Polls have opened in California where voters will now decide whether to remove Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. PST (which is 10 a.m. until 11 p.m. ET) on Election Day.
Voters will be asked two questions on the recall ballot:
- First, "yes" or "no" on whether they want to recall Newsom.
- Second, they will be asked to select from a list of candidates from all parties who wish to replace him. Forty-six contenders have qualified for the ballot, but there is no well-known Democrat vying to replace him. (Newsom is not allowed to run as a replacement candidate).
If a majority vote "yes" on the first question, Newsom is removed from office and the top candidate on the second question takes over, even if that person receives only a fraction of the vote. If a majority votes against recalling Newsom, he keeps his job and the results of the second question are irrelevant.
There are no other initiatives or referenda on the ballot.
Millions of voters have already cast their ballots – all registered voters in the state were mailed one – and so far, Democrats have outpaced their registration advantage in the overwhelmingly blue state. But Republicans are counting on doing better on Election Day, because of their party's preference for voting in-person.