A Guide To The 2020 California Primary

By Ben Christopher, CalMatters

Originally published on Thursday, January 16

California: Get ready for your close-up.

Long viewed as a cash-rich afterthought on the presidential campaign trail, the country’s largest state will finally have an early say in who will win each political party’s presidential nomination — and by extension, who will occupy the White House come January 2021.

Californians now get to vote on March 3. For those who vote by mail (most voters these days), they may get their chance to cast a ballot a month earlier. That means that while candidates and much of the national press corps are crowding into Iowa to see how the first-in-the-nation presidential contest shakes out, Californians — with more delegates to award than any other state — will be weighing in too.

But it won’t just be presidential candidates on the ballot. Voters here will have a few other decisions to make:

• To sign off on the current makeup of the state Legislature — or to push state governance in a different direction
• To affirm the gains of the Democratic sweep of California’s congressional delegation — or to rollback 2018’s “blue wave”
• To sign off on billions of new spending on school construction — or to say no to more borrowing

If you’re confused about what’s at stake in this election, which races to watch or how to vote, consider this guide your one-stop-shop.

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