As our California politics editor Phil Willon said, it’s going to be “a thick ballot” this year, with dozens of candidates readers might not be familiar with. To help make sense of the choices, today we’re rolling out the 2026 voter guide. |
Still, voters will have their work cut out for them. |
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California’s general election takes place on Novemer 3. Learn about L.A.’s city and county races as well races for state office. |
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“We’re not taking a side on any of the candidates,” Willon said. “We’re just trying to lay out what they stand for. We try to give a fair shake to everybody.” |
Mail-in ballots are scheduled to be sent out no later than Oct. 5 for the Nov. 3 election, giving Californians plenty of time to study the guide and make a decision. |
Willon said the goal is to provide a cheat sheet so readers can “see what people stand for, at least have some information to go on when they check that box.” |
There are also 14 ballot measures statewide. The two best known are the proposed tax on billionaires and another proposal to require people to show ID when they vote, but there also are measures on using tax money to help people buy homes, public financing of campaigns and changes to the way recalls are handled. |
“The whole purpose of the guides is to give people something that is a little more objective than all of the campaign ads they’re seeing,” Willon said, “and a little more informative than the big package that they get from the Secretary of State.” |
Voters will have to “actually read the guide and make a decision for themselves, which is how it should be,” he said. |
Top stories |
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California gubernatorial candidates Xavier Becerra, left, and Steve Hilton during CNN’s California Gubernatorial Debate on Wednesday in CNN’s studio in Burbank. The debate was moderated by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.
(Grace Widyatmadja/CNN) |
Becerra v. Hilton debate |
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Los Angeles County reported 69 rabid bats |
- Public health officials say L.A. County is experiencing an alarming influx of rabid bats — matching the highest number ever recorded before peak season is even over.
- Of the 69 rabid bats recorded this year, 68% were found in the Santa Clarita Valley, consistent with trends seen over the last decade.
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Paramount-Warner merger will move forward |
- A federal judge approved a settlement that allows Paramount Skydance Chief Executive David Ellison to finalize his $111-billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
- Ellison is aiming to finalize the merger next week, capping his meteoric rise to becoming one of the industry’s most influential figures.
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More news |
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Commentary and opinion |
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Editor’s pick |
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Portions of Northern California’s Scott River have dried up. Critics say state regulators should do more to keep the river flowing for salmon. |
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More picks |
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Keep up with California |
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Things to do |
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(Guillaume Kurkdjian / For The Times) |
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Today’s recipe |
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Easy apple cake from Casey Elsass’ book “What Can I Bring?” (Gentl and Hyers) |
A rural farm in New Hampshire inspired food writer Casey Elsass’ recipe for apple cake. |
“The batter is what you’d expect, with diced apples, sour cream and cinnamon, plus a crunchy topping of chopped walnuts and brown sugar,” Elsass writes in his cookbook, “What Can I Bring?” “But the curveball here is apple cider vinegar, which not only adds a ton of great apple flavor, but also gives the cake a lofty, fluffy lift.” |
Question for you |
What’s a television show that takes place in California that you’d recommend to friends? |
Chuck P. says, “I love watching ‘Adam-12’ and seeing all the L.A. street scenes from the early ‘70s and trying to identify each location.” |
Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week. |
Photo of the day |
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A view from the deck at indie folk musicians Deena Robertson and Austin Bisnow’s home. Here’s how the indie folk couple turned a Topanga A-frame into a sanctuary for music and recovery. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) |
Games |
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Here’s today’s mini crossword, plus our other free, daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games. |
Have a great day, from the Essential California team |
Jack Dolan, investigative reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, Fast Break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters |
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com. |
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