The June 2, 2026 California Primary is 23 days away, and for most LA voters, your ballot has 13 races on it — and most voters will recognize maybe three of them. Here's everything you need to know before you walk into the booth.
What is a primary election?
California's primary isn't a party election — it's a top-two system. Every candidate from every party runs together, and the top two vote-getters advance to the November general election regardless of party. This means you could end up with two Democrats facing each other in November, or a Democrat vs. a Republican, depending on how the votes split.
Your job in the primary is to pick the candidates you want to see in November — not just "your party's candidate."
What's on your ballot
Statewide races — on every California ballot
- Governor of California
- Attorney General
- California Superintendent of Public Instruction
- State Board of Equalization
LA-specific races — LA residents only
- Mayor of Los Angeles
- LA City Attorney
- LA County Assessor
- LAUSD School Board (your district)
Ballot measures
- Measure A — County homelessness funding
- Measure E — City fire department funding
- Measure ER — Emergency response infrastructure
- Measure CA — City charter amendment
- Measure FF — Parks and recreation funding
The races most voters ignore — but shouldn't
LA City Attorney
This office decides which cases the city prosecutes, how aggressively the city enforces municipal code, and whether to pursue or settle lawsuits against the city. In practice, it has enormous influence over how homelessness, small business violations, and police misconduct cases are handled. Most voters have never heard of the candidates.
LA County Assessor
The assessor determines the assessed value of every property in LA County — which directly affects your property tax bill. A contested assessor race can affect millions of homeowners. Most voters skip it anyway.
LAUSD School Board
The board controls a $20 billion budget and sets policy for 600,000 students. Members decide on curriculum, school closures, charter school expansion, and the superintendent's contract. If you have kids in public school, this race affects your daily life more than the Mayor's race does.
The five ballot measures
Collectively they involve billions of dollars in spending and permanent changes to the city charter. Measure A alone would raise the county sales tax to fund homelessness programs. These deserve at least five minutes of your time.
Key dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| May 13, 2026 | FOX 11 Mayoral Forum — Bass, Raman, Miller, Huang confirmed |
| May 19, 2026 | Last day to register to vote |
| May 26, 2026 | Vote-by-mail ballots start arriving |
| June 2, 2026 | Election day — polls open 7am to 8pm |
How to find your polling place
Go to lavote.gov and enter your address. LA County allows you to vote at any vote center in the county — you don't have to go to your specific assigned location.
Already registered? You can track your ballot status, find vote centers, and drop off your mail ballot at lavote.gov. Vote centers open May 28 for early in-person voting.
The fastest way to prepare
Most voter guides give you a list of endorsements from organizations you may or may not trust. WhoDoIVoteFor works differently — you pick your concerns, and the AI matches candidates across all 13 races based on your actual values. Takes about two minutes, covers every race, and you can do it right now before the ballot arrives.
The Mayor's race is free. All other races unlock for $4.99 — a complete, personalized ballot guide for less than a coffee.