The California governor election runs in two rounds. Every candidate for the office, regardless of party, appears together on a single primary ballot in June, and the two candidates with the most votes advance to a general election in November. The winner takes office the following January. For the 2026 cycle, the primary is June 2, 2026, and the general election is November 3, 2026.
How the Top-Two Primary Works
California uses the “Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act,” which voters approved as Proposition 14 in 2010. It replaced the older party-primary system with one ballot listing every candidate for governor.1Legislative Analyst’s Office. Proposition 14 – Elections: Open Primaries
Every registered voter gets the same ballot and can vote for any candidate, whether or not they share a party preference. Only the two candidates with the highest vote totals move on to November. That holds even if both are from the same party, which has happened in several recent California races. The presidential primary is a separate matter, where the parties still run their own nomination contests.1Legislative Analyst’s Office. Proposition 14 – Elections: Open Primaries
One consequence is that third-party and independent candidates rarely reach the general election. Under the old rules, a Green or Libertarian nominee automatically advanced. Under top-two, they have to outpoll all but one competitor across the whole field.
Key Dates for the 2026 Election
The 2026 gubernatorial calendar runs on this schedule:2California Secretary of State. Key Dates and Deadlines
- February 9 through March 6, 2026: candidate filing window for the primary.
- May 18, 2026: last day to register to vote for the primary by the standard deadline (15 days before Election Day).
- June 2, 2026: Primary Election Day. Polls open 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- November 3, 2026: General Election Day.
The winner takes office on the Monday after January 1 following the election.3Justia. California Constitution Article V Section 2
How You Vote
To vote in the governor’s race, you must be a U.S. citizen, a California resident, and at least 18 years old by Election Day. You cannot vote while serving a state or federal prison sentence for a felony conviction, or if a court has found you mentally incompetent to vote.4California Secretary of State. Who Can Vote in California
Registration requires either your California driver’s license or state ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you miss the 15-day deadline, California offers Conditional Voter Registration, often called same-day registration. You can register and cast a provisional ballot at your county elections office, a vote center, or your polling place all the way through Election Day. The ballot is counted once the county verifies the registration.5California Secretary of State. Same Day Voter Registration (Conditional Voter Registration)
Every registered voter is mailed a ballot automatically. Counties must start sending ballots at least 29 days before Election Day, and you don’t need to request one.6California Legislative Information. California Elections Code 3000.5 A mail ballot must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the county no later than seven days after. You can also return a completed ballot to any official drop box or vote center by the time polls close, or vote in person if you prefer.7California Secretary of State. Vote By Mail
Who Can Run for Governor
The California Constitution requires the governor to be a U.S. citizen and a qualified elector of the state, and limits any person to two terms in the office. Only terms served since November 6, 1990 count toward that limit.3Justia. California Constitution Article V Section 28California Secretary of State. Summary of Qualifications and Requirements for the Offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor The Constitution also contains a five-year California residency requirement, but the Secretary of State’s office treats it as unenforceable because it conflicts with federal protections against durational residency barriers.9California Secretary of State. Candidate Qualifications and Information
Candidates also have to disclose their taxes. Under Elections Code Section 8902, a candidate’s name will not appear on the ballot unless they file copies of every federal income tax return from the five most recent taxable years with the Secretary of State at least 88 days before the election.10California Legislative Information. California Elections Code 8902
To get on the primary ballot, a candidate files a Declaration of Candidacy during the filing window and either pays a filing fee equal to 2% of the office’s first-year salary or submits a petition with 7,000 valid signatures from registered California voters. A partial fee can be combined with a proportionally reduced number of signatures.11California Legislative Information. California Elections Code 810312California Legislative Information. California Elections Code 8106 In the 2022 cycle, the fee came to roughly $4,370.
Campaign Contribution Limits
California caps donations to gubernatorial candidates. For the 2025–2026 cycle, the limit is $39,200 per election from any individual, business, or PAC, so the same donor could give up to that amount for the primary and again for the general. Independent expenditures by outside groups that don’t coordinate with a campaign are not subject to these caps.13Fair Political Practices Commission. State Contribution Limits and Voluntary Expenditure Ceilings
Recalls Are a Separate Process
A regular gubernatorial election is not the only way the office can change hands. California voters can also remove a sitting governor mid-term through a recall, as they attempted with Governor Gavin Newsom in 2021.
Recall proponents must collect signatures from registered voters equal to at least 12% of the total votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election, drawn from at least five counties, with each of those counties contributing signatures equal to at least 1% of the last vote for the office. They have 160 days from the date the Secretary of State approves the petition’s form and wording.14California Secretary of State. Procedures for Recalling State and Local Officials
If enough valid signatures are submitted, the Governor must schedule a recall election 60 to 80 days out, with a possible extension to 180 days to consolidate with another election. The ballot asks two questions: whether to remove the governor, and, if a majority says yes, who should take the office. The sitting governor cannot appear as a replacement candidate.15Justia. California Constitution Article II Section 15