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Voting in the Primary Election

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Being registered with a political party will make a difference when you vote in a primary election.

Summary

If you are registered to vote with a political party, you will be given a ballot for that party in a primary election.

If you are unaffiliated with any party ("decline to state" or "independent"),

  • You may request the ballot of the Democratic or Republican Party at the polls on June 8, 2010 or on your vote-by-mail ballot request form, or
  • You will be given a nonpartisan ballot, containing only the names of all candidates for nonpartisan offices and measures to be voted upon at the primary election.

History of California Primary Elections

Voters choose (register with) a political party at the time they register to vote. One of the choices is "No, I do not want to register with a political party"  (called "decline-to-state" on older registration forms).

At a primary election the political parties choose the candidates they will run in the November general election.

In  a "closed" primary system only voters registered in a political party could vote that party's primary ballot. Unaffiliated ("decline- to- state") voters vote only on whatever measures and non-partisan candidates were on the ballot.

The law was changed and at the 2000 Primary election all the candidates from all parties were on one ballot and a voter could choose a candidate from any party. The court then overturned the "open primary" .

Current Primary Rules

California now has a "Modified Closed Primary System". Unaffiliated ("decline to state") voters may, if they wish, choose to vote for a party's candidates if that party agrees to allow "cross-over voting". TheCalifornia Republican  Party and the California Democratic Party have agreed to let unaffiliated voters vote for their candidates. The Democratic Party and the Republican party will not permit unaffiliated voters to vote for their county central committees.

Persons who are currently registered in a political party can only  vote for candidates of another political party if they reregister in the other party by the deadline which is 15 days before election day.

In the General Election in November, all party candates and independent candidates will included on the ballot.

For additional information see the Secretary of State's page "Decline to State - Voter Information".

An overview of the California political parties (from Easy Voter Guide)