For voter-nominated state and congressional races, voters may choose any candidate regardless of party preference. The two highest vote-getters advance to November, even if they are from the same party.
LOS ANGELES — California voters casting ballots in the June 2, 2026 primary will decide which candidates advance in races for governor, state constitutional offices, Congress and the Legislature under the state’s top-two primary system.
For most state and congressional races, all candidates appear on the same ballot, and voters may choose any candidate regardless of party preference. The California Secretary of State describes these contests as voter-nominated offices, a term that distinguishes them from party-nominated and nonpartisan contests.
The June 2 primary includes voter-nominated races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, controller, treasurer, insurance commissioner, U.S. House, state Senate and state Assembly. In those contests, the two candidates with the most votes advance to the November general election, even if both are Democrats, both are Republicans or one or both list no party preference.
That means a Democratic voter may vote for a Republican candidate, a Republican voter may vote for a Democratic candidate, and a No Party Preference voter may choose any candidate listed in a voter-nominated race, provided the voter is otherwise eligible to vote in that contest.
The party preference printed next to a candidate’s name is shown for voter information. State election guidance says political parties do not formally nominate candidates for voter-nominated offices at the primary election. A candidate who advances is the nominee of the voters, not the official nominee of any political party.
The distinction matters because California’s system differs from a conventional party primary, where each party selects a nominee to represent it in the general election. Under the top-two system, the primary does not guarantee that each major party will have a candidate on the November ballot. The two finalists are determined by vote totals, not by party allocation.
The top-two system does not apply to every contest. Presidential primaries, when they appear on the ballot, follow separate party rules. Local nonpartisan offices are also handled differently, with rules that can vary by office and jurisdiction. State Superintendent of Public Instruction, a nonpartisan statewide office, is also treated separately from voter-nominated offices.
For voters, that means different types of contests may appear on the same ballot with different rules. In voter-nominated races, the top two advance. In nonpartisan contests, the rules may differ by office, and voters should consult their county voter information guide for details on how those races are decided.
For California voters, the June 2 primary is decisive because it narrows most state and congressional races to two candidates for November. Voters may choose across party lines in voter-nominated contests, but the outcome does not produce party nominees. It determines the two highest vote-getters who will remain on the general election ballot.
