Still trying to decide how to vote? A guide to midterm election guides
The midterm election is days away. Do you know how you’re voting?
Californians will pick a U.S. senator and a governor, among other major roles, and Angelenos will decide on the next mayor. There are also a plethora of propositions and local measures and judgeships on the ballot. California’s robust sample ballot and voter information guide have a lot of information on what each proposition means and what your “yes” or “no” vote will do. Still, it can be tricky to figure out how you’ll vote.
That’s where endorsements and voting guides come in.
You’ve probably been subjected to a slew of mailers with voting guides. But those can be misleading. For instance, you might have received one in the past few weeks that says “Cops Voter Guide.” In small letters along the bottom, it notes that it does not represent any public safety personnel — i.e., cops. In fact, more than a third of its funding in this election cycle came from the PAC for Yes On 27 (which supports a state ballot proposition about online sports betting). The Sheriff’s Employee Benefits Assn., which represents law enforcement in San Bernardino County, called the 2020 version of the guide “crooked” that year.
It can be tricky to tell what’s legit. So we’ve rounded up voting guides and endorsements from across the state, including newspapers, other news sites, political groups, professional groups and advocacy organizations.
Consider this your guide to the voting guides.
Here’s how to vote in the California midterm election, how to register, what to do if you didn’t get mail ballot or if you made a mistake on your ballot.
Los Angeles media voting guides and endorsements
These are voting guides and official endorsements from news outlets around Los Angeles. Voting guides are typically informational and nonpartisan, while endorsements say “here’s who we think you should vote for and why.” At the L.A. Times (and at other newspapers), the editorial board reports and writes endorsements. The board works completely separately from the newsroom, meaning news reporters and editors are not involved in endorsement decisions.
- L.A. Times 2022 midterm election guide
- L.A. Times editorial board endorsements
- LAist voter guide and voting game plan
- L.A. Taco voting guide
- KQED California voter guide
- Knock.LA progressive voter guide and endorsements
The L.A. Times’ editorial board endorsements for statewide ballot measures, elected offices in Los Angeles city and county, L.A. Unified School District board, L.A. county superior court, statewide offices, the state Legislature and U.S. House and Senate seats.
Other California newspapers and news sites
(Note: Some of these sites may require you to subscribe to view them.)
- CalMatters 2022 voter guide
- Orange County Register editorial board endorsements
- San Diego Union-Tribune editorial board endorsements
- Ventura County Star voter guide
- Riverside Press-Enterprise editorial board endorsements
- San Bernardino Sun editorial board endorsements
- Desert Sun editorial board endorsements
- San Francisco Chronicle editorial board endorsements
- Fresno Bee editorial board endorsements
- Mercury News editorial board endorsements
For as long as anyone can remember, pundits have used the “midterm” label for elections halfway between presidential elections. But what does it mean?
Political parties
Voting guides and endorsements from various political parties and groups.
- California Democratic Party endorsements
- California Republican Party endorsements
- Los Angeles County Democratic Party endorsements
- Los Angeles County Republican Party endorsements
- Green Party of California endorsements
- Libertarian Party of California endorsements
- Democratic Socialists of America, L.A. chapter endorsements
- L.A. Forward Action progressive endorsements
- Courage California progressive endorsements
The 2020 election generated anxiety about the Postal Service’s ability to deliver ballots on time. Californians can track their ballots to make sure they’ve been received and counted.
Professional and advocacy groups
Endorsements from nonprofits and other professional and advocacy organizations.
- League of Women Voters of California endorsements
- ACLU SoCal endorsements
- California Teachers Assn. endorsements
- Service Employees International Union - Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-HCW) endorsements
- Peace Officers Research Association of California endorsements
- California Chamber of Commerce endorsements
- California Labor Federation endorsements
- Sierra Club - Angeles Chapter endorsements
- Streets for All 2022 California endorsements (An L.A.-based advocacy group looking to make streets safer and reduce traffic by building more bike lanes, pedestrian areas, and other multimodal transit infrastructure.)
- Inner City Struggle endorsements (A Boyle Heights-based group organized in the spirit of the Civil Rights movement.)
- Equality California endorsements
About The Times Utility Journalism Team
This article is from The Times’ Utility Journalism Team. Our mission is to be essential to the lives of Southern Californians by publishing information that solves problems, answers questions and helps with decision making. We serve audiences in and around Los Angeles — including current Times subscribers and diverse communities that haven’t historically had their needs met by our coverage.
How can we be useful to you and your community? Email utility (at) latimes.com or one of our journalists: Jon Healey, Ada Tseng, Jessica Roy and Karen Garcia.
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