California primary election underway: Voters head to polls for high-stakes governor, local races

LOS ANGELES - Millions of Californians are casting ballots on Tuesday in a high-stakes primary election that will reshape the state's political landscape ahead of the November midterms. 

From local mayoral races to a massive gubernatorial field and freshly redrawn congressional boundaries, here's everything you need to know as voting gets underway across Southern California.

Big picture view:

The election is operating under California's top-two primary system, meaning all candidates appear on the same ballot regardless of political party, and the top two finishers advance. 

There are approximately 23.1 million registered voters in the state, comprising 10.4 million Democrats, 5.8 million Republicans, and 5.3 million independent or no-party voters.

The gubernatorial race features 61 candidates. 

The Democratic field includes former U.S. health secretary Xavier Becerra, former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, billionaire 2020 presidential candidate Tom Steyer and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Republicans vying for the seat include Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and conservative commentator Steve Hilton, who has Trump’s endorsement.

In Los Angeles, incumbent Mayor Karen Bass faces a dozen challengers, including tech entrepreneur Adam Miller and former reality TV personality Spencer Pratt.

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Congressional races are being fought on a new district map approved by voters in a November 2025 referendum. 

This redistricting prompted U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley to leave the Republican Party to run as an independent in the 6th District, while Republican Representatives Ken Calvert and Young Kim are facing off directly in the 40th District.

What we know:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 8 p.m. PT.

What’s on the ballot?

This is a "midterm" primary, meaning high-profile state executive offices and legislative seats are up for grabs.

Statewide Executive Offices

The biggest race this year is for Governor, as the seat is open due to term limits. Major candidates currently vying for the top spot include:

• Democrats: Xavier Becerra, Katie Porter, Antonio Villaraigosa, Matt Mahan, and Tony Thurmond,
• Republicans: Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton.

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Other statewide offices on your ballot:

Lieutenant Governor

• Secretary of State
• State Controller & Treasurer
• Attorney General
• Insurance Commissioner
• Superintendent of Public Instruction

Legislative & Federal Races

• U.S. House of Representatives: All 52 of California’s seats in Congress.
• State Senate: Even-numbered districts (20 out of 40 seats).
• State Assembly: All 80 seats.

Key LA City, County Races

In addition to the statewide and federal contests, Los Angeles County voters will decide on several critical local leadership positions. 

In many of these nonpartisan races, if a candidate receives more than 50% of the vote on June 2, they win the seat outright. If not, the top two move on to November.

City of Los Angeles: The Mayor’s Race

The Incumbent: Mayor Karen Bass is running for a second term. Her campaign is centered on "momentum," specifically her "Inside Safe" initiative and efforts to move unhoused Angelenos into permanent housing.

The Challengers: Bass faces a broad field of over a dozen challengers. Key names to watch include:

• Nithya Raman: A current City Councilmember (District 4) running to the left of Bass, focusing on tenant protections and progressive housing policy.
• Spencer Pratt: The reality TV personality turned wildfire critic, who has gained traction running as a populist outsider focused on public safety and city spending.
• Rae Huang: A community organizer and housing rights advocate.
• Adam Miller: A tech entrepreneur and former executive.

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Other Major Citywide Races

• City Attorney: Incumbent Hydee Feldstein Soto is seeking re-election. She is being challenged by candidates including Marissa Roy and John McKinney.
• City Controller: Incumbent Kenneth Mejia is running for a second term. He is known for his data-driven (and often viral) audits of city spending.
• LA City Council: Depending on where you live, you will also vote for your representative on the 15-member City Council. Odd-numbered districts are up this year: Districts 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15. * Note: In District 3, the seat is open because incumbent Bob Blumenfield is term-limited.

Here are the key LA County races appearing on your June 2 ballot:

Countywide Offices

These offices represent the entire county (nearly 10 million people).

• LA County Sheriff: Incumbent Robert Luna is running for re-election. He faces a crowded field of challengers, including former Sheriff Alex Villanueva, retired captain Mike Bornman, and several current LASD lieutenants such as Eric Strong and Oscar Martinez.

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• LA County Assessor: Incumbent Jeffrey Prang is seeking another term. He is being challenged by deputy assessors Stephen Adamus and Sandy Sun, as well as real estate economist Rob Newland. This office is responsible for discovering and assessing the value of all taxable property in the county.

