Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly listed the professional designation of state Treasurer Fiona Ma, who is running for lieutenant governor. Ma is a certified public accountant.
Following a Supreme Court decision in September that upheld a federal court order blocking the U.S. Postal Service from imposing new restrictions on voting by mail, ballots are now being mailed to California voters.
In the Nov. 3 general election, voters are deciding on new state leaders and more than a dozen propositions to change state law, congressional delegates representing San Joaquin County, and local races, including three on the Stockton City Council.
If you are registered, you can vote in any part of the November ballot. The last day to register to vote online is Oct. 19.
Key dates
Oct. 5: Ballots mailed to all active registered voters. You also can pick up a ballot, or drop one off, at an Early Voting site.
Oct. 6: Secure ballot drop-off boxes open.
Oct. 19: Last day to register or update your address to receive your ballot by mail. After Oct. 19, you must complete same-day voter registration and request your ballot in person at your county election office or polling location.
Oct. 27: Last recommended day to mail your ballot.
Oct. 31: At least one early voting in-person location will open in every county to vote or drop off ballots.
Nov. 3: Election Day
Governor’s race
Leading the ballot among state races is the battle for governor. Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton are facing off after securing the top two spots in the June primary.
Becerra has extensive government experience, having served in the state Assembly and House of Representatives, then as attorney general under two governors and finally secretary of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden. He promises to “build, protect and lead California.” If elected, he would be the state’s first Latino governor since 1875.
Hilton is a British-born naturalized citizen who served as a senior adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron before moving to California. He taught at Stanford, became a Fox News contributor and then launched his own podcast. He calls himself the “outsider in the room” and said he is running “to cut costs, fix our schools, clean up the corruption and make California work again.”
Other state races
Lieutenant governor in California is often viewed as a steppingstone to higher office. Outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom moved into the state’s top elected office two terms ago and now is widely speculated to be running for president. In this election, Democrat Fiona Ma, a certified public accountant who has served two terms as state treasurer, is running against Gloria Romero, a former Democratic Party leader who switched to the Republican Party to support “working-class families and parental rights.” Former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs didn’t make the cut in the extremely crowded primary race.
In the race for secretary of state, longtime San Diego politico and incumbent Shirley Weber is running for a second full term. Weber’s opponent is Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner, a lawyer turned politician who previously served in the state Assembly and as mayor of Irvine.
California’s controller serves as the state’s chief accountant, overseeing spending in a state that makes up one of the world’s largest economies. Incumbent Malia Cohen, a Democrat and former San Francisco County supervisor, faces Republican Herb Morgan, a San Diegan who served on the board of the San Diego City Employees’ Retirement System.
After dropping out of the race for governor, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, a Democrat and former ambassador to Hungary under President Barack Obama, is running for state treasurer. Her opponent is Republican Jennifer Hawks, a retired business executive with no prior experience in elected office.
Incumbent Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, a Democrat who has led legal fights against the Trump administration, is seeking a second full term, facing Republican Michael Gates, a former Huntington Beach city attorney who challenged state housing mandates.
One of the most important races in California is for insurance commissioner. This role affects all resident and will address how the state responds to climate change and natural disasters. Two Democrats — Ben Allen and Jane Kim — are running for the job. Allen, a state senator from Santa Monica, is known for his environmental bills, while Kim, a former San Francisco County supervisor and California political director for Bernie Sanders in 2020, says she would expand California’s low-cost auto insurance program.
A new law will leave the state’s school superintendent with even less authority than previously held. With state Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond termed out, San Diego Unified Board President Richard Barrera is running against Sonja Shaw, president of the Chino Valley School Board.
Propositions
Voters will decide on 14 propositions that include major issues — from voter identification requirements and revisions to tax laws to expanded access to low-cost mortgages.
Redrawn congressional districts
California’s midterm congressional elections feature redrawn maps. After Proposition 50 passed at the ballot box last fall, the state redrew its voter district boundaries — including across parts of San Joaquin County. The overall county was split into five congressional districts — three of which cover Lodi.
The newly redrawn District 7 stretches from El Dorado Hills and Placerville in the north to Lodi and Linden in the south and includes Sacramento’s downtown core. Ten-term Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui, 81, is facing her first formidable challenger in an intra-party battle against Mai Vang, 41, a progressive Sacramento city councilmember.
In District 9, which includes parts of Lodi, Stockton, Mountain House, Tracy, Manteca and Ripon, incumbent U.S. Rep. Josh Harder, a Democrat, is facing Republican challenger John McBride.
In District 13, Democratic Rep. Adam Gray flipped this seat in 2024 by such a narrow margin that it took nearly a month for The Associated Press to call the race. He now faces former Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln, a Republican who initially filed for a rematch against Harder in District 9 but after Prop. 50 passed, switched districts to take on Gray.
Local races
In Stockton, the most consequential elections involve three City Council seats — Districts 1, 3 and 5. None of the incumbents received enough votes in the primary to avoid a runoff.
District 1 Councilmember Michele Padilla, first elected in 2022, is facing Tamica Small, who has gotten some big-name endorsements and political support.
In District 3, Michael Blower — who returned to the Stockton City Council in 2022 after briefly serving in 2016 — is running against Jessica Toccoli, a special needs teacher and fifth-generation Stocktonian.
The District 5 race pits incumbent Brando Villapudua against Desiree Lynch. Lynch, however, has formally withdrawn from the race after she was charged following allegations that she used addresses where she did not live to register to vote and qualify as a candidate in the District 5 race. Efforts to remove Lynch’s name from the November ballot were unsuccessful.
Elsewhere in the city and the county, seven races involving educational candidates are at stake. The Stockton Unified School District Board of Trustees has four races that will be decided in November, and the San Joaquin Delta College Board of Trustees has three.
What you need to know
- When will we know the election results? Voting ends Nov. 3, but some races may not be decided for days or weeks. Here’s why.
- Does everyone get a ballot in the mail? Yes. Under state law, vote-by-mail ballots are sent to every active registered voter.
- When will I receive my ballot? Counties will begin mailing ballots by Oct. 5. In some counties, registered voters received ballots as early as Oct. 3.
- Other common questions:
Information from CalMatters, the Sacramento Bee, the Associated Press, Times of San Diego and other media outlets were used in compiling this report.