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California voters are hitting the polls Tuesday for a pivotal election that will help set the stage for the 2024 presidential race, a replacement for U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, the fate of Los Angeles County’s controversial district attorney and much more.
Once the last ballots are cast and counted, several burning political questions will finally be answered:
- In deep blue California, will Republican ex-Dodger Steve Garvey make the runoff? Or will the November election be a clash between two well-known Democrats, Katie Porter (D-Irvine) and Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank)?
- In Los Angeles County, voters will not only pick a district attorney but make a judgment about the criminal justice reform movement. Will they stick with the incumbent or go in a different direction?
- Will California voters endorse what is looking more and more like a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump?
- And in a year when many say they are turned off by divisive politics, how many people will actually vote?
Are you headed to your local voting center or filling out your mail-in ballot? Here’s what you need to know:
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U.S. Senate race
Times’ reporters took a deep dive into the lives and careers of Garvey, Porter, Schiff and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland). Here’s what they found:
The U.S. Senate race in California is a monumental clash among Reps. Adam B. Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee along with Steve Garvey. Learn more about them here.
No issue matters more to Californians than housing and homelessness. Catch up on where the major Senate candidates stand on the subject.
Voters will be asked to vote on the same Senate seat twice on the March primary ballot. Here’s why:
In the 2024 election, Californians will be asked to vote for a new U.S. Senator for separate times. It could introduce a note of chaos into the competitive Senate primary, which already has a crowded field of candidates.
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Proposition 1
Californians will decide on only one statewide ballot initiative this spring. Proposition 1 is designed to reform California’s mental health system, including a $6.4-billion bond to build facilities to provide 10,000 new treatment beds.
Gov. Gavin Newsom crafted the measure to reform California’s mental health system, including a $6.4-billion bond for new facilities.
California’s homelessness and mental health crisis is so dire that Republicans and Democrats are leaving their ideological corners and stepping into an unfamiliar middle ground to try to solve the problem.
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L.A. County District Attorney
Twelve candidates, including incumbent George Gascón, are running for L.A. County district attorney. “The large primary field contains a mix of traditional law-and-order prosecutors and those who think they can offer a more moderate approach to criminal justice reform,” Times reporter James Queally writes in our voter guide. “Nearly all of the challengers are united in their belief that Gascón is grossly unfit for office.”
L.A. County Dist. Atty. George Gascón sailed into office in 2020 during a nationwide push for criminal justice reform. Now a large field is running to deny him a second term.
Wondering where the candidates fall on the death penalty, juvenile justice and cash bail? Here’s the breakdown:
Polls suggest nearly two-thirds of L.A. County voters are undecided in the Los Angeles County district attorney’s primary. From the death penalty to sentencing enhancements to juvenile justice, here’s what the 12 candidates have said about their stances on the critical issues.
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Measure HLA
A citizen-sponsored measure is on the ballot for Angelenos. The ballot measure “calls on the city to implement its own ambitious Mobility Plan every time an eighth of a mile of street, or about 660 feet, is repaved,” Times reporters Rachel Uranga and David Zahniser write in our voter guide.
“City officials note the plan was meant to serve as a guide, not a requirement. Under the measure, those mobility plan projects would be mandated.”
The citizen-sponsored ballot measure would mandate that L.A. implement its own street plan to add bike lanes and pedestrian- and transit-friendly improvements.
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Other races
Here’s a comprehensive list of our in-depth voter guides, including U.S. congressional seats, L.A. County Board of Supervisors, California state Assembly and California Senate races:
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How and where to vote
Where can you find your nearest voting center? And how do you make sure your vote gets counted? We’ve got you covered:
L.A. Times Editorial Board Endorsements
The Times’ editorial board operates independently of the newsroom — reporters covering these races have no say in the endorsements.
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