Board of Supervisors

Two seats are up this year:

• District 1 (Eastside, SGV, Downtown): This is an open seat because incumbent Hilda Solis is term-limited. Key candidates include State Senator María Elena Durazo, Elaine Alaniz, and David Argudo.
• District 3 (Westside, San Fernando Valley): Incumbent Lindsey Horvath is running for her second term. She faces challengers including Tonia Arey and Tomás Sidenfaden.

Judicial Races (Superior Court)

There are 15 judgeships up for election in the LA County Superior Court. 

• Offices on Ballot: Look for "Office No. X" (e.g., Office No. 2, Office No. 15).
• Candidates: These usually include Deputy District Attorneys, Public Defenders, and private attorneys.

Tip: Check the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) ratings (Qualified, Well Qualified, or Exceptionally Well Qualified) which are typically released a few weeks before the election to help evaluate judicial candidates. 

Municipal & Special Districts

Depending on where you live in the county, you may also see:

• LA Community College District (LACCD): Several Board of Trustees seats.
• City Councils: Various cities (like Long Beach, Glendale, and Pasadena) have local council or mayoral seats on the June ballot.
• Water Boards: Local municipal water district boards and replenishment districts.

Who gets to vote?

Any registered voter in California may participate in the state primary.

How many voters are there?

As of April 3, there were about 23.1 million registered voters in California, including about 10.4 million Democrats, about 5.8 million Republicans and about 5.3 million not registered with any party.

How many people actually vote?

About 7.3 million votes were cast in the U.S. Senate primary in 2024, roughly a third of registered voters.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

About 89% of vote in the 2024 U.S. Senate primary was cast before primary day.

About 2.6 million ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election.

When are early and absentee votes released?

About four out of every five California counties release some or most of their results from mail voting in the first vote report of the night, usually before any in-person Election Day results are released. Almost half the counties release most or all of their in-person early voting results in the first vote report.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2024 primaries, the AP first reported results at 11:08 p.m. ET, or eight minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 6:01 a.m. ET with about 52% of total votes counted. The count reached 99% of total votes about two weeks later on March 20 at 7:47 p.m. ET.

When will a winner be declared?

The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

There are no automatic recounts in California. Any registered voter may request and pay for a recount. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 14 days until the June 16 special primary in Congressional District 14, 63 days until the Aug. 4 special general election in Congressional District 1, 77 days until the Aug. 18 special general election in Congressional District 14 and 154 days until the Nov. 3 general election.

Local perspective:

How to cast your vote

California makes it easy to vote, but you must follow the rules to ensure your ballot isn't disqualified.

• By Mail (Recommended)

Every active registered voter receives a ballot.

Tip: Sign the back of your return envelope! Your signature is compared to the one on file (usually from your DMV record).

No stamps are needed; postage is pre-paid.

• At an Official Drop Box

Avoid the mail and drop your ballot at any secure, official drop box in your county starting May 4.

• In Person

Where to vote

You can vote at a traditional polling place or a Vote Center. Tap or click here to find one near you.

• Los Angeles County
• Orange County
• Riverside County
• San Bernardino County
• Ventura County

Pro-tips for LA voters:

LA County uses Vote Centers rather than traditional neighborhood polling places. This means you can vote at any center in the county, regardless of where you live. Many of these centers will open for early voting starting May 23.

Also, make sure to check your specific ballot. Because LA County is so large, your ballot will look different than someone's a few miles away. You can view your Sample Ballot at lavote.gov to see the exact local races for your address.

What's next:

Once polls close, early mail-in ballots will be reported first. 

In-person voting tallies will follow throughout the night, potentially shifting early leads. 

Because California conducts meticulous signature verification on mail-in ballots, a final, complete count is not expected for roughly two weeks. 

The top two winners from each primary will face off in the general election on November 3, 2026.

What you can do:

If you have not yet voted, you have until 8 p.m. to cast your ballot.

• Drop Boxes and Centers: You can return your ballot to an official county drop box or vote in person at any local Vote Center.
• Voting by Mail: If you are mailing your ballot today, you must take it to a post office and explicitly request a hand-stamped postmark to ensure it is legally counted.
• Verify and Track: You can check your registration status at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov and track the status of your submitted ballot via WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov