State-wide Election Guide for Humboldt County & Del Norte County

March 5th is election day, and while it is a presidential primary election, the state of California is also voting on a partial-term senator and a full-term senator, which are for the same seat.

Juan Pablo Cervantes, Humboldt County’s Registrar of Voters explains, “For this election, we have two races for the same seat just for different terms. And so due to Dianne Feinstein’s passing away, the seat was opened. We currently have an appointed senator just temporarily filling in the vacant seat.  For this election, you’ll vote for a partial term and then a full term, this partial term is for the time between November and January when the first term begins. And so even though it’s only a partial, it’ll still be a top two primary, which means that you’ll be voting again for the top two contenders in November.”

Not every candidate in the full senate election is also running for the partial. 

In the congressional race, District Two Representative Jared Huffman faces four competitors.  And our area is also voting for a state assembly member to fill Jim Wood’s seat, since he chose not to seek re-election.

“California has a top two primary for all that state stuff that I talked about,” Cervantes says. “Same thing for our U.S. Representative. And then the same thing for our State Assembly Member.”

That means the top two vote-getters will be on the November ballot.

Californians are also voting on Proposition 1, and a yes vote authorizes $6.38 billion in bonds to build mental health treatment facilities for those with mental health and substance use challenges and provides housing for the homeless.    A “no” vote on this measure means things stay the way they are.

A state proposition needs a majority vote of the people.