How voting works in California · California Governor 2026

The top-two open primary

California is one of only a few states with a top-two open primary (Prop 14, passed 2010, sometimes called a “jungle primary”).

You can vote for any candidate, regardless of party. Your registration as a member of any party does not limit your choices in the gubernatorial primary.
The top two finishers, regardless of party, advance to the November general election. This means the November ballot can feature:
- Two Democrats (as in the 2016 U.S. Senate race, Harris vs. Sanchez)
- One Democrat versus one Republican (the most common statewide outcome)
- Two Republicans (rare statewide in California, but it has happened in some districts)
Because of this, your June vote helps determine which matchup appears in November, not only who wins a party nomination.

One exception, which does not apply to the June 2026 gubernatorial primary: the presidential primary (a separate cycle, held in March of presidential years) is partisan. In that contest the Republican presidential primary is closed to Republicans only, while the Democratic presidential primary is open to Democrats and to No Party Preference voters who request a Democratic ballot. The June 2026 gubernatorial primary is top-two open.

Vote-by-mail by default

Under AB 37 (2021), every active registered voter is automatically mailed a ballot for every election. No absentee excuse is required.

Ballots for the June 2026 primary began being mailed Monday, May 4, 2026.
You should already have yours. If you do not, you can request a replacement at vote.ca.gov.

Three ways to return your ballot

Mail it back — it must be postmarked on or before Tuesday, June 2, 2026 and received by your county elections office by Tuesday, June 9, 2026 (a 7-day post-Election Day window).
Drop box — official county drop boxes have been open since May 5, 2026 and stay open through 8:00 PM on June 2. A drop box locator is available at vote.ca.gov.
In person at a vote center — you may use any vote center in your county. Under the Voter’s Choice Act you are not tied to a specific polling place.

Vote centers and timing

Most California counties, including San Diego County (which covers ZIP 92101), operate under the Voter’s Choice Act. For these counties:

Early vote centers opened Saturday, May 23, 2026 (10 days before the election).
All remaining vote centers open Saturday, May 30, 2026 (4 days before the election).
Vote centers are open on Election Day, Tuesday, June 2, 2026, from 7 AM to 8 PM.
You may use any vote center in your county; you are not assigned to a single location. A locator is available at vote.ca.gov.

A handful of non-Voter’s Choice Act counties still use traditional polling places open only on Election Day. San Diego is a Voter’s Choice Act county, so the timeline above applies to 92101 voters.

Same-day voter registration

If you are not registered, or your registration is out of date, California offers Conditional Voter Registration (same-day registration):

Go to any vote center in your county.
Register and vote the same day.
Your ballot is counted as soon as your registration is verified.

The regular registration deadline for the June 2026 primary was Monday, May 18, 2026. Voters who were not registered by then can use Conditional Voter Registration at a vote center between May 19 and June 2, 2026.

Signature verification and ballot curing

When you return a vote-by-mail ballot, the envelope signature is checked against the signature on file for your registration.

If the signatures match, the ballot is counted.
If they do not match, or you forgot to sign, your county elections office will contact you to “cure” your ballot (typically by mailing or emailing a form). You generally have until about two days before certification to cure it.
You can track your ballot’s status at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov.

Voter information materials

You should have received the following:

State Voter Information Guide — mailed from the California Secretary of State, with candidate statements and analyses of any statewide propositions.
County Voter Information Guide / Sample Ballot — mailed from your county, showing your specific ballot with all races for your district (U.S. House, state legislative, county offices, judges, local measures, and so on).
Your actual ballot — mailed separately, roughly 29 days before the election.

What’s on the June 2026 primary ballot

The June primary is a full-ballot election, so beyond Governor you will also be voting in primaries for:

U.S. Senate (if up — check your guide)
Other statewide constitutional offices (Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Controller, Insurance Commissioner, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Board of Equalization)
U.S. House (your district)
State Senate (if your district is up)
State Assembly (your district)
Judges and county offices
Any state or local measures on your ballot

If a candidate has suspended their campaign but did not formally withdraw in time, their name remains on the ballot, and any votes cast for that candidate are still counted.

Key dates

May 4, 2026 — county elections offices begin mailing vote-by-mail ballots.
May 5, 2026 — official drop boxes open.
May 18, 2026 — regular voter registration deadline.
May 19 – June 2, 2026 — Conditional Voter Registration (same-day registration) available at vote centers.
May 23, 2026 — early vote centers open (Voter’s Choice Act counties).
May 30, 2026 — all remaining vote centers open.
June 2, 2026 — Election Day; vote centers open 7 AM to 8 PM; mailed ballots must be postmarked by this date.
June 9, 2026 — deadline for county offices to receive mailed ballots postmarked by Election Day.

Quick links

Find your vote center or drop box: https://vote.ca.gov
Track your ballot: https://wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov
Same-day registration or replacement ballot: https://registertovote.ca.gov
Your county elections office: search “[your county] registrar of voters”