It’s a few days before the June 5th primaries and all through the house, not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse.
Okay, it’s not Christmas but for some, the excitement is just as big–the Primaries are around the corner and you think you’re ready to go—you’ve read up on important ballot measures and researched candidates and endorsements; your sample ballot is filled out and sitting next to the front door—what’s left? We’ve got you covered.
Here are some answers to questions you may have:
- When will the election results be final? By law, county elections officials have 31 days (until July 6) to complete their official canvass and certify final election results to the Secretary of State, and they often need that full month to finish the work. The Secretary of State will then compile and report all results 38 days after the election (July 13). In close contests, a clear winner may not be apparent for many days, as counties verify and count hundreds of thousands of unprocessed ballots that include vote-by-mail ballots, provisional ballots cast at polling places, and others. The Secretary of State’s election results website will be updated as county elections officials report results. County elections officials sometimes update their own websites before reporting to the Secretary of State.
- How many Californians are registered to vote in the June primary election? As of April 6, there were just over 17,000,000 Californians registered to vote. The last day to register to vote in the June 5 primary election was May 21.
- How can a voter find out if his or her ballot was counted? Federal law states any voter is entitled to find out from the county elections office whether the ballot was counted and if not, why. County elections officials may provide ballot status through websites, phone or both.
- How many statewide measures are on the ballot and when could they go into effect? There are two statewide propositions and both are.gov initiatives. A statewide initiative requires a simple majority vote. If approved, an initiative takes effect the day after the election.
If you still have questions, you can call the Secretary of State’s tollfree voter hotline at 800-345-VOTE. It will be answered live throughout Election Day.
