Friday, May 1, 2026

Pasadena and Altadena Voters Get Their Ballots for a Packed June Primary

Three City Council seats, a countywide healthcare tax and statewide races are on the June 2 ballot; registration deadline is May 18

Ballots for the June 2 primary began landing in Pasadena and Altadena mailboxes this week, and this one will take some time to fill out.

The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office started mailing Vote by Mail ballots to all registered voters on April 30, according to an announcement from the office of Registrar Dean C. Logan.

Earlier, the office had sent voter outreach postcards to approximately 4.8 million registered voters across the county — the largest and most complex election jurisdiction in the nation, according to the county.

The ballot is long. Pasadena voters will choose among candidates for California governor, Los Angeles mayor, three Pasadena City Council seats and a countywide ballot measure that proposes a half-cent sales tax increase to shore up healthcare services facing federal funding cuts.

“Los Angeles County administers elections for one of the most diverse populations in the nation,” Logan said in a statement announcing the outreach effort. “These outreach mailings ensure voters receive early information about their voting options and have the opportunity to request election materials in the language that best supports their participation.”

Altadena voters, whose unincorporated community receives election services directly from the county, will see the same statewide and countywide races on their ballots, though not the Pasadena municipal contests. Under California’s nonpartisan primary system, the top two vote-getters in each race advance to the November general election regardless of party affiliation.

The Pasadena City Council races cover Districts 3, 5 and 7. District 3 is held by Justin Jones, District 5 by Jess Rivas and District 7 by Jason Lyon. A candidate who wins more than 50 percent of the vote in the June primary takes the seat outright; otherwise, the top two finishers advance to a November runoff.

Countywide, every voter will see Measure ER, the Essential Services Restoration Act. The measure would raise the county sales tax by half a cent for five years, generating an estimated $1 billion per year, according to the county. The revenue is intended to offset federal cuts to Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program.

Voters have three options for returning a completed ballot, according to the Registrar-Recorder’s office. They can use any of more than 400 official ballot drop boxes located across the county. They can mail the ballot back at no cost — no postage is required — though the office recommends mailing at least seven days before Election Day to ensure delivery. Or, starting May 23, they can drop off their ballot or vote in person at any Vote Center in the county.

The deadline to register and receive a ballot by mail is May 18. Same-day registration is available after that date at Vote Centers, according to the California Secretary of State. Voters can also create a personalized voting plan by visiting PLAN.LAVOTE.GOV or texting PLAN to LAVOTE (528683).

Election materials are available in English and 18 additional languages, according to the Registrar-Recorder’s press release. Voters can request materials in their preferred language by returning the Language Request Form in the back of the Sample Ballot Book or by calling (800) 815-2666, option 3. Spanish-language assistance is available at (213) 358-2770. Additional language lines are listed at LAVOTE.GOV.

Online candidate statements for nonpartisan county and judicial races are available at the Registrar-Recorder’s website in addition to the statements printed in the Sample Ballot Book, which began arriving in mailboxes on April 23, according to the county. A separate State Voter Information Guide, mailed by the California Secretary of State, is also available online at voterguide.sos.ca.gov.

Voters who want to track their ballot can subscribe to the state’s Where’s My Ballot? service at california.ballottrax.net/voter, a free tool that provides automatic updates by text, email or voicemail, according to the Registrar-Recorder’s announcement.

Polls on Election Day are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked by June 2 and received by the Registrar-Recorder’s office by June 9. Voters must sign and date the return envelope before submitting their ballot.