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If a qualified political party chooses to hold a modified-closed presidential primary, the party must notify the California Secretary of State no later than the 135th day before Election Day.

Voters who registered to vote without stating a political party preference are known as No Party Preference (NPP) voters. For information on NPP voters voting in a presidential primary election, please see our webpage on No Party Preference Information.

What do party preferences mean when listed with candidates' names on the ballot? What are the qualified political parties and abbreviations of those party names?

The term "party preference" is now used in place of the term "party affiliation." A candidate must indicate his or her preference or lack of preference for a qualified political party. If the candidate has a qualified political party preference that qualified political party will be indicated by the candidate's name on the ballot. If a candidate does not have a qualified political party preference, "Party Preference: None" will be indicated by the candidate's name on the ballot.

Similarly, voters who were previously known as "decline-to-state" voters (because they did not have a party affiliation) are now known as having "no party preference" or known as "NPP" voters.

Abbreviations for the qualified political parties are:

* DEM = Democratic Party

* REP = Republican Party

* AI = American Independent Party

* GRN = Green Party

* LIB = Libertarian Party

* PF = Peace & Freedom Party

If a candidate receives a majority of the vote (50 percent+1) in the primary election, will there still be a general election?

Yes. The top two vote-getters move on to the general election regardless of party preference or whether one candidate receives a majority of all votes cast in the primary election. Only candidates running for State Superintendent of Public Instruction or candidates for voter-nominated offices in special elections can win outright by getting a majority of the vote (50 percent + 1) in the primary election.

If there are only two candidates in the primary election, is a general election required?

Yes. The top two vote-getters move on to the general election regardless of candidate pool size, party preference, or whether one candidate receives the majority of all votes cast in the primary election. Only candidates running for State Superintendent of Public Instruction or candidates for voter-nominated offices in special elections can win outright by getting a majority of the vote (50 percent + 1) in the primary election.