Historic California Top Two Primary Day

CALIFORNIA TOP TWO PRIMARY DAY

• Light turnout expected in election for vacant US House seat in Southern Calif.'s 36th District (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. Daily Journal) The race also is notable because it is the first congressional test of California's new open primary system for electing lawmakers. Voters, regardless of registration, can select candidates from any party, and if no one clears 50 percent to win outright, the top two vote-getters advance to a runoff, even if they are from the same party.
• Historic election arrives (By Eric Bradley, LA Daily Breeze) Passed by voters last June, Proposition 14 created the "jungle primary" - where all candidates appear on a single ballot. The change is aimed at reducing partisanship and ensuring that general elections are less perfunctory. If no candidate wins a majority, then the top two, regardless of party affiliation, advance to a runoff, set for July 12.