New voters among many California voters heading to the polls

As of the Friday before the registration deadline in May, there were a total of 4.8 million registered voters and 1.7 million registered “Vote by Mail” voters in Los Angeles County, according to the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder’s Office. People will also be asked to select a presidential candidate. Since early mail ballot returns in the San Diego region usually lean Republican, this indicates a high Democratic turnout, he said.

Voters may choose to vote either the Democratic or the Republican ballot.

While only Republicans can vote in the GOP Presidential contest, Democrats and those who decline to state their party affiliation can vote in the Democratic race. Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee.

In addition to in-person voting, almost 185,000 people had returned absentee ballots by early Tuesday afternoon, which was about 75 percent of the almost 247,400 ballots that were issued.

Polls have shown California Secretary of State Kamala Harris as the favorite, followed by U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez of Orange County.

Voters will also weigh in on congressional and legislative races.

In the other marquee contest, California voters cast ballots in a U.S. Senate race that is likely to pit two Democrats against one another for the first time.

Partly as a result of the confusing rules, more voters than usual have been requesting replacement ballots, said Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation.

Mail ballots can be dropped off at any polling place in the voter’s county or at designated drop-off points. Polling stations open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. For those who cannot make it to their assigned polling place, they can still vote by provisional ballot at any location.