California Online Voter Guide
November 2016 General Election
26th edition
About this Election
California's Statewide Primary is Tuesday, November 8.
Polling places open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
Voters who prefer to vote by mail can request a Vote by Mail ballot by November 1.
Unsure of your voter registration status? Looking for your polling place? Contact your county election office.
Check you registration status and address online via the Secreatry of State
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 systems
Dates and Deadlines
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Sept. 29 - Oct. 18 - State Voter Information Guide and County Sample Ballot mailing period
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October 10 - First day counties begin sending mail ballots to vote-by-mail voters (military/overseas ballots go out earlier)
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Oct. 11 - Nov. 7: Early in-person voting available during business hours at county election offices
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October 24 - Last day to Register to Vote or update registration
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November 1 - Last day to Request a Vote-by-Mail Ballot
What's on the Ballot?
Federal contests
President of the United States
1 U.S. Senate seat
53 U.S. House of Representatives seats
State contests:
20 California State Senate seats
80 California State Assembly seats
17 statewide propositions
Many voters have local candidates or measures on their ballots as well. Check your county sample ballot, county election office web site and Voters Edge (League of Women Voters of CA & Maplight)) for information on local contests.
Follow the Money 
Learn who the top donors are to California candidates and measures through Voters Edge, a nonpartisan voter guide produced by Maplight and the League of Women Voters of California. Visit "How to Follow the Money" to learn how to look up state and federal campaign contributions. Around the Capitol's Election Track features recently reported state campaign contributions.
Top donors for and aganist each state proposition - from the Fair Political Practices Commission
Total amounts raised for and against each state proposition - from the Secretary of State
About General Elections in California
In a General Election, voters decide among the party nominees selected in the Primary Election who wins and takes office. In Califonia's Presidential Primary election, voters' choices were restricted; you could only vote for candidates who were of the same party as you (No Party Preference voters had the option of "crossing over" and voting in some Presidential primaries).
In the General Election, all voters can vote for any candidate of any party regardless of the voters' or candidates' party preference.
Official Sample Ballots and Voter Guides
If you are a registered voter, your county election office will mail you an official Sample Ballot providing your polling place location, a Vote-by-Mail ballot application and information on any local contests on your ballot. In addition, each household with registered voters receives California's offfical state Voter Information Guide, covering statewide propositions and providing statements from the U.S. Senate candidates. (The online version also features statements from Presidential candidates). These two booklets provide the essential information you need to prepare to vote; if you haven't received them, contact your county election office.
Additional Web Resources
CVF recommends the following nonpartisan election web sites:
Visit CVF's Elections index page for additional election-related resources and archived editions of the California Online Voter Guide.
Secretary of State's official Voter Information Guide, the Quick Guide to Props, and Voting in California
Voters Edge from Maplight and the League of Women Voters of California
California Choices, providing proposition endorsements, from Next10 and Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley
The League of Women Voters' Easy Voter Guide
Animated proposition and election videos from SeePolitical
CVF's How To Host An Election House Party guide
Resources for military and overseas voters: www.overseasvotefoundation.org
California Counts, a public radio collaboration covering the 2016 election
Was this guide helpful?
Do you have suggestions, questions, or feedback? Please contact CVF. If you found this guide helpful, please donate to CVF and help support nonpartisan voter education.
This page was first published on April 7, 2016 |
Last updated on
October 19, 2016
Copyright California Voter Foundation, All Rights Reserved.
