California Online Voter Guide
November 2012 General Election
22nd edition
About This GuideClick on the tabs above to get information about this election's candidates and measures. This edition covers presidential candidates, congressional candidates, state legislative candidates, and statewide ballot measures. |
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Proposition Song 2012 debuts! About This Election
California's General Election is Tuesday, November 6.
Polls are open 7 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Voters who prefer to vote by mail can request a Vote by Mail ballot.
Unsure of your voter registration status? Looking for your polling place? Contact your county election office.
See CVF's Voting FAQ for more information about voting in California.
CVF's Map of California Voting Systems and County-by-County Directory of Voting Systems provide details about each county's voting system.
Important Dates and Deadlines
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Last day to Register to Vote - October 22
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First day to Request a Vote by Mail Ballot - October 8
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First day Vote-by-Mail ballots start being sent out - October 9
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Last day to Request a Vote by Mail Ballot - October 30
What's on the Ballot?
Across the state, voters will choose candidates in the presidential 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 11 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 contact information for state and federal candidates and statewide ballot measures; for additional information, as well as lnformation about local contests, CVF recommends SmartVoter.
Follow the Money
The California Online Voter Guide identifies the top donors for and against each of the statewide propositions on the ballot. Visit CVF's "How to Follow the Money" page for information on researching state and federal campaign finances.
New Political Districts
Legislative and congressional candidates are running in new political districts drawn by the first time by the independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission. Images of the new maps are available.
Official Sample Ballots and Voter Guides
If you are registered to vote at your current address, your county elections office will mail you an Official Sample Ballot providing your polling place location, a Vote By Mail ballot application and information on all of the contests on your ballot. In addition, the Secretary of State mails out the Voter Information Guide covering statewide propositions and contests. These 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 editions of the California Online Voter Guide. CVF recommends the following nonpartisan election web sites:
Secretary of State's official Voter Information Guide
KQED's California Proposition Guide
Maplight's Voter Guide - California on ballot propositions
Secretary of State'ss MyVote Democracy at Work Project
The League of Women Voter's Easy Voter Guide and SmartVoter web site
Around the Capitol's Election Track featuring up-to-date campaign contribution data
CVF and the Commonwealth Club's How To Host An Election House Party guide
Resources for military and overseas voters from the Secretary of State
Project Vote Smart’s candidate information
Living Voters Guide, featuring proposiition pros and cons from California voters
California Choices' Ballot Endorsements & proposition opinion sharing tool
Was this guide helpful?
Do you have suggestions, questions, or feedback? Please contact CVF. If you found this guide helpful, please make a contribution to help support CVF's nonpartisan voter education work.
This page was first published on October 1, 2012 |
Last updated on
November 29, 2012
Copyright California Voter Foundation, All Rights Reserved.
