Excerpt:

It may be hard to believe, but the 2024 general election is just a few weeks away. And if you’ve registered to vote, your ballot should be landing in your mailbox very soon if it hasn’t arrived already.

But even for seasoned voters, this year’s California ballot might contain a few surprises that could leave you looking twice — or even wondering if there’s a misprint on your ballot.

“There are a number of tricky landmines on the ballot that you need to navigate as you’re working your way through,” said Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation. And when it comes to the not-so-intuitive aspects of voting, Alexander said the message her organization is “always trying to get across is: it’s not you. It’s the elections process, which is unnecessarily mysterious.”

2024 VOTER GUIDE: CALIFORNIA, BAY AREA AND NATIONAL GENERAL ELECTION 

So to avoid any confusion when you’re filling out your ballot, keep reading for the four aspects of your California ballot that could trip you up this election season.

And if you’re looking for information about races and candidates, you can consult KQED’s Voter Guide. This year, the voter guide covers every measure and race in the Bay Area — even contests like city council and school board. We’ve also got information on how to correct a mistake on your ballot and how to address common issues with your signature on your ballot envelope.

You’ll be asked to vote twice for the same Senate seat

The part of your ballot that invites you to vote two times for the same U.S. Senate seat isn’t a mistake, and here’s why.

As KQED’s Voter Guide explains: When longtime California Senator Dianne Feinstein died in September 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Laphonza Butler to serve the remainder of her term. However, shortly after, Butler announced that she would not run for a full six-year term.

California law requires a special election to fill this vacancy in the U.S. Senate. The race referred to as “short-term,” “unexpired term” or “partial term” on your ballot is technically that special election. The winner will serve from when the election is certified in December to when the current Senate term ends in January. (Full Story)