert (R) and Will Rollins (D); and District 47 between Scott Baugh (R) and Dave Min (D).

Propositions

This year there are 10 California propositions on the ballot.

California Prop 2:

Proposition 2: Authorizes Bonds for Public School and Community College Facilities. If approved, Proposition 2 would allow the state to sell a $10 billion bond for public school and community college facilities. Of those funds, $8.5 billion will go towards K-12 public schools and $1.5 billion for community colleges.

California Prop 3:

Proposition 3: Constitutional Right to Marriage. Legislative Constitutional Amendment. If approved, this measure would update the language in the California Constitution to match that of the federal courts which said same-sex couples can marry. This proposition will only update the outdated language, it will not change who can marry.

California Prop 4:

Proposition 4: Authorizes Bonds for Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, and Protecting Communities and Natural Lands From Climate Risks. Proposition 4 would allow the state to sell a $10 billion bond for natural resources and climate activities. Much of the bond money would be used for loans and grants to local governments, Native American tribes, not-for-profit organizations, and businesses. Some bond money also would be available for state agencies to spend on state-run activities. As for the financial aspect, the estimated cost to repay the bond would be about $400 million annually over a 40-year period. Payments would be made from the state General Fund.

California Prop 5:

Proposition 5: Allows Local Bonds for Affordable Housing and Public Infrastructure With 55% Voter Approval. Proposition 5 would lower the voting requirement needed to approve local general obligation bonds if they fund housing assistance or public infrastructure. Specifically, it would lower the voter approval requirement from two-thirds to 55 percent.

California Prop 6:

Proposition 6: Eliminates Constitutional Provision Allowing Involuntary Servitude for Incarcerated Persons. If passed, Prop. 6 would change the Constitution to ban involuntary servitude as a punishment for crime. It also bans state prisons from disciplining people who refuse to work. However, it does not stop prisons from giving people time credits for working. In terms of the financial impact, the state says it is uncertain the effect it will have because it depends on how people in state prison and county jail will respond to the changes.

California Prop 32:

Proposition 32: Raises Minimum Wage. Prop. 32 is looking to increase the state's minimum wage from $16 an hour to $18 an hour by 2026. After that, it would go up each year based on how fast prices continue to increase. In 2025, employers with 26 or more employees would have a minimum wage of $18 per hour. Employers with 25 or fewer employees would have a minimum wage of $17 per hour. According to the state, without Proposition 32, the minimum wage for all employees would be about $16.50 per hour. If approved, California will have the nation’s highest state minimum wage.

California Prop 33:

Proposition 33: Expands Local Governments’ Authority to Enact Rent Control on Residential Property. Under Prop. 33, cities and counties can control rents for any housing. It would also eliminate the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act. Local governments can also limit how much a landlord may increase rent when a new renter moves in. The proposition itself does not make any changes to existing local rent control laws. The prop would prevent the state from taking future actions to limit local rent control.

California Prop 34:

Proposition 34: Restricts Spending of Prescription Drug Revenues by Certain Health Care Providers. Prop. 34 would create new rules about how certain health care entities spend revenue from the federal drug discount program. Providers would have to spend at least 98% of their net revenue earned in California on health care services provided directly to patients. Prop. 34 also requires certain providers to report certain information to the state each year. Those that do not submit timely and accurate reports could face fines and penalties. According to the state, the proposition would "increase state costs to enforce the new restrictions. These costs will likely be in the millions of dollars annually. The state would cover this cost by charging fees on affected entities."

California Prop 35:

Proposition 35: Provides Permanent Funding for Medi-Cal Health Care Services. Prop. 35 would make the current health plan tax, known as Managed Care Organization Provider Tax, permanent beginning in 2027. The state would still need federal approval to charge the tax. The tax would continue to be based on the number of people to whom health plans provide coverage for. The proposition allows the state to change the tax, if needed, to get federal approval, within certain limits. Prop. 35 also creates rules on how to use the revenue. The existing tax on health plans is set to expire at the end of 2026. According to the state, the prop would increase funding for Medi-Cal and other health programs. The total increase in funding would likely be between roughly $2 billion and $5 billion annually.

California Prop 36:

Proposition 36: Allows Felony Charges and Increases Sentences for Certain Drug and Theft Crimes. Prop. 36 would increase the punishment for certain theft and drug crimes. In 2014, California voters passed Proposition 47 which changed some theft and drug crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. Prop. 36 would reverse that if approved. Under Prop. 36, the theft of items worth $950 or less would make the crime a felony if the person has two or more past convictions for certain theft crimes. Prop. 36 would also create a new treatment-focused court process for some drug possession crimes. It would also require courts to warn people convicted of selling or providing illegal drugs to others that they can be charged with murder if they keep doing so and someone dies. Prop. 36 would also lengthen some felony sentences and require some felony sentences to be served in prison.

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