With ballots already in voters’ hands, the June 2 primary is testing whether California’s independent-minded electorate understands how much power it has.
Independent and Latino voters can decide the June 2 primary. Most won't show up. A statewide nonpartisan campaign is racing to change that before ballots are due.
We combed the internet to present, in one place, each California Gubernatorial candidate’s “best case,” absent all the attacks and without any editorial comment from us.
When Independent Voter posted a series of videos about primary turnout on its Facebook page, the comments revealed a startling reality: Many voters think California’s semi-closed presidential primary rules apply to the 2026 midterm elections.
The state’s nonpartisan Top-Two primary was never designed to produce a Democrat vs. Republican Race or to prevent two Democrats or two Republicans from being in the final contest.
Democrats, Republicans and Greens for Constitutional Office publicly defend the right of every voter to participate. The Democratic secretary of state is on the record saying she would prefer a return to closed partisan primaries. Most statewide candidates won’t say where they stand.
While California voters are making their decisions ahead of the June 2 primary election, the state Republican Party has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, one of its own, over mailers the party says is a “calculated deception."
California’s nonpartisan primary system is built around a simple promise: Every voter gets a say. But, not every voter takes advantage of this. There is a noticeable turnout gap with Latino voters, in particular, who could completely reshape the electoral landscape if they participate.
El sistema de primarias no partidistas de California está construido sobre una promesa muy sencilla: cada votante tiene voz. Pero no todos los votantes aprovechan esto.
Shawn Griffiths
Cara Brown McCormick
Independent Voter Project
IVN Editorial Board
Steve Peace
