California’s primary election in 2026 is just 10 days away, and election offices across the state have opened up hundreds of early voting centers starting from May 23 (Saturday) to allow local voters to cast their ballots in person.
The primary in California this year is scheduled for June 2, and as per tradition, all active registered voters in the state will receive a mail-in ballot for the primary election. According to data from the Secretary of State’s office, as of Friday morning (May 22), over 1.5 million California voters have already cast their votes by returning their mail-in ballots.
For those who prefer not to use the mail-in ballot, voters can go to the voting centers to cast their ballots in person or drop off filled paper ballots in the designated boxes at the centers. The first batch of voting centers in counties implementing the Voter’s Choice Act will open on May 23.
This primary election in California covers a wide range of public offices, including governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, attorney general, insurance commissioner, and superintendent of public education. All California voters are eligible to participate in voting for these public offices, with each seat allowing only one candidate to be chosen.
Los Angeles County took the lead by opening 122 early voting centers on Saturday, with operating hours from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, allowing voters to cast their ballots in person, register to vote, or drop off mail-in ballots.
Starting from May 30, over 600 voting centers in the county will be fully operational from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, and on election day, June 2, the centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters can find the nearest voting center online through locator.lavote.gov.
Dean Logan, Director of Elections for Los Angeles County, reminded voters casting their ballots in person that for positions with numerous candidates, such as the approximately 60 gubernatorial candidates in California, the voting equipment screens can only display a limited number of candidates per page. Voters need to click on the “More” button to view the complete list of candidates.
Orange County announced the opening of 39 early voting centers starting on Saturday, where voters can apply for replacement ballots, vote in person, drop off filled mail-in ballots, update voter registration information, or seek assistance with voting-related services from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
On May 30, all 191 voting centers in the county will be fully operational from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. On election day, June 2, the centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Riverside County will also open 21 early voting centers starting on the 23rd and will add 131 more centers on the 30th.
The opening hours of early voting centers vary by location, and voters should check their local election office’s official website for details. For instance, early voting centers in San Bernardino County will open on May 28 (excluding the elections office headquarters).
California’s primary on June 2 this year will largely follow the “Top-2-Primary” system, where the top two candidates with the highest votes in the primary, regardless of party affiliation, will advance directly to the general election in November to vie for victory.
The Secretary of State reminds all voters that all mail-in ballots must be postmarked by June 2 or earlier and received by their county elections office within 7 days after election day to be counted as valid ballots; the returned ballot must be signed by the voter. Voters can drop off completed ballots in official ballot drop boxes, mail them through USPS, or personally deliver them to the county elections office.
This article serves as information for reference only, and for detailed election information, please refer to the official websites of the Secretary of State and respective county election offices.