We Just Voted in the California Primary Election

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California has a very unusual primary system. Instead of a primary for each political party, all the names and put on one ballot and the two top vote-getters for each office will be the only names put on the final ballot in November. The final names on the November ballot could be two Democrats, two Republicans, one of each, or one Republican or Democrat, plus a Third Party Candidate. If one candidate gets more than 50% of the total votes cast in the primary, they automatically win, without needing to wait until November. Officially, this is called an Open Primary. Unofficially, it is called a Jungle Primary! For example, we currently have 27 candidates running for Governor. In November, only the top two will be on the ballot. The primary is designed to whittle down the choices so only the most popular candidates are left, regardless of party. My husband and I have been actively supporting and campaigning for a University of California Law Professor and Consumer Advocate Attorney, Katie Porter, whom we hope will be our new representative in Congress and replace our current one, who has frequently voted against the wishes of her constituents in California and has refused to hold Town Hall meetings. One thing we really like in California is that everyone can vote by mail and, in our area, over 70% of voters choose that option. In addition, voting stations are set up around the state for several days before the official election, so people can go in and vote at their convenience. By election day, the number of voters who have not voted is quite small. We were excited this morning to cast our votes. For us, the mid-term primary voting is over and we just need to watch the results on June 5.