SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — More than 1.9 million ballots are on their way to San Diego County registered voters for the Nov. 8 California General Election.
Voters will decide the race of legalizing sports betting, some key Congressional races, and several statewide ballot measures.
Here's what county voters should know about casting a ballot this November.
How do I register to vote?
First things first, in order to vote in California, you must meet the following criteria to register in the state:
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Be a resident of California
- Be at least 18 years or older on Election Day
- NOT be currently serving a state or federal prison term for a felony conviction
- NOT be currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court
If you meet the above criteria and have a California-issued driver license or ID card, registering to vote online will be your easiest option. Follow this link to the California Secretary of State website, where you'll find the online form.
Registering to vote via mail is another option. You can pick up a paper voter registration application at your county elections office, local library, DMV office or U.S. post office. It can also be printed out at home, just be sure to follow the instructions for California listed on page four.
Once the form is completed, you can send it to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters: P.O. Box 85656 San Diego, CA 92186-5656.
When is the deadline to register to vote?
The deadline to register is October 24, but if you miss it, don't worry you can still vote. According to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters, you can now vote from your own home, or visit a vote center near you.
Voters can also go to the Registrar of Voters office, located at 5600 Overland Ave. in Kearny Mesa, during the 14 days up to and including same-day voting on Election Day.
If you registered by mail, your application must be postmarked by Oct. 24 to meet the deadline.
Where is my polling place?
Voters can find their your polling place through the Secretary of State website.
How do I volunteer as a poll worker?
There is an estimated shortage of 130,000 poll workers in the U.S. ahead of the general election. Most poll workers are paid, and many counties have increased their rates to try and attract more people. Click here to apply to be a poll worker in San Diego County.
The Vet the Vote campaign are encouraging military vets to volunteer and be trained as poll workers. For more information, click here.
What are the key races and propositions on the ballot?
Considering the fact California is a heavily-blue state, many of the races for federal offices will not be competitive. Out of the five races for congressional district seats in San Diego County, only one of them is considered a close call.
That being said, there are several races for local and state offices that will surely go down to the wire on election night.
Governor: Gavin Newsom (D) vs. Brian Dahle (R)
Incumbent Gov. Newsom looks to retain his seat after comfortably beating a recall effort in 2021. Meanwhile, challenger Dahle seeks to expand his political power beyond the State's 1st District, which he currently represents in the state senate.
In June's primary, Newsom gathered 52.3% of the votes in San Diego County, while Dahle received 23.1% of the ballots.
U.S. Senate: Sen. Alex Padilla (D) vs. Mark Meuser (R)
As mentioned above, California's reputation as a Democratic state indicates Padilla will run away with this one; however, the race is still of interest because it's the incumbent's first general election.
Newsom had appointed Padilla to serve out the remainder of Kamala Harris' term after she became Vice President in Jan. 2021.
Although this isn't a high-profile race, U.S. Senate races across the country will be under a magnifying glass on Midterm night as Republicans try to break the 50-50 tie in the chamber and take control from the Democrats, who hold the tie breaking vote thanks to VP Harris.
Padilla had 49.4% of San Diego County votes in this race during the primary. Meuser earned 19.5% of votes from our county in June.
U.S. House: Rep. Mike Levin (D) vs. Brian Maryott (R) for Congressional District 49
California's 49th Congressional District stretches from Dana Point to Encinitas, and it is bisected by the Camp Pendleton Marine Base.
This congressional race is tight because this is a swing district. When looking at the voter registration profile for the district, 36.2% of voters are Democrats, 33.6% are Republicans and 23.2% have no party affiliation.
Incumbent Levin is a two-term congressman running on his record of climate and veteran issues. Maryott is the former mayor of San Juan Capistrano, and he also served on the city council there.
Maryott earned endorsements from key Republicans during his campaign for this seat, which he has run for in the past.
Proposition 1: Guarantee Abortion Rights in California Constitution
The State Legislature put this item on the ballot in wake of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. If approved, the state constitution would be amended to enumerate a fundamental right to reproductive freedom, meaning people can decide for themselves whether or not they want an abortion or to use contraceptives.
Although there are state laws in place already allowing people to seek abortions, lawmakers argue the Supreme Court's change in legal interpretation, or a change in partisan control, could undermine the protections that are already in place.
Proposition 26 vs. Proposition 27: Dueling referendums sports betting legalization
If you've been near a TV screen at all the past few months, you've more than likely seen competing political ads surrounding the possibility of legal sports betting in The Golden State.
The two propositions are widely different: Proposition 26 would allow sports gambling strictly in-person at casinos on tribal lands, as well as a few privately-owned horse racing tracks, while Proposition 27 opens the gate for online sports gambling, allowing adults within state lines to place bets from their phone, computer, tablet or any other device connected to the internet.
ABC 10News Anchor Jared Aarons went In-Depth on the issue, explaining the ins and outs of each ballot item, how California fits into the nationwide discussion of sports gambling and what it means if both propositions pass.
You can find more information about all of the propositions on the ballot at the California Secretary of State website.
