Frequently Asked Questions

About Election Results and this Website – June 2, 2026

  1. Will the unofficial election results change after Election Night? When will the election results be final?

    Election results will be updated throughout the canvass period as vote-by-mail ballots, provisional ballots, and other ballots are processed. Depending on the volume of these types of ballots, it may take several days for the county elections official to verify voter records and determine if ballots have been cast by eligible voters.

    County elections officials must report their final results to the Secretary of State by June 11, 2026. The Secretary of State will certify the results shortly thereafter.

  2. Do county elections officials provide unofficial election results and ballot processing information on their websites? And for how long?

    County elections officials must post updated information regarding the election on their website at least two times between June 4, 2026, and June 11, 2026. The update shall include at least the following information:

    1. Updated results for any candidate appearing on the ballot.
    2. The number of ballots processed and an estimated number of outstanding ballots remaining unprocessed for each of the following categories: ballots voted at a polling place, vote-by-mail ballots received on or before Election Day, vote-by-mail ballots received after Election Day, provisional ballots, and conditional voter registration provisional ballots.
    3. The date and time when they expect that the next results will be posted.

    County elections officials may stop posting the results described above when either of the following occurs:

    1. The Secretary of State certifies the results of the election.
    2. The only ballots left to count are vote-by-mail ballots for which a voter has the opportunity either to verify their signature or to provide their signature. If the county elections official stops posting results for this reason, they shall post a notice stating this reason on their website.
  3. On Election Night: Why might a county not report results immediately after the polls close?

    State law requires county elections officials to send their first batch of results to the Secretary of State's office no more than two hours after they begin tallying the votes after polls close on Election Day. County elections officials continue to report results periodically on Election Night until all precinct ballot totals have been reported. County elections officials will continue to count vote-by-mail and provisional ballots in subsequent days.

  4. On Election Night: Why might a county show no precincts have reported, yet some votes have been reported?

    The first election results are typically ballots received before Election Day. Vote-by-mail ballots were transmitted to military and overseas voters on or before 45 days before Election Day. For all other voters, vote-by-mail voting began on or before May 4, 2026 (E-29). County elections officials may begin opening and processing vote-by-mail ballot envelopes on the date mailing begins, which may not be later than May 4, 2026, but those results cannot be accessed or shared with the public until all polls close on Election Day.

    Many county elections officials may choose to tally and report these early voted ballots before results come in from precincts, which are sometimes far away from county headquarters. Early voted ballots simply appear as raw vote totals because, in this initial stage, the ballots are not attributed to individual precincts.

  5. On Election Night: Why might a county show 100% of precincts partially reporting on their first report of the night?

    If a county reports vote results for at least one ballot per precinct, the county will show 100% of precincts partially reporting and will appear as if they have gone “final” for the night. This does not always mean that the county is done reporting for the night; each subsequent report from the county will be considered an “update” report.

  6. On Election Night: Why might a county show a high percentage of precincts partially reporting, yet the number of votes continues to change?

    A county may show an entire precinct as having reported even if only one ballot from that precinct has been counted. This is why the website specifically notes the data is from precincts “partially” reporting.

    Election results will be updated throughout the canvass period as vote-by-mail ballots, provisional ballots (including conditional voter registration provisional ballots), and other ballots are tallied.

  7. When are vote-by-mail ballots counted?

    Vote-by-mail ballots received before Election Day are typically processed and ready to be counted on Election Day. Many more vote-by-mail ballots are dropped off at polling places, vote centers, ballot drop-off locations or arrive at the county elections offices on Election Day. A mailed vote-by-mail ballot postmarked on or before Election Day is to be counted if received in the county elections office no later than seven days after the election. Depending on the volume of these types of ballots, it may take several days for county elections officials to process, verify, and count vote-by-mail ballots. The frequency of updated results will vary based on the size of the county and the process the local elections office uses to tally and report votes.

    All vote-by-mail ballots that county elections officials determine to be valid and cast by eligible voters are counted and included in the official election results.

    County elections officials must report their final results to the Secretary of State by June 11, 2026. The Secretary of State will certify the results shortly thereafter.

    A voter may check the status of their vote-by-mail ballot by visiting My Voter Status or sign up for the Secretary of State’s “Where’s My Ballot?” ballot tracking system which allows a voter to receive automatic notifications on the status of their vote-by-mail ballot.

