Click here to listen to an audio file for the March 5, 2024 Primary Election.
Are you signed up to vote?
February 20, 2024 – Last day to register to vote in this election.
March 5, 2024 – Election Day. Your polling place is open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Get Ready
- Register to vote by February 20 at registertovote.ca.gov.
- Check your registration to make sure it’s up to date. If your signature has changed over time, then re-register to update your signature at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.
- If you want to get voting materials in a language other than English, make that choice at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.
What’s New For Voters
The state of California wants to make it easier to vote. Now, every registered voter in California will receive a ballot in the mail about a month before Election Day. You can choose to return the ballot by mail, drop it off, or instead vote in person. Read page 4 for more details.
No Longer in Prison? Once you have been released from prison in California your right to vote is automatically restored – you just need to register to vote. You may vote while you are on parole, but cannot vote if you are currently serving a sentence in state or federal prison.
About the March 5, 2024 Primary Election
Signing up to Vote
You must register to vote to get on the list of voters for the March election. The deadline to register for this election is February 20. You are eligible to vote if you are a U.S. citizen, 18 years or older, not currently in state or federal prison for a felony, and not court-determined to be mentally incompetent to vote. Fill out the registration form online at registertovote.ca.gov or call 1-800-345-8683 to get a form.
When you sign up to vote, you decide if you want to choose a “political party.” There are six political parties in California. Or you can register without choosing a political party.
If you missed the deadline, then go to any polling place or vote center. You will be able to register and vote on the same day – all the way up through Election Day. If you go to your assigned location, then your ballot will be sure to include all the contests on which you’re allowed to vote. Find your location at sos.ca.gov/elections/polling-place.
About the March 5, 2024 Primary Election
In this “primary” election, voters will choose candidates to run against each other in the November election. In this election you can vote for:
- President
- U.S. Senator
- Representatives in U.S. Congress and the California State Legislature
- A proposed law for California, Proposition 1 Mental Health Care and Addiction Treatment Reform & Bonds to Build Places for Treatment and Housing
- Other candidates and proposed laws depending on where you live
Voting for President
The political party you choose will decide which candidates for President appear on your ballot. If you register without choosing a political party, there is still a way you can vote for a candidate for President:
- Three of the political parties, American Independent, Democratic, and Libertarian, will allow voters with “no party preference” to ask for their ballots in the March 5 election.
- But if you want to vote on presidential candidates for the Green, Peace & Freedom, or Republican Party then you must re-register and select that party.
How We Elect the President
In the March Primary Election – Voters will have candidates for President from their political party on their ballot in March.
In the November General Election – The winner from each political party will run against the winners from other parties in November.
How We Elect the U.S. Senator, U.S. Representatives, California State Senators, and California State Assembly Members
In the March Primary Election – Voters will have all candidates for these offices on their ballot and can vote for any candidate from any party in March.
In the November General Election – The top two candidates with the most votes will run against each other in November. It is possible that these two candidates could be from the same political party.
Proposition 1 – Initiative
Title: Mental Health Care and Addiction Treatment Reform & Bonds to Build Places for Treatment and Housing
The way it is now: California is expensive, and many people can’t afford to pay for housing. Almost 172,000 Californians are homeless. Studies show that being homeless hurts people’s mental health. There are not enough places for mental health care and drug or alcohol treatment in California. The Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) is a law that taxes people who earn over $1 million per year. The money raised from those taxes is used to treat and prevent mental illness, and to provide drug and alcohol treatment to people with mental illness. Most of this money goes to counties. Counties make choices about how to provide services. They use the money for things like outpatient care, crisis response teams, preventative programs, and other services.
What Prop 1 would do if it passes: Allow the state to sell $6.38 billion in new bonds to build:
- Places for mental health care and drug or alcohol treatment.
- Supportive housing for homeless people with behavioral health challenges like mental health, drug, or alcohol issues. A portion of the money for this will be set aside for veterans.
More of the MHSA tax money would go to the state and less to counties. Counties will have to spend more of their MHSA money on housing and support services like education and employment.
They would have less to spend on treatment, crisis response, and outreach. Counties would be able to spend MHSA money on drug and alcohol treatment for anyone who needs it – not only people
with a mental illness.
Effect on the state budget: Prop 1 does not change the tax on people with incomes over $1 million per year. The total cost to pay off the bonds plus interest would be $6.38 billion plus several more
billion, depending on the interest rate. The state would pay around $310 million each year for the next 30 years to repay the bond.
People for Prop 1 say:
- Prop 1 will help with California’s homelessness, mental health, and addiction crises.
- Prop 1 will not raise any taxes.
People against Prop 1 say:
- Prop 1 will cut funding to county programs that are working well, and would hurt communities that need help the most.
- Prop 1 promotes forced treatment that is not effective and increases suicide risk.
What is a bond?
State and local governments ask voters to approve bonds to raise money for things that will last a long time, like schools and bridges. The government sells the bonds to get a large amount of money now and pays investors back over many years. In this election there is a proposition about a “General Obligation Bond (Prop 1)”. General Obligation Bonds are paid back from the state’s General Fund which gets money from income taxes and sales taxes. Bond payments reduce what the state can spend on other budget items like education and health care.
Ways to Vote
Every registered voter in California will receive a ballot in the mail a month before the election. There are 3 ways to vote. You can choose to mail back your ballot, or drop it off, or you can vote in person at a Voting Location.
(1) Vote-By-Mail
Mail your ballot back early! You can fill it in and mail it back as soon as you receive it. No stamp? No problem. You do not need a stamp to mail back your ballot.
Mark your ballot and seal it inside the envelope provided. Follow the directions on the ballot to mark your choices. Check that you are using the return envelope with your name on it. Put your ballot into the envelope & seal. Only 1 ballot in each envelope.
Sign and date the envelope. Date and sign your name carefully on the back of the envelope using ink.
Return your ballot on time. Mail your ballot back early because it must be postmarked by Election Day, March 5.
(2) Drop off your ballot
If you decide to hand in your ballot instead of mailing it, you must drop it off no later than 8PM on Election Day, March 5.
Drop off your ballot at any Voting Location or secure Ballot Dropbox in your county. For details and locations check caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov.
(3) Vote in person
At in-person Voting Locations you can:
- Vote in-person.
- Drop off your completed ballot.
- Vote with an accessible voting machine.
- Get help and voting materials in multiple languages.
Early voting, starting before Election Day, will be available in some locations. Find Early Voting and Ballot Dropbox locations at caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov. Find your Voting Location at findmypollingplace.sos.ca.gov.
Made a mistake? You can get a replacement ballot.
To get a new ballot, contact your County Elections Office before Election Day or go to your Voting Location when it opens and ask for a replacement.
After returning your ballot, check WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov to find out where your ballot is in the process and when it has been accepted.
Visit VOTE411.org to see what will be on your ballot. It’s easy. Just enter your address.
The Easy Voter Guide is made possible in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian. The League of Women Voters® of California Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that encourages informed and active participation in government and works to increase understanding of major public policy issues. Give your opinion about this guide at easyvoterguide.org.