Election 2026 updates: Latest on CA governor's race, Nancy Pelosi's seat and more

A San Mateo County voter says she arrived to an empty and unlocked voting center on Sunday.

San Mateo County voter Madelyn Webster went to drop off her ballot at a voting center at Notre Dame de Namur University Sunday night.

The only issue was there was no one there.

"We also checked the front door thinking maybe they're taking a break in the front but that was locked. And then we called out again because there were restrooms there," Webster said.

Webster says she walked around the building for about 10 minutes trying to find someone before eventually leaving.

She tells us she arrived to the voting center around 6 p.m., about an hour after it had closed.

But, unaware of the operating hours, she thought it was still open since the doors were unlocked and a vote here banner was flying outside.

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The incident prompted Webster to send an email to the county's chief elections officer.

The election's office says the voting center at NDNU is not one that's operated by the county.

They say every day at 5 o'clock their staff secures the voting machines and removes all ballots from the facility.

It's then up to the school staff to ensure the building is locked and secured.

The elections office was unavailable to go on camera Monday night but told ABC7 Eyewitness News in an email:

"The matter was reviewed by our Vote Center and supervisory staff and confirmed that all ballots, voting equipment, and election materials remained secure and were not compromised."

MORE: New poll shows Steyer edging Hilton in CA governor's race as battle for 2nd tightens

In addition to the county election's office, Webster also reached out to Supervisor David Canepa.

Canepa himself is on the ballot Tuesday- running for chief elections officer against the current assistant.

He says the regardless of who is responsible for keeping the facility locked, the incident raises unnecessary concerns.

"How did this happen? We need to understand how did this happen? And was this a one-off or has this happened before?" said Canepa.

The voting center was locked after hours Monday when ABC7 arrived to check.

Welcome news to Webster who says she just wanted to make sure everything was okay.

"I kept my ballot because I wanted to make sure it got into the right hands. So only after dinner did we drop it off at the Belmont police station," she said.

Bay Area voter turnout rises ahead of California primary election as ballots surge across the state.

Ballots ahead of Tuesday's primary election are being returned at a rapid pace across California, with statewide turnout at about 16% as of Monday and rising quickly.

Election officials and political analysts say a late surge in voting could push turnout beyond levels seen in the 2022 governor's race, driven in part by a competitive open gubernatorial contest.

At the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters Office, volunteers were busy Monday processing incoming ballots as voters continued to weigh in on the governor's race and other key contests.

"We're going to surpass the early vote of the 2022 cycle. That seems very clear. It is, of course, a competitive open gubernatorial race versus 2022, which was a reelection," said Political Data Vice President Paul Mitchell.

Mitchell said roughly 16% of ballots have been returned statewide so far, with a significant portion arriving within the past day. In Los Angeles County alone, he noted, 30% of total turnout was recorded Monday.

Early returns also show a shift in voting patterns, with more Republican ballots coming in earlier than usual. Meanwhile, Mitchell said some voters in more Democratic-leaning counties have delayed casting ballots as they consider their options.

"There's been a lot of consternation about this governor's race, and a lot of Democrats have been holding onto their ballots, kind of waiting to vote strategically. Balancing that idea of these are the candidates I'm interested in supporting, but also these are the candidates that are really viable," he said.

According to Political Data tracking, turnout in San Mateo and Alameda counties is roughly in line with the statewide average, while San Francisco is lagging behind that pace.

In Santa Clara County, election officials report turnout at about 19%, with ballots continuing to arrive. Voting has been underway since early May, and workers are expected to process ballots through the weekend until every vote is counted.

"Through our checks and balances and the things that we do to prepare for an election, and with the groups that we work with both at a local, state, and a federal level, we make sure all our i's are dotted and t's are crossed with our systems and processes," said Andre De Ocampo.

Officials also cautioned voters about a U.S. Postal Service processing change that could mean some mail-in ballots are not postmarked in time to be counted. They emphasized that voters still have multiple options to participate, including 112 vote centers and 111 drop box locations across Santa Clara County.

With ballots continuing to arrive and Election Day approaching, officials expect turnout to keep climbing as voters make their final decisions.

The governor's race has been the most wide open in a generation. More than 50 names are on the ballot.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is banned by law from seeking a third term. Other candidates seeking to replace him include former Democratic U.S. Rep. Katie Porter,Democrat Matt Mahan, the mayor of San Jose, and Bianco, the Riverside County sheriff.

Rebecca Katz, a strategist with Steyer's campaign, said Sunday that they are "feeling pretty good" but emphasized how close the race was with a sporting reference, "It's three candidates for two spots, every possession counts."

Steyer, a former hedge fund manager turned liberal activist, has set spending records hoping to advance to the November contest. Hilton, a former Fox News host who has been endorsed by Trump, has promised to bring down costs in a state with some of the nation's highest gas prices, utility costs and taxes. Becerra has been stressing his experience in arguing he's best prepared to lead the nation's most populous state, having served as the Biden administration's health secretary, a former U.S. House member and state attorney general.

Broadly, Republicans in the race are promising drastic change after years of Democratic governance - Democrats haven't lost a statewide race in two decades and Republicans last elected a Los Angeles mayor in 1997. Democrats, though in charge for years, are promising to bring down costs and continue to fend off the Trump administration in its numerous conflicts with Democratic California.

The last time San Francisco voters had someone other than Nancy Pelosi representing them in Congress, there were no self-driving taxis on the streets, no AI ads competing for space around the tie-dye shop in Haight-Ashbury. The youngest San Franciscans who could have voted then are now nearing retirement age.

Pelosi had long been quiet about the race but became more explicit when she endorsed San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan weeks before the primary.

"I know and love this district. I know the Congress, and I know Connie," Pelosi said. "I'm proud to endorse Democrat Connie Chan and ask you to join me in electing her to Congress."

Despite Pelosi's endorsement, recent polls show the race remains tight with State Sen. Scott Wiener leading and former tech executive and former chief of staff for Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Saikat Chakrabarti close behind.

The top two vote-getters will keep this race going all the way to November.