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Voter Game Plan
Everything you need to know about voting and the Nov. 3 general election in Southern California.
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Save your picks
Candidate Tracker
Save your preferred candidates as you explore our guides, then view or print out your full list of picks on your personal tracker page.
Ask your questions
Ask LAist (NEW!)
Ask questions about candidates, races, and voting — and get instant answers drawn from LAist’s reporting.
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Candidate Matchup
Find your best match for CA governor and LA mayor with quizzes built on real candidate responses.
Your guide to LA County races
The LAist team is back to help you cast your ballot in dozens of L.A. County races in the Nov. 3 general election, including the always-hard-to-choose judges.
Your guide to Orange County races
The LAist team is back to help you cast your ballot for the top general election races in Orange County, including judges and statewide races.
The Voter Game Plan team is hard at work
LAist reporters and editors are back again to provide you the election guides and coverage you rely on.
Key dates
- Oct. 5: Deadline for counties to start sending mail-in ballots. Early voting sites open.
- Oct. 19: Last day to register to vote. (You can still conditionally register to vote beyond this date, but you must do it in person. Check your registration status here.)
- Oct. 24: Select Vote Centers open across Los Angeles and Orange County for in-person voting. (See LAVote.gov and OCVote.gov for locations.)
- Late October: To make sure your ballot is postmarked by Election Day, election officials recommend mailing it at least 7 days in advance.
- Oct. 31: All Vote Centers open across L.A. and O.C.
- Nov. 3: Election Day. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Nov. 10: Final day for ballots postmarked on or before Election Day to be received by county election officials.
What questions do you have about this election?
You ask, and we'll answer: Whether it's about who's funding the campaigns or how to track your ballot, we're here to help you understand the 2026 election.
More election news
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A federal judge has denied an unprecedented, emergency request by the Department of Justice to segregate thousands of California ballots in the midterm elections. -
SoCal cities big and small are facing widening budget gaps — and want voters to OK new and higher taxes to close them. -
Long-term disaster recovery funds have yet to come after the LA fires. CA lawmakers think Democratic wins in November could change things. -
A federal judge seemed skeptical of the Trump administration’s demands that California election officials set aside 20,000 ballots. -
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From registering to vote, to the holes in your return envelope and how to find your polling place, LAist's Voter Game Plan has you covered for the Nov. 3 midterm election.
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Election videos
High school seniors vote for the first time in South L.A.
Karen Bass defends Inside Safe program
The next LAPD chief needs ‘courage’ with ICE, says mayoral candidate Nithya Raman
How Xavier Becerra would fix CA's homeless spending if elected governor
OC assessor candidates both surrounded by controversy
LA’s budget tells us what we value, says mayoral candidate Rae Huang
About California's new congressional districts
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The ruling denies a request by California Republicans and the Trump administration for a preliminary injunction blocking the maps created by Proposition 50. -
The vote isn't certified yet, but a lot has happened since Election Day. -
Statewide turnout was 50%. It was lower in L.A. County and higher in Orange County.
Top race results in the June 2 primary
All LA County primary results
Orange County primary results
Statewide primary results
More 2026 election news
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A panel of federal judges questioned the timing, constitutionality and authority of the Justice Department’s demand that election officials set aside thousands of ballots.
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Thousands of observers are expected to descend on polling places to monitor the vote on Election DayDemocrats and outside watchdogs are planning a massive presence at the polls on Election Day.
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Proposition 45 is intended to make it easier to build. But some pro-housing groups think it will create sprawl, which they don't like.
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Support for California's ballot measures faces a sharp age gap, especially the billionaire tax.
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The Friday letters came on the heels of statewide sweep by federal authorities earlier in the week.
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Prop. 2 supporters want to boost California’s budget reserves for a rainy day, but opponents say saving more would only embolden state leaders to spend more.
