NewsCalMattersOctober 27, 2026Los Angeles County
CalMatters publishes voter guide for California's November 2026 election covering governor, Congress, and 14 ballot propositions
Photo: CalMatters
CalMatters has released a voter guide for California's November 2026 general election, detailing races for governor, Congress, state insurance commissioner, and 14 ballot propositions. The guide covers deadlines for mail-in and in-person voting, timeline requirements for county election officials to count ballots and certify results, and profiles of gubernatorial candidates Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton.
Read the full story at CalMattersWhy It Matters
Voters face decisions on statewide leadership, congressional control, and 14 ballot measures that affect taxation, insurance rates, and public spending, with mail-in ballots requiring a postmark by Election Day and arrival within seven days.
Key Facts
- California's November 2026 ballot includes races for governor, U.S. House seats, state insurance commissioner, and 14 statewide propositions.
- Mail-in ballots must carry a postmark of Election Day or earlier and be received by election offices within seven days after the election.
- County election officials must begin reporting results to the secretary of state within two hours of starting the vote count on election night.
- County officials have 30 days to count ballots and finalize results, and the secretary of state has 38 days to certify them.
- The federal government filed a lawsuit against California demanding the segregation of up to 20,000 mail-in ballots sent to potentially non-citizen individuals and accused 28 immigrants of illegal voting or registration.
- Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra and Republican candidate Steve Hilton are the leading candidates in the gubernatorial race, which features a 2-to-1 registered Democrat advantage in the state.
- State Senator Ben Allen and former San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim are competing in the race for state insurance commissioner, with political action committees spending over 6 million dollars in the contest.
- More than 3.2 million dollars of the insurance commissioner race spending has been dedicated to supporting State Senator Allen.
Who's Mentioned
PersonMaya C. Miller“CalMatters reporter who contributed to the article.”PersonDonald Trump“U.S. President whose administration questioned California elections and supports”locationChina“Country referenced in debates surrounding economic inequality.”PersonBen Allen“State senator and candidate for California insurance commissioner.”locationTexas“State where Xavier Becerra filed a lawsuit regarding the Affordable Care Act.”PersonJane Kim“Former San Francisco supervisor and candidate for California insurance commissio”PersonXavier Becerra“Democratic candidate for governor of California.”PersonSteve Hilton“Republican candidate for governor of California.”locationUnited Kingdom“Country of birth for Steve Hilton.”locationLondon“City where Steve Hilton previously worked.”PersonLynn La“CalMatters newsletter writer and author of the article.”locationCalifornia“State holding the November 2026 elections.”