Posts Tagged: primary election cycle

CA120: Deconstructing California’s top-two primary

A political rally in southern California during the 2016 election cycle. (Photo: Joseph Sohm)

by PAUL MITCHELL posted 06.27.2018

With the close of the 2018 primary election cycle, we get another chance to see how campaigns have evolved under California’s top-two open primary system. The most noteworthy change appears to be the manner by which campaigns are extending their reach across the partisan aisle. But they are not doing it in the way that the authors of the Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act, which took effect in 2011, intended.

June 5 primary: The chase is on

A voter casts a ballot in the 2016 election in Ventura County. (Photo: Joseph Sohm, via Shutterstock)

by PAUL MITCHELL posted 05.29.2018

The chatter online and in the media is all about the June 5 Primary Election. But, for those of us working in these races, the election has been ongoing for weeks. In fact, as of Memorial Day weekend, 1.25 million California voters have cast ballots, approximately 20% of the expected total turnout of by-mail and poll voters.