Election Day is almost here — and the opportunity to vote in the Nov. 8 statewide election has already arrived.
Vote-by-mail ballots have made it to people’s homes and Los Angeles County has opened a swath of Vote Centers that allow early voting.
But for those who have yet to vote — or have put off learning about the candidates and ballot initiatives — we have you covered.
The Daily News has been writing about the congressional, state Senate and Assembly races, and all the various local elections for weeks now.
But in case you missed those stories, consider this your one-stop shop for everything that has to do with the Nov. 8 statewide election.
How, where to vote
Anyone in Los Angeles County who registered to vote by Oct. 24 will receive a vote-by-mail ballot at their homes. Just drop your ballot in any of the hundreds of drop boxes the county has set up — or mail it.
VBMs have up to seven days after Nov. 8 to arrive at the LA County registrar’s office as long as they are postmarked by Election Day.
But folks can also vote in-person at the 640 Vote Centers countywide. A bunch of those opened this past weekend, and the rest will open on Nov. 5.
For more information about how and where to vote, check out this story.
You can also go to the registrar’s website, lavote.gov.
Why this election matters
Elections always matter.
But this one is particularly important for multiple reasons, both nationally and statewide.
Nov. 8 is a midterm election and, as is typical, the current controlling party in Washington, D.C. — the Democratic Party, which currently has the majority in the Senate and House of Representatives, and President Joe Biden in the White House — seem likely to lose a bit of their power.
Biden, of course, will still be president. But the Republican Party is likely to win the House — and has a chance to take the Senate.
If the Republicans gain control of either or both, they seem set to block Biden’s agenda, though they would likely be unable to enact their own legislation — since any law would still need the president’s signature.
But if the GOP gains control of the Senate, the Republican Party could then block Biden’s judicial nominees and investigate the president. Read more about the implications of the midterms here.
California is a surprisingly hot state in the battle for Congress, despite being overwhelmingly blue. And Los Angeles County has 16 congressional races you can read about here.
U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, meanwhile, will be on the ballot twice. We have a story here that explains why.
On the state level, meanwhile, we could either get a new governor or have four more years of Gov. Gavin Newsom. There are also a bunch of state propositions on the ballot, including dueling state gambling proposals and several important initiatives for the environmentally minded.
Los Angeles County voters will also decide the fate of candidates in two dozen state Assembly races and a smattering of state Senate races. You can read out those here and here.
Other races to watch
The marquee race in Los Angeles County has to be the LA mayoral race between U.S. Rep. Karen Bass and billionaire businessman Rick Caruso. That race appears neck-and-neck, according to a Southern California News Group poll.
But that’s not all.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who has become a controversial figure — often battling with the Los Angeles County Supervisors — is trying to win reelection against retired Long Beach police Chief Robert Luna in what looks to be a tight race. The winner, though, could face a new check on his power: LA County voters will weigh whether to OK Measure A, which would allow the supervisors to fire the elected sheriff. To learn more about that proposal, click here.
Meanwhile, a new face will join the powerful Board of Supervisors, as two prominent Democrats fight each other for an open seat on the board. A serious battle pits state Senator Bob Hertzberg against West Hollywood City Council member Lindsey Horvath.
Voters across the county will also decide whether to tax cannabis sales in unincorporated areas.
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Don’t forget about the local stuff
Los Angeles voters have many choices to make about their local government aside from the race for mayor. Those include four races for Los Angeles City Council, a powerful body struggling with scandals involving backroom racism and federal investigations into alleged corruption.
The four Los Angeles City Council races on the ballot include Katy Young Yaroslavsky versus Sam Yebri in District 5; Erin Darling versus Traci Park in District 11; incumbent Councilman Mitch O’Farrell versus Hugo Soto-Martinez in District 13; and Tim McOsker versus Daniella Sandoval in District 15.
Los Angeles voters will also choose a new city controller and a new city attorney. The race for controller has been unexpectedly dramatic, a battle between Councilman Paul Koretz and Kenneth Mejia.
And the bid for the powerful position of Los Angeles city attorney is being fought by attorneys Hydee Feldstein Soto and Faisal Gill, both of whom came to the U.S. as young immigrants and found success.
Also, three ballot measures will be decided by voters in Los Angeles, Proposition LH, Proposition SP and Initiative Ordinance ULA.
Prop. LH would allow the city to use existing public funds to build or buy up to 75,000 units of low-income housing spread through every city council district. Prop. SP would impose a new parcel tax in L.A. to raise funds for parks and related spaces. And Initiative Ordinance ULA would raise transfer taxes on real estate sold for $5 million and up, to raise funds for affordable housing, rent relief, income support and legal counsel for tenants.
Two seats on the Los Angeles Unified School District Board are also on the ballot. While the races have been relatively quiet, the four candidates seeking two spots offer different approaches and compelling choices.
The LAUSD board races include incumbent Kelly Gonez facing the largely unknown Marvin Rodriguez in District 6, which comprises NoHo, Sylmar, Sunland-Tujunga, Van Nuys and other Valley environs; and María Brenes, executive director of InnerCity Struggles, against Rocío Rivas, a policy deputy for current LAUSD board member Jackie Goldberg running for District 2. District 2 includes Downtown L.A., East Hollywood, Boyle Heights, El Sereno and other Eastside neighborhoods.
Still want more?
if you still want to know more about what’s going on in the 2022 statewide general election, we have an entire webpage dedicated to it.