Everything You Need to Vote in California's Primary

After months of waiting, Californians finally get to vote in the presidential primary, nominate state candidates and decide many local measures and races. But with so many options on how to vote, and changes in voting rules, casting a ballot can seem difficult. Here's everything you need to know on Tuesday.

Find Your Polling Place

If You Still Have Your Vote-by-Mail Ballot
If you saved that vote-by-mail ballot until Election Day, you're not alone. The majority of Californians who vote-by-mail wait until the last moment to cast their ballot. For instance, in 2014, Alameda County only received 5 percent of vote-by-mail ballots before Election Day. So many people waited that we changed state law. Now, election officials will count vote-by-mail ballots as long as they are postmarked by Election Day.

Bottom line: 1) You can still mail it in! Just mail it out on Tuesday, or 2) You can take the ballot to your polling place, surrender it, and ask for a new ballot.

If You Never Received Your Vote-by-Mail Ballot
If your vote-by-mail ballot never arrived, or you lost it, you can still vote provisionally. Just go to your polling place and ask for a provisional ballot.

No Party Preference Voters
If you are a "no party preference" voter, you can still vote for a presidential candidate in the American Independent Party, Democratic Party or Libertarian Party. Just ask a poll worker or county elections official for a ballot.

However if you wanted to vote for a presidential candidate in the Republican Party, Green Party or Peace and Freedom Party, you have missed the May 23 registration deadline.

If you're registered as no party preference and vote-by-mail, you can still bring that ballot in and request a replacement ballot for the American Independent Party, Democratic Party or Libertarian Party.

How California's Top Two Primary Works
In statewide races — including U.S. Senate and Congress, California Senate, California Assembly, governor, secretary of state, etc. — every eligible candidate from every party is grouped together. The top two candidates from any party who receive the most votes in the primary will face each other in a runoff in the November general election. So, two Democrats, two Republicans, or two Green Party candidates could run against each other in November.

Read an in-depth explanation of the top-two system here.

Track Your Vote-by-Mail or Provisional Ballot
Voting by mail is easy and convenient, but sometimes it can feel like casting your ballot into a black hole. You can track your vote-by-mail or provisional ballot on the phone or online.

Here are the links and phone numbers at which you can check your ballot's status throughout the Bay Area:

Alameda