California Online Voter Guide, March 2024

California Presidential Primary Election

March 5, 2024
(33rd edition)

About This Election

What's on the ballot:  

  • The office of U.S. Senate will have TWO separate contests on the ballot. You may vote on both. The first contest is the regular election for the full 6-year term of office beginning 1/3/25. The second contest is a "special vacancy election" for the remainder of the term ending on 1/3/25. 

  • Statewide, Congressional, State Assembly and odd-numbered State Senate districts

  • Proposition 1, a statewide bond measure

  • Local contests for county, municipal and special district offices, judges and local measures 

2024 IN-PERSON VOTING OPTIONS
BY COUNTY

Your voting choices:

  • In California state and federal elections, under California's "Top Two" open primary law, all registered voters can vote in the primary for any candidate of any party regardless of voters' or candidates' party affiliations. However, in a Presidential Primary election, voters registered with a political party can only choose among candidates for president who are registered with the same party (the same is true for party central committee elections). In this election, Independent, "No Party Preference" voters have have the option of voting in the Presidential primaries of the Democratic, Libertarian and American Independent parties; voters wishing to vote differently than their party registration allows must re-register to vote and update their party affiliation. Learn more from the Secretary of State
     
  • California local elections are nonpartisan; like state and federal contests, the top two vote-getters proceed to the General Election ballot, unless one candidate receives more than 50% of the Primary election vote, in which case that candidate won outright in the Primary, and the contest is over and does not appear on the General Election ballot.
     
  • All federal, state and local political district lines were redrawn after the 2020 Census to ensure Californians are equally represented. Visit CalMatters to look up your new state and federal districts.

 

Important Dates

  • February 5:   Counties must begin mailing vote-by-mail ballots to all registered voters; first day of early voting
  • February 20:  Last day to register to vote 
  • February 21 - March 5:  Conditional, "same day" voter registration available at all voting sites and county election offices
  • February 24:  11-day vote centers open in Voter's Choice Act counties
  • March 2:  4-day vote centers open in Voter's Choice Act counties
  • March 5:  Election Day - polling places and vote centers are open statewide 7am - 8pm

Resources

From the California Voter Foundation:

CVF Vote by Mail tips
 

From the California Secretary of State:

From the California Attorney General:

CVF recommends these additional nonpartisan voter resources:


Archived editions of CVF's California Online Voter Guide: