College students who participate in general elections are not always familiar with primary elections. A primary is an election held beforehand to help determine which candidates will appear on the general election ballot.
According to political expert and CSUN Professor Dr. Martin Saiz, primaries are essential to determine which candidates voters can choose from.
“The primary is about choosing the candidates, not the elected official,” Saiz said.
According to the California Secretary of State website, ballots would be overcrowded without the primaries. Instead, the system narrows down candidates, sometimes from dozens, to make it less complicated.
California uses a “top-two” primary system, also known as a jungle primary system. This means that the two candidates who receive the most votes, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election. This can result in two candidates from the same party appearing on the final ballot.
Primaries consistently see lower turnout than general elections. Saiz explained that this is partially because they require more effort from voters.
“It’s much harder, actually, to vote in the primary than it is in the general election,” Saiz said. “You have to know the individual candidates.”
Psychology major Daniela Bonilla said she had never heard of the primaries or seen any information on social media, in the news or in school.
“There are a lot of us that don’t genuinely know what it is or what it consists of,” Bonilla said.
General elections involve fewer choices, which allows voters who may rely on party affiliation rather than researching the candidate. According to Saiz, this can result in lower participation, especially among young voters.
She also pointed to the aggressive current political climate as a reason some students disengage.
“There’s so much, I guess, drama now with the elections,” Bonilla said. “I feel like it’s so much harder just because people want to stay away from that.”
Saiz added that because fewer people vote in primaries, a smaller and more specific group ends up having greater influence over election outcomes.
“The people who vote in the primaries have an oversized influence on who is going to be the governor,” Saiz said. “If you don’t participate, then politicians don’t have to care about what you need.”
Saiz noted that primary voters tend to be more politically engaged and often differ demographically from the broader population. As a result, issues important to younger voters or voters who don’t participate in the primaries may receive less attention.
Bonilla said she recognizes the importance of the primaries now and plans to become more engaged.
“I do think they’re important,” Bonilla said. “We still get a say in who gets to run … and who gets to make those future decisions for all of us.”
The California 2026 Primary Election will take place on June 2. CSUN students can vote on campus outside Redwood Hall or find nearby polling locations online, as well as check their voter status through California’s voter portal.
