California Online Voter Guide

November 2006 General Election
14th Edition

About This Election

On Tuesday, November 7, millions of Californians will head to the polls to cast ballots in hundreds of contests. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Voters who aren't sure they can make it to the polls should sign up to get an absentee ballot to vote by mail.

If you are unsure of your voter registration status or don't know your polling place, contact your county election office. For more information about voting in California, see CVF's Voting FAQ; for information about voting technology, see CVF's Map of California Voting Systems and County-by-County Directory of Voting Systems.

Deadlines

Last Day to Register to Vote - October 23
First Day to Request an Absentee Ballot - October 9
Last Day to Request an Absentee Ballot - October 31

What's on the Ballot?

Across the state, voters will choose candidates in 7 statewide Constitutional Office races, one U.S. Senate race, 53 contests for the House of Representatives, and 100 state legislative contests (including 80 State Assembly and 20 State Senate races). Also on the ballot are 13 statewide propositions. Depending on where you live, you may have local candidates or measures on your ballot as well. CVF's California Online Voter Guide includes information about all state candidates and measures; for information on local candidates and ballot issues CVF recommends SmartVoter.

Sample Ballots

If you are a registered voter, your county registrar will mail you an Official Sample Ballot including the location of your polling place and an absentee ballot application. In addition, the Secretary of State will mail you a Voter Information Guide providing information on statewide propositions and candidates. These two publications provide the basic information you need to prepare to vote; if you haven't received them, contact your county election office.

Additional Web Resources

Visit CVF's Elections index page for additional election-related resources and archived California Online Voter Guides. CVF recommends the following nonpartisan web sites for additional 2006 primary election information:

Secretary of State: Elections and Voter Information homepage
Secretary of State: Official Voter Information Guide
Easy Voter Guide
Around the Capitol's Election Track featuring up-to-date campaign contribution data
SmartVoter (League of Women Voters site, with local and judicial information)
League of Women Voters' Guide to Judicial Elections
News media voter guides: San Jose Mercury News

About this Voter Guide

The California Online Voter Guide is an award-winning clearinghouse of election information and web site links produced by the California Voter Foundation (CVF) for every statewide election since 1994. Now in its 14th edition, the 2006 guide provides nonpartisan information on the statewide propositions and all of the congressional, legislative, and statewide constitutional office candidates in this election. This voter guide will be updated throughout the election season.