By Sean Ridgway, TME

Election Day for California’s Primary Elections is Tuesday, June 2, 2026. Mail-in voting has already begun, and ballots must be filled out, dropped off, or postmarked by Election Day on June 2.

California uses a top-two open primary system, meaning all candidates appear on the June primary ballot, regardless of party affiliation, and only the top two vote-getters advance to the general election in November. Prior to the current system, each political party held its own primary election to choose the candidate who would represent that party in the general election. Supporters say the top-two system gives voters more freedom of choice and reduces partisan control over candidate selection.

This year, there are 61 candidates in the gubernatorial race…(please see below to view full stories and photographs)

Photo captions:

Top: Seven of the candidates in the Primary Election for Governor of California; Bottom (l-r): Incumbent Chris Parlier and challenger Sydney O’Connor for District 2 Supervisor

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This is part of the May 15, 2026 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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