CALIFORNIA, USA — The first wave of California's election season until the big showdown in November starts June 7 with the primary election.
This year, Gov. Gavin Newsom, fresh off his recall election win last year, is gearing up for another round of campaigning. He'll be looking to lock in another four years as top the Democrat in the state.
Attorney General Rob Bonta, who was appointed to the position after Xavier Becerra was tapped for Biden's cabinet, will also be trying to fend off some Republican and an independent candidates trying to oust him from the job.
Closer to home, the city council races, district attorney contests and county sheriff races are heating up in Northern California.
Here's what to know to cast your vote.
New District Boundaries
One of the most important things to know about the election is that the game has changed a bit in regard to some districts.
This is the first time Californians are voting for candidates in the newly drawn Congressional, State Assembly, State Senate contests, among others. For more information on the new district boundary lines, visiting the website of your local elections office.
Where to vote and drop off ballots
Voters should refer to their local county election's office to find where is the proper location for a voter's polling location. You can also text "VOTE" to "GOVOTE" (468-683).
Voters can choose to cast their ballot at a polling place or by mail.
For most counties, voters can mail in the ballot, drop it off at the county office or wait until Election Day to drop it off at the nearest polling location. In most cases, Californians do not need to show ID when voting.
Voters can also receive alerts as to where their ballot is in the counting process by signing up with the feature, Where's My Ballot?
What's on the ballot?
There's no shortage of candidates for this year's election. Nearly every ballot is casting a choice for the following:
- Governor and Lieutenant Governor
- Secretary of State
- Controller
- Treasurer
- Attorney General
- Insurance Commissioner
- Member, State Board of Equalization
- State Superintendent of Public Instruction
- US Representative in Congress
- State Senator
- State Assembly Member
Some offices might vary depending on the district the voter is in.
The ballot could also include city and county wide contests for local offices such as district attorney, city council, county sheriff, and county supervisor.
There are two contests for U.S. Senate, one for the regularly scheduled election for a six-year term and other being a special election for the remainder of the current term start after the November election.
Races to watch
Attorney General:
One of the most closely watched state-wide races is for attorney general. Among the five candidates on the ballot, there's three who have garnered the most attention: incumbent Rob Bonta; Republican Nathan Hochman; and Independent Anne Marie Schubert, who's had her name in many headlines for the race. However, only two will make to the November election.
Hochman and Schubert spoke with ABC10 about their campaigns for office. Bonta's campaign did not respond to four different interview requests.
California's 3rd Congressional District:
This race is expected to be hotly contested as four men campaign against one another to represent voters in portions of nine counties to the east of Sacramento. Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones (R), Rocklin Assemblymember Kevin Kiley (R),Dr. Kermit Jones (D) and David Peterson (D) are all vying for the win.
READ MORE: A sheriff, doctor, and assemblyman go head to head in California's 3rd District Congressional race
Sacramento County Sheriff:
By June 7, there'll be a new sheriff in town as current Sheriff Scott Jones seeks higher office. The big question is whether it'll be Elk Grove Assemblymember Jim Cooper or Sacramento County Undersheriff Jim Barnes. Both tout decades of law enforcement experience, but there's key differences in how they'd approach the job.
Placer County Sheriff:
Placer County Sheriff Devon Bell is heading into retirement and voters will have a showdown between two candidates seeking to become the county's top law enforcement officer. Undersheriff Wayne Woo and Administrate Sgt. Brandon Bean, both with long tenures at the sheriff's office, are vying for the open seat.
READ MORE: Inside the race for Placer County Sheriff
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