San Ramon Voter Guide: March 2024 Voting Centers, Issues

SAN RAMON, CA — The 2024 presidential primary election season in California is officially underway, but the real excitement in California comes in the form of down-ballot races.

With presidential frontrunners former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden expected to win their nominations handily, all eyes in California are on the hotly contested primary race for the seat vacated by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein as well as a slew of local races.

Contra Costa County Vote Centers are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. You may vote at any center in the county.

Centers in and around San Ramon include:

• Alcosta Senior and Community Center, 9300 Alcosta Boulevard, San Ramon
• Amador Rancho Community Center, 1998 Rancho Park Loop, San Ramon
• Church of the Valley, 19001 San Ramon Valley Boulevard, San Ramon
• Crow Canyon Chapel, 5025 Crow Canyon Road, San Ramon
• Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center, 10550 Albion Road, San Ramon
• Norris Canyon Estates Clubhouse, 3051 Ashbourne Circle, San Ramon
• San Ramon City Hall, 7000 Bollinger Canyon Road, San Ramon
• San Ramon Community Center, 12501 Alcosta Boulevard, San Ramon
• San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church, 902 Danville Boulevard, Alamo
• Blackhawk Country Club, 3521 Country Club Place, Danville
• Alamo Elementary School, 100 Wilson Road, Alamo

U.S. House District 10:

• Mark DeSaulnier (Democrat, incumbent)
• Nolan Chen (Republican)
• Mohammed Elsherbini (Independent)
• Katherine Piccinini (Republican)
• Joe Sweeney (Independent)

California State Senate District 9:

• Tim Grayson (Democrat)
• Marisol Rubio (Democrat)

And California State Assembly District 16:

• Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (Democrat, incumbent)
• Joseph Rubay (Republican)

Presidential Primary

The primary will decide which candidate gets California's 169 delegates — the largest haul of any state — to the Republican and Democratic national conventions, to be held in July and August, respectively.

There were notable changes to California's primary this year. It moved up from June to Super Tuesday in March with 13 other states.

In California, the political parties determine whether they will have open or closed presidential parties, meaning only the party's registered voters can pick the winning candidates.

The Green Party, the Peace and Freedom Party, and the Republican Party are all holding closed primaries in California.

Furthermore, the state's GOP changed the rules to winner-takes-all, so that any candidate who gets a majority wins all of the delegates. Previously, the delegates were divided up based on the number of congressional districts each Republican won.

The change, pushed by the Donald Trump campaign, raises the stakes in California's primary and favors the frontrunner in the Republican primary, which also happens to be Trump.

The American Independent Party, the Democratic Party, and the Libertarian Party hold a modified-closed primary, which means they allow No Party Preference voters to vote in their primaries.

Click here to check your voter and party registration status.

Statewide Primary Elections

All 52 of California's congressional districts will have primary races March 5 along with one U.S. Senate race. With frontrunners Trump and Biden expected to sail to victory in California's presidential primary, the real suspense centers on the Golden State's senate race.

For the senate race, California has an open primary, which means only the top two vote-getters in the primary election, regardless of party affiliation, move on to the general election.

It's been decades since a Republican won statewide office in California.

2024 Election: Endorsements And Voter Guides

• CalMatters
• East Bay Times
• Los Angeles Times
• The Orange-County Register
• The San Diego-Union Tribune
• Sacramento Bee
• San Francisco Chronicle
• California Secretary of State Voter Guide
• California Democratic Party Endorsements
• California Republican Party Endorsements

Key 2024 Election Dates In California

Here’s what you need to know about the 2024 election calendar in California:

• Election day is March 5, but early voting centers will open Feb. 24.
• Feb. 5 was the deadline for county officials to begin mailing each registered voter a vote-by-mail ballot.
• The last day to register to vote in the election is Feb. 20. Click here to register to vote.
• Vote-by-mail ballot requests must arrive by February 27, 2024. Check your county election office website to request a vote-by-mail ballot if you have not received one yet.
• All votes must be cast by March 5 and received by election officials by March 12.

Mail-in voters in California now have a way to track their ballots to make sure their votes are counted. The California Secretary of State is now offering Where’s My Ballot? for voters to track and receive notifications on the status of their vote-by-mail ballot.

With Where’s My Ballot? Voters who sign up will receive notices via email, text, or voice message from the county elections official regarding the status of the voter's vote-by-mail ballot including:

• When the ballot has been delivered
• The date that the voter's ballot is expected to be delivered to the voter
• If the voter's ballot is returned as undeliverable to the county elections official by the USPS
• When the voter's completed ballot has been received by the county
• Whether the voter's completed ballot has been accepted or a reason why the ballot could not be accepted and instructions of steps the voter can take in order to have the ballot accepted
• The deadline for the voter to return his or her ballot if the county has not received a voter's completed ballot by specified dates as determined by the county elections officials