Frequently Asked Questions for the March 5, 2024, Presidential Primary Election

In 2011, California voters enacted the Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act. This created “voter‑nominated” offices in which the top two vote-getters, regardless of political affiliation, advance to the General Election in November.

The Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act does not apply to candidates running for U.S. President, county central committees, or local offices.

In the General Election, eligible voters in California cast their votes to select their candidate of choice across all contests during the given year.

On the ballot, voters will see three different types of offices: Party-Nominated Offices, Voter-Nominated Offices and Nonpartisan Offices. Your ballot will include candidates for U.S. President, U.S. Senate, U.S. Representative in Congress, State Senate, State Assembly, as well as Judicial, County and City offices.

For more information, view the List of Offices Up for Election and Final Official List of Candidates.

However, if you are registered as a No Party Preference voter, you will receive a nonpartisan ballot, which will not include candidates for U.S. President.

Some parties will allow you to “crossover” and vote for their candidates. Other parties do not.

For this election, the American Independent Party, Democratic Party and Libertarian Party will allow crossover voting by voters registered as No Party Preference.

Voters who are registered as No Party Preference and want to vote for one of the parties listed above can request a crossover ballot by:

Voters who are registered as No Party Preference and would like to vote for a Presidential candidate affiliated with a party that does not allow crossover voting must re-register with that party to vote for that party’s presidential candidate.

You can re-register to vote online at www.registertovote.ca.gov. Voters can also re-register at a polling place and cast a provisional ballot.

Election Day for the 2024 Presidential Primary Election is March 5, 2024. For the 2020 Presidential General Election, the date was moved from June to “Super Tuesday” and will remain in early March during presidential election years.

Be sure to follow all directions on the ballot with respect to the number of candidates you should select for each contest.

In a Presidential Primary Election, if you registered to vote with a political party, you will receive a ballot that contains Presidential candidates for that political party only.

However, if you are registered as a No Party Preference voter, you will receive a nonpartisan ballot, which will not include candidates for U.S. President.

Some parties will allow you to “crossover” and vote for their candidates. Other parties do not.

For this election, the American Independent Party, Democratic Party and Libertarian Party will allow crossover voting by voters registered as No Party Preference.

Voters who are registered as No Party Preference and want to vote for one of the parties listed above can request a crossover ballot by:

Voters who are registered as No Party Preference and would like to vote for a Presidential candidate affiliated with a party that does not allow crossover voting must re-register with that party to vote for that party’s presidential candidate.

You can re-register to vote online at www.registertovote.ca.gov. Voters can also re-register at a polling place and cast a provisional ballot.

There are two contests for U.S. Senate on the ballot. You may vote for one candidate in each contest.

  • The first contest is the regular election for the full 6-year term ending January 3, 2031.
  • The second contest is a special vacancy election (the current officeholder is temporarily filling a vacancy) for the remainder of the current term ending January 3, 2025.

Because these are two separate terms of office, you will see the same candidates running in both contests.

For party-nominated offices, the candidate’s political party preference is not listed on the ballot. These candidates are exclusively on their party’s ballot. The following contests are party-nominated:

  • President of the United States
  • County Central Committee offices

For voter-nominated offices, the candidate’s political party preference is listed on the ballot. The following contests are voter-nominated offices:

  • U.S. Representative in Congress
  • U.S. Senator
  • State Senate
  • State Assembly

For nonpartisan offices, the candidate’s political party preference is not listed on the ballot. The following contests are nonpartisan:

  • Judicial offices
  • County offices
  • School District offices
  • City offices

A candidate’s party preference does not necessarily mean that they have their political party’s support. The list of candidates who receive a political party’s official endorsement is in the Voter Information Guide.

For more information, see the San Bernardino County Voter Information Guide or the California Voter Information Guide.

The canvass for the 2024 Presidential Primary Election begins the day after Election Day on March 6, and the results will be certified by April 4, 2024.

In Judicial and County contests, if a candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in the primary, they are considered elected and will not appear in the general election. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes in the primary, the two candidates with the most votes will be on the ballot in the general election.

For most city offices, candidates that receive the most votes are elected to office. Contact your City Clerk’s office to find out more about your city elections.

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