Types of Offices on the Ballot

Party-Nominated Offices

Party-Nominated Offices are contests in which the nominee is selected by the political party. Only registered voters in that political party can vote for that party's candidate on the ballot.

Who Can Vote

Generally, only voters who are registered with the same party as the candidate may vote in that party's primary. However, sometimes parties allow No Party Preference voters to participate in the Presidential primary without the need to re-register (called a crossover).

Which Offices

  • U.S. President
  • County Central Committees

Advancing to the General Election

Presidential contest only, the top vote-getters in each party.

Voter-Nominated Offices

Voter-Nominated Offices are contests in which the nominee is selected by the voter. In voter-nominated contests, any voter can vote for any candidate, regardless of party. It also allows candidates to choose whether they want to disclose their party preference on the ballot.

Who Can Vote

All voters, regardless of party preference can vote for any candidate. This replaces party ballots in primary elections with a single combined ballot listing all candidates. The candidate may also choose to have their party preference or lack of party preference printed on the ballot.

Which Offices

  • Attorney General
  • Governor
  • Lieutenant Governor
  • Secretary of State
  • State Assembly
  • State Board of Equalization

  • State Controller
  • State Insurance Commissioner
  • State Senator
  • State Treasurer
  • U.S. Representative
  • U.S. Senator

Advancing to the General Election

The top-two vote-getters, regardless of party preference.


Nonpartisan Offices

Nonpartisan offices are contests in which voters select a candidate. Judicial, school, county and municipal offices are examples of nonpartisan offices.

Who Can Vote

All voters, regardless of party preference.

Which Offices

  • County Offices
  • Municipal Offices
  • Schools and Special Districts
  • Superintendent of Public Instruction
  • Superior Court Judges

Advancing to the General Election

In majority vote contests, candidates that receive a majority of the votes win outright in the primary. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, then the top-two vote-getters move on to the general election.