The primary election in California is set for June 2, and early voting is underway throughout the state as voters head to the polls in statewide races, city races and congressional elections, among others.
What is California’s top-two system, sometimes called a “jungle primary?”
In 2010, voters approved Proposition 14 which created the so-called “jungle primary.” In this electoral system instead of a typical party primary where all Democrats and all Republicans run on separate ballots and the party nominees face off in the general election, the top-two primary pits every candidate regardless of political party on the same ballot.
The top two vote getters advance to the general election regardless of political affiliation. In this year’s gubernatorial race, there are 62 candidates vying for two spots in November.
This primary system applies to every election in California other than the presidential primary.
It also created nonpartisan races for judicial, school, county, city and the statewide position of superintendent of public instruction.
Supporters of the top-two system argued in 2010 that the change would help elect officials who embrace compromise and give independent voters a say in primary elections.
City of Los Angeles non-partisan primary
Similar to the California primary, all candidates are on the same ballot in city races and the top two advance to a November runoff, with two caveats.
In Los Angeles, no candidates run with a political party, meaning, even if someone is a registered Republican or Democrat, that does not appear on the ballot.
The second caveat is that if a candidate reaches over 50% in a city race, they win the election outright and there is no November election.
A recent poll by the Los Angeles Times and Berkeley Institute for Governmental Studies found that scenario unlikely in the Los Angeles mayoral race where Mayor Karen Bass received 26% support compared to City Councilmember Nithya Raman’s 25% and reality television star Spencer Pratt’s 22%. All three candidates were well below the more than 50% threshold needed to win the race outright.
In the city controller race between incumbent Kenneth Mejia and challenger Zach Sokoloff, there will be no November runoff because one of the two candidates will receive more than 50% because there are only two candidates running.