  8. When are provisional ballots counted?

    All provisional ballots, including Same Day Voter Registration (conditional voter registration) provisional ballots, that county elections officials determine to be valid and cast by eligible voters are counted and included in the official election results. Depending on the volume of these types of ballots, it may take several days for county elections officials to verify voter records and determine if ballots have been cast by eligible voters.

    County elections officials must report their final results to the Secretary of State by June 11, 2026. The Secretary of State will certify the results shortly thereafter.

    You may check the status of your provisional ballot by visiting My Voter Status.

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About Voting and Special Elections

  1. How are special elections conducted?

    California conducts open primaries for legislative, congressional, and constitutional offices. In an open primary, all candidates for a particular office are listed on the same ballot and anyone can vote for any candidate, regardless of party preference. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes in a special primary election, the two candidates who receive the most votes will move on to a run-off election.

    If any candidate receives a majority (over 50%) of the votes in the June 2, 2026, Congressional District 1, Special Primary Election, they will be declared elected, and no special general election will be held.

  2. Who are the candidates?

    The Secretary of State's list of candidates (linked below) includes the names for all candidates on the ballot for: Congressional District 1

    Certified List of Candidates for Congressional District 1 (PDF)

  3. What does “party preference” mean when listed with a candidate’s name on the ballot? What are the qualified political parties and abbreviations of those party names?

    A candidate must indicate their preference or lack of preference for a qualified political party. If the candidate has a qualified political party preference, that qualified political party will be indicated by the candidate's name on the ballot. If a candidate does not have a qualified political party preference, “Party Preference: None” will be indicated by the candidate's name on the ballot.

    Similarly, voters who do not have a party preference are known as having "no party preference" or as "NPP" voters.

    Abbreviations for the qualified political parties are:

    1. DEM = Democratic Party
    2. REP = Republican Party
    3. AI = American Independent Party
    4. GRN = Green Party
    5. LIB = Libertarian Party
    6. PF = Peace and Freedom Party
  4. What is Same Day Voter Registration (Conditional Voter Registration)?

    Same Day Voter Registration, also known as Conditional Voter Registration, is a safety net for Californians who miss the deadline to register to vote or update their voter registration information for an election.

    Eligible citizens who need to register or re-register to vote within 14 days of an election can complete this process to register and vote at their county elections office, polling place, or vote center. Their ballots will be processed and counted once their county elections office has completed the voter registration verification process. In some instances, an existing voter may update their political party preference or their residential address by submitting a written request form to the county elections official, instead of having to complete a full voter registration application.

  5. What is provisional voting?

    If a voter’s name is not on the list of registered voters at their designated polling place but they believe they are registered to vote, they may request a provisional ballot. In most instances, a poll worker will give them a ballot and a special envelope. After voting, they will place their ballot in the provisional ballot envelope and sign the outside affirming their identity and that they have not already voted in this election. Their provisional ballot is counted after their county elections official has confirmed that they are registered to vote, and they did not already vote in this election either at another voting location or by mail.

  6. When is the last day to return my completed vote-by-mail ballot?

    Vote-by-mail ballots that are personally delivered to a polling place, vote center, county elections office, or a designated ballot drop-off location must be delivered no later than the close of polls at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

    Vote-by-mail ballots that are mailed must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by your county elections office no later than June 9, 2026 (seven days after Election Day).

    If you are not sure your vote-by-mail ballot will arrive in time if mailed, bring it to any polling place, vote center or designated ballot drop-off location in your county, or your county elections office no later than 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

    Individuals should contact their county elections official for information regarding in-person voting opportunities (i.e., locations, hours, etc.) or visit vote.ca.gov.

  7. What if I can’t return my vote-by-mail ballot in person on Election Day?

    You may return your vote-by-mail ballot in person to any polling place, vote center, county elections office, or a designated ballot drop-off location on Election Day.

    If you are unable to return the ballot yourself, you may designate any person, as long as they do not get paid on a per ballot basis, to return the ballot to the elections official or the precinct board at any polling place, vote center within the jurisdiction or to a designated ballot drop-off location.

    Your ballot must be received by the elections official or the precinct board before the close of the polls at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted.

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