my 20 year old just voted in his first primary

[Fresh_Start]

with pride I watched him spend most of a day researching the candidates to make an informed decision.
I don't know how he eventually voted but I'm happy he took the time to understand the candidates and the issues

He asked if its normal to have 34 candidates for a seat (US Senator from California).
I said it was the first in my lifetime.

[LisaM]

1. Whoa, 34 candidates for Senator?

I realize it's an open seat, but it seems that there could be some serious unintended consequences to having such a large field - it wouldn't take much to get a dangerous candidate nominated.

[Fresh_Start]

2. In california the top 2 candidates are included in the general election

so theoretically its possible that someone with only 3% of the primary vote could wind up in the general election.

[LisaM]

3. They did a runoff thing for Seattle City Council, too.

They recently changed the makeup of the council to have a ward system instead of an at-large system. The slate of candidates to research was enormous, and I am really dissatisfied with the person who won in my district. They don't run by party anymore, either. The primary also had a dismal turnout - the lowest since the Depression by percentage - so the opportunity for a bad council was enormous. I'm a Democrat anyway, not one of those who routinely disparages the party, but having to go through so many names on a ballot made me really, really appreciate the process of the party vetting candidates first.

[Fresh_Start]

4. completely understand

for local office sometimes you have nothing to go on....they don't even have a website....just a blurb in the voters guide..if you are lucky

[LisaM]

6. Luckily we have a very good local paper (The Stranger)

that does a bang-up job of this, though I occasionally disagree with them and only use them as a starting point. But people like us are not the norm. Most people do very little research, and the ballots are getting so clogged with names that it's ridiculous. Years ago the locals elected a judge just because he had the same name as a previous judge and they thought they were voting for the other guy. THANK GOD the wrongly-voted-in guy turned out to be a decent judge.

[stopbush]

5. It will end up being two Ds

Probably Harris and Sanchez.

[Zorro]

7. 2 votes for Sanchez in my house

Figured Harris wouldn't need them, so we went with Loretta. 2 Dems only for the Senate race -- that's the way to do it.

[Retrograde]

8. That's because we're now seeing them in one bunch

Back when there were still partisan primaries, there'd be 4 or 5 Republican candidates, 4 or 5 Democrats, a couple each from the Green, Libertarian, AIP and Peace and Freedom parties, all on their separate tickets. Now they're all thrown together in one long list - along with those who don't state a party. Once you eliminate the fringe candidates (my method: if you can't be bothered to write a statement for the voters' guide I can't be bothered to vote for you. Then after eliminating the obvious loons and Reaganites there are only a couple left. Finding them on the ballot can be a challenge since California has it's own version of the alphabet).

I'm looking forward to Harris and Sanchez, two Democratic women, going on to November.

[pinboy3niner]

9. There are 8 candidates for one L.A. County Supervisor position (5th District)

It's a nonpartisan position, so there's no party affiliation identified on the ballot. I got a kick out of the mailing sent out by one (Democrat Darrell Park). He declares:

DON'T BE FOOLED

The Other Candidates for Supervisor Are

PART OF DONALD TRUMP'S REPUBLICAN PARTY

He notes that he's the only candidate endorsed by the Democratic Party, and his slogan is "A Progressive Vision for Los Angeles County."