California 2026 elections

Contests on the board in California

The general-election contests the Ledger tracks in California, each with the raters' current call, the newest public polling and the money reported.

Candidate profiles from California

CA-5 · California

Tom McClintock

Nine-term Republican for California’s 5th District after 22 years in the Legislature; near the top of taxpayer scorecards; voted to count the 2020 electors.

Read Tom McClintock's recordThe race

Key dates and deadlines

Read from the California Secretary of State on Sep 17, 2026. The authority's own page, linked beside each date, is the final word — confirm it before you act.

• Voter registration deadlineOctober 19, 2026 is the last day to register to vote in the general election. A registration application must be postmarked by that date if mailed, submitted online by that date, or delivered to the county elections official by that date. After that date, Same Day Voter Registration is available through Election Day. sos.ca.gov
• Online voter registration deadlineOctober 19, 2026 is the last day to register to vote online, at registertovote.ca.gov, for the November 3, 2026 general election. sos.ca.gov
• Same Day Voter RegistrationFrom October 20, 2026 through Election Day, November 3, 2026, eligible citizens who missed the October 19 deadline can "conditionally" register and vote a provisional ballot at their county elections office, polling place or vote center. The ballot is processed and counted once the county elections office has completed the voter registration verification process. sos.ca.gov
• Vote-by-mail ballots mailed to votersOctober 5, 2026 is the last day for county elections officials to begin mailing a vote-by-mail ballot to every active registered voter; no request is needed. Secure ballot drop-off locations open on October 6, 2026 and remain available through the close of polls on November 3, 2026. sos.ca.gov
• Early voting beginsEarly voting sites open on October 5, 2026. The first vote centers open for early in-person voting in all Voter's Choice Act counties on October 24, 2026, and in-person early voting locations throughout California will be open on Saturday, October 31, 2026. Find locations at caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov or on the county elections official's website. sos.ca.gov
• Deadline to return a vote-by-mail ballotBy mail: the ballot must be postmarked on or before Election Day, November 3, 2026, and received by the county elections office no later than 7 days after Election Day, November 10, 2026. In person: return it to a secure drop box, polling place, vote center or county elections office by 8:00 p.m. on November 3, 2026. To ensure a timely postmark, the Secretary of State says to mail the ballot at least 7 days in advance. sos.ca.gov
• Election DayTuesday, November 3, 2026. sos.ca.gov
• Poll hours on Election DayPolls are open throughout the state from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2026. A voter who is still in line when the polls close has the right to vote. sos.ca.gov

Official voting tools

These links go to the state's own tools. The Ledger does not collect registrations or ballots.

Rules to know

• What to bring

  In most cases, a California voter is not required to show identification to a polling place worker before voting. A person voting for the first time after registering by mail who did not provide a driver license number, California identification number or the last four digits of the Social Security number on the registration form may be asked to show a form of identification at the polls; in that case, bring identification to the polling place or include a copy of it with the vote-by-mail ballot. Acceptable examples include a copy of a recent utility bill, the sample ballot booklet from the county elections office, another document sent by a government agency, a passport, a driver license, an official state identification card, or a student identification card showing name and photograph. Read from: sos.ca.gov

• Voting by mail

  County elections officials mail a vote-by-mail ballot to all active registered voters, so no application is needed. After voting, place the ballot in the envelope provided and complete all required information on the envelope; the signature on the return envelope is compared with the signature(s) in the voter registration record. Return the ballot by mail, at a secure drop box or drop-off location, or in person at a polling place, vote center or county elections office. Anyone may return a voter's ballot as long as they are not paid on a per-ballot basis. Read from: sos.ca.gov

• Voting early in person

  Early voting sites open October 5, 2026, and any registered voter can go to a county elections office in person to request and receive a vote-by-mail ballot. In Voter's Choice Act counties, the first vote centers open October 24, 2026; at any vote center in a participating county a voter may vote in person, drop off a ballot, get a replacement ballot, vote using an accessible voting machine, get help and voting material in multiple languages, and register to vote or update a voter registration. In-person early voting locations throughout California will be open on Saturday, October 31, 2026; counties that are not implementing the Voter's Choice Act open at least one early voting location that day for a minimum of six hours. Locations are listed at caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov. Read from: sos.ca.gov

• Track your ballot

  The Secretary of State's "Where's My Ballot?" tool tracks a vote-by-mail ballot when it is mailed, received and counted. Voters who sign up at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov receive updates on the status of their ballot by text message (SMS), email or voice call. Read from: sos.ca.gov

• If there is a problem with your signature

  If there is an issue with the signature on a vote-by-mail return envelope, the county elections office notifies the voter by mail, phone, email or through the "Where's My Ballot?" tool. For the November 3, 2026 general election, the Secretary of State's election calendar gives 5:00 p.m. on November 25, 2026 as the deadline for a voter to verify a signature that did not compare or to provide a missing signature. The signature verification statement or combined statement can be submitted in person, or by mail, email or fax. Read from: elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov

• Voting rights after a felony conviction

  A person who is currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony cannot register or vote. That includes a person serving a state prison sentence who is housed in a local detention facility; a person in a local detention facility who is awaiting transfer to a state or federal prison following a felony conviction is also not allowed to register and vote. People on parole, on probation, on mandatory supervision, on post-release community supervision or on federal supervised release can register and vote, as can people in a local detention facility who are serving a misdemeanor sentence, serving a felony jail sentence, in jail as a condition of probation, or awaiting trial. Once the term is finished, the right to vote is restored, but the person must register online at RegisterToVote.ca.gov or by filling out a paper voter registration card. Read from: sos.ca.gov

On the statewide ballot

Offices on the November 3, 2026 statewide ballot, per the California Secretary of State:

Governor · Lieutenant Governor · Secretary of State · Controller · Treasurer · Attorney General · Insurance Commissioner · Superintendent of Public Instruction · Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (2 justices)

Questions and answers