How to vote in San Diego’s 2026 June primary election

Ballots are arriving in the mailboxes of people all across California for the June 2 primary election, raising questions about how to return them, what’s being decided and when to expect results.

Here’s a guide for San Diego voters on what to expect.

When is Election Day?

The primary gubernatorial election is Tuesday, June 2, but elections are no longer one-day events. Registered California voters can vote by mail any time before that, once they have received their mail ballot, or at select polling locations across the county.

What’s being decided?
For most of the races on the ballot, voters will be deciding which two candidates will advance to the November general election — regardless of their political party.
Those include statewide races for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, controller, treasurer, attorney general and superintendent of public instruction.

They also include a slew of local races — including San Diego County treasurer-tax collector, an open county supervisor seat in North County, several San Diego City Council seats and more.

And around the county, voters will narrow down their fields of candidates for Congress and the state Legislature — in a lead-up to November midterm general elections that could decide which party controls Congress.

But the June ballot isn’t just a prelude to November — some races will be decided with it. For instance, voters in San Diego can vote on Measure A, which seeks to levy a city tax on empty second homes.

Ballots are distributed based on location of residency, so voters can check their ballot and voting guide for more information or visit the websites of the San Diego County Registrar of Voters or California Secretary of State.

Do I have to be registered as a Democrat or Republican to vote in the primary election?

No.

California has an open primary system. That means that in the June primary in all local, legislative and congressional races, all the candidates compete against one another — not just members of their own party.

Whichever two candidates draw the most votes will advance to the general — regardless of party affiliation. That could be two Democrats, two Republicans or one of each.

In the primary election, you can vote for any candidate from any party. It does not matter if you are registered with a political party, or who you voted for in the past. You just need to be registered to vote.

OK, so how do I vote?

If you’re registered to vote in California, you should get a ballot in the mail this week. You have several options for how to return it.

Ballot drop boxes opened Tuesday, so you can start voting and return your ballot to a drop box as soon as you receive it.

In addition, all California mail ballots include a return envelope with prepaid postage, so you can just seal it, sign it and drop it in the mail. Ballots will be counted as long as they are postmarked on or before June 2 and received by election officials within one week of Election Day.

Early in-person voting is available daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the county election office, located at 5600 Overland Avenue in Kearny Mesa.

Select vote centers across the county will be open daily starting May 23. Then starting May 30, all of the more than 200 vote centers will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through June 2.

On Election Day, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Visit CAEarlyVoting.sos.ca.gov or call (800) 345-VOTE (8683) to learn more about your options.

I’m not registered, or I’m not sure if I’m registered. How do I register to vote, or how do I check to see if I am registered to vote?

If you’re registered to vote in California, you should have received a ballot by mail.

If you didn’t and want to find out if you are currently registered, visit voterstatus.sos.ca.gov. You can also contact the San Diego County Registrar of Voters at 858-565-5800, as well as the California Secretary of State at elections@sos.ca.gov or 800-345-VOTE (8683).

If you have changed your residence or mailing address, your name or your political party choice, you will need to update your registration.

You can register to vote online at RegisterToVote.ca.gov or in person at any Department of Motor Vehicles office or the county elections office, along with many post offices, libraries and government offices.

For more information on voter registration, visit sos.ca.gov/elections/frequently-asked-questions.

What is the deadline to register to vote?

The last day to register to vote online is May 18.

What if I miss the registration deadline?

If you miss the deadline, you can still conditionally register to vote in person at a voting center and cast a provisional ballot there through Election Day.

Your provisional ballot will be counted once a county elections official verifies your voter registration.

How do I vote by mail?

After you have filled out your mail ballot with your choices, place it in the return envelope, seal the envelope and sign on the designated line.

Make sure your signature looks like the one you used when you registered to vote. If you registered to vote at the DMV or online, the signature will be the one on your driver’s license or state ID.

Then, put your ballot into a mailbox or secure drop box, or deliver it to a voting center or county elections office.

I’d rather vote in person. Where can I vote in person?

In-person voting options will be available at various locations across the county.

You can visit the California secretary of state’s website at vote.ca.gov, call the toll-free voter hotline at 800-345-VOTE (8683) or text “vote” to GOVOTE (468683) to find locations nearest you.

What should I bring with me?

If you filled out your mail ballot, you should take that to the voting center.

Most of the time, on Election Day you are not required to show identification at the polling place, unless:

You are voting for the first time in a federal election, and you registered by mail.

You did not provide your driver’s license number, state ID number or the last four digits of your Social Security number on the registration card when registering by mail.

What if I am not on the list of voters at my polling place?

If your name is not on the list of registered voters at your polling place, you have the right to cast a provisional ballot.

If voters are eligible to vote and vote provisionally, their ballots will be counted.

What happens to my ballot after I vote?

You can sign up to track your ballot at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov and receive updates on the status of your ballot by text message (SMS), email or voice call.

Mail ballots must be processed and authenticated before they can be counted.

After the information is confirmed, ballots are counted.

How do I vote if I speak a language other than English?

San Diego County elections officials offer reference ballots and services in several languages other than English: Spanish, Filipino, Vietnamese, Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, Hmong, Indonesian, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Laotian, Persian, Somali and Thai.

I’m homeless, or I don’t have a permanent address. Can I still vote?

Yes. Under California law, you can vote even if you don’t have a permanent address.

You will need to register using the location where you spend most of your time — even cross streets — so that election officials can assign you to the proper voting precinct, and you will need an address at which you can receive mail.

Can I still vote if I didn’t get a ballot? Can I still vote if I lost my mail ballot?

Yes, you can either vote in person or request a replacement.

If you failed to receive your ballot in the mail or if you have lost or destroyed your original mail ballot, you may apply in writing for a replacement at the county election office.

When will the election results be available?

Election results will begin to be available after the polls close at 8 p.m. on June 2. The San Diego Union-Tribune will track election results live. Sign up for our email alerts to get the latest updates on election news.

Election results will continue to be updated throughout election night as votes are counted, and the results will continue to be updated in the following days as more ballots are processed.

The official certified results of the election will be posted by July 2.

Emily Alvarenga contributed to this report.