By CalMatters staff, CalMatters
CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters
Photo: a voter casts their ballot at a voting site at the California Museum in downtown Sacramento on June 7, 2022. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters
June 8, 2022 (San Diego) - The polls are closed, but remember: In California elections, this is just the beginning.
The June top-two primary is when California voters choose their two favorites for governor, for top prosecutor, for fiscal watchdog and for a phalanx of lesser known and less competitive positions. Ditto for each of the 80 Assembly districts, 20 state Senate races and 52 congressional districts where 160, 40 and 104 candidates, respectively, will emerge after all the ballots are counted. But there may not be as many ballots to count as in previous primaries, if projections on abysmal voter turnout prove right.
In some races, this is the election that counts. There will be overwhelmingly blue or decisively red districts where only one member of the dominant party will secure one of the two coveted spots, all but ensuring their victory in November. But in others, the contests will create Democrat versus Democrat battles or, to a far lesser extent, Republican versus Republican fights. And for most races, the results of the June 7 primary will set the terms for the contests to come. Which races will be most competitive? Which political factions and ideological movements will win out? And which issues will be most hotly discussed and debated?
For the impatient among you, we have bad news: California election officials take their time counting every last ballot. The outcome of particularly close races might not be certain for days, if not longer. We’ll keep updating, so don’t be a stranger.
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