On March 5, California will have its primary election, but nearly 5 million voters in the Golden State may have to take extra steps to vote for a U.S. presidential candidate.
It all depends on whether you are registered with a political party or registered as “No Party Preference,” and if any parties allow these NPP voters to vote for their candidates.
According to the Secretary of State, there are more than 22 million registered voters as of early January 2024, and 4.8 million of those are registered as “No Party Preference.”
If you are an NPP voter, your ballot will still contain local races, since most of these are nonpartisan, but you won’t automatically see presidential candidates for any of the parties.
Here’s what you need to do if you are an NPP voter and want to vote for a presidential candidate in California’s primary election.
If you want to vote in the Republican, Green or Peace and Freedom primary elections, you’ll have to re-register as a party member. These parties have what is known as a “closed presidential party.”
California allows voters to change their registration up until the ballots close on Primary Election Day, but voters will receive a provisional ballot that will not be officially counted until the registration change is processed.
NPP voters can cast a ballot for the Democratic, Libertarian and American Independent primary elections for U.S. president, but you must request one of those parties’ ballots first.
These parties have what is known as a “modified-closed presidential primary.”
The Secretary of State says NPP voters can request a replacement ballot with presidential candidates from your county’s elections office. Find your county elections office here.
NPP voters who choose to vote in person at the polls can ask a poll worker for a ballot from any of the three parties that allow them to participate in their respective primaries.
If you are not sure what party you are registered with, you can check your voter status at the Secretary of State’s website.
