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Behind the Scenes
of Orange County Elections
October 23, 2016 - California's Top Two Primary Act changed the way we vote in California. The top two vote-getters at the primary election advance to the general election for voter-nominated offices, even if both candidates have specified the same party preference designation. What are voter nominated offices? U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, State Senate and State Assembly.
A write-in candidate can only move on to the General Election if the candidate is one of the top two vote-getters in the Primary Election. Voters may not write in a name for a voter-nominated contest in the General Election. Additionally, there is no independent nomination process for a General Election. This is why there is no write-in line for these offices.