California elections, 2021
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This page is an overview of the 2021 California elections, including the offices on the ballot covered by Ballotpedia, election dates, and frequently asked questions.
Contents
Offices on the ballot
Below is a list of California elections covered by Ballotpedia in 2021. Click the links to learn more about each type:
| U.S. Senate | — |
| U.S. House | — |
| Congress special election | — |
| Governor | — |
| Other state executive | — |
| State Senate | — |
| State Assembly | — |
| Special state legislative | ✓ |
| State Supreme Court | — |
| Intermediate appellate courts | — |
| Local judges | — |
| School boards | — |
| Municipal government | ✓ |
| Recalls | ✓ |
| Ballot measures | — |
| Local ballot measures | ✓ |
Legend: ✓ election(s) / — no elections
Subject to Ballotpedia's scope
Election dates
Statewide election dates in California are listed below. For more dates, please see the elections calendar.
Statewide election dates
There are no statewide elections in California this year. See the Ballotpedia calendar page for more election dates.
Polling hours: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.[1]
Local election dates
Ballotpedia provides comprehensive ballot coverage of municipal elections in the nation's 100 largest cities by population, including races for trial court judgeships and county offices that overlap them. Ballotpedia also covers the nation's 200 largest public school districts by student enrollment and all school districts overlapping the top 100 cities by population.
Frequently asked questions
When are the polls open?
7 a.m. to 8 p.m.[1]
See State Poll Opening and Closing Times (2021) for more information
Where can I find election results?
Election results are posted on Ballotpedia's election overview pages, as well as the relevant candidate pages. You can find links to the current election overview pages in the "Offices on the ballot" section of this page.
How do primaries work in California?
California uses a top-two primary system, in which all candidates appear on the same ballot. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, move on to the general election. In states that do not use a top-two system, all parties are usually able to put forward a candidate for the general election if they choose to.[2][3][4][5]
Unlike the top-two format used in some states (Louisiana and Georgia special elections for example), a general election between the top two candidates in California occurs regardless of whether the top candidate received 50 percent of the vote in the first round of elections.
As of 2019, California was one of three states to use a top-two primary system. Washington used the system for congressional and state-level elections, and Nebraska utilized a top-two system for its nonpartisan state legislature.
How do I register to vote?
To vote in California, an individual must be a U.S. citizen and California resident. A voter must be at least 18 years of age on Election Day. Conditional voter registration is available beginning 14 days before an election through Election Day.[6]
On October 10, 2015, California Governor Jerry Brown (D) signed into law Assembly Bill No. 1461, also known as the New Motor Voter Act. The legislation, which took effect in 2016, authorized automatic voter registration in California for any individuals who visit the Department of Motor Vehicles to acquire or renew a driver's license.[7][8]
Is there an early voting period?
- See also: Early voting
California permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
As of April 2021, 38 states and the District of Columbia permitted early voting. Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on election day. States that do not permit early voting still permit some or all citizens to vote early by mail—often known as absentee voting. Some states allow no-excuse absentee voting, while others require an excuse. States that allow in-person absentee voting without an excuse are counted among early voting states. Click here for early voting laws by state.[9]
Who is eligible for absentee voting?
- See also: Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in California. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[10]
What are the voter ID laws in California?
See Voter identification laws by state.
How do I file to run for office?
See Ballot access requirements for political candidates in California for information on how to run for state or federal office.
What does Ballotpedia cover?
Ballotpedia's coverage extends to all elections on the federal level, all gubernatorial, state legislative, statewide ballot measure, and statewide judicial elections, as well as many other types of state executive offices. Local election coverage includes comprehensive ballot coverage for municipal and judicial elections in the top 100 cities by population and races for the large counties that overlap them. In the state capitals outside of the 100 largest cities, it includes coverage of mayoral, city council, and district attorney elections. It also includes school board elections in the top 200 largest school districts by enrollment, all California local ballot measures, and notable local ballot measures from across the nation. Ballotpedia also covers all elections in the U.S. territories but not elections in other countries.
How do I contact Ballotpedia with a question?
Email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 California Secretary of State, "Key Dates and Deadlines", accessed November 18, 2019
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ FairVote, "Primaries," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ Alex Padilla California Secretary of State, "Primary Elections in California," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Voter Registration," accessed October 6, 2019
- ↑ The Los Angeles Times, "Gov. Brown approves automatic voter registration for Californians," October 10, 2015
- ↑ The Sacramento Bee, "California voter law could register millions–for a start," October 20, 2015
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Laws Governing Early Voting," August 2, 2019
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed January 21, 2015
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