SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Millions of Bay Area and California residents will cast their ballots Tuesday morning for several key races across the region and state.
For those voting in person, polls opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m. Voters have the right to cast their ballot as long as they are in line by 8 p.m., according to California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber.
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Candidates in California's crowded gubernatorial race made a final push for votes Tuesday, as three leading contenders sought to distinguish themselves in a closely watched primary.
Supporters shook hands and rallied voters as polling opened, underscoring the urgency of an election.
"There are really only three people for two spots," billionaire businessman Tom Steyer said.
Steyer, who has poured more than $200 million of his personal fortune into the race, campaigned Tuesday morning along Los Angeles' new D-Line extension, greeting riders and emphasizing his campaign message.
"I've been trying really hard to work for California people, taking no money from corporations. They're spending tens of millions of dollars against me, but I recognize that the people can't afford to live here anymore," he said.
Steyer, polling in third place, is attempting to overtake Republican Steve Hilton, who is working to consolidate conservative voters and prevent two Democrats from advancing to the November election.
California has not had a Republican governor in 15 years after former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger left office in 2011.
"People are done with all the taxes and chaos and the crime and the homeless, the high cost of gas and the high cost of housing," he said. "It's obvious we need change in California, and this is our moment to get it."
Both candidates remain behind former state Attorney General and Biden cabinet member Xavier Becerra, who has made fewer public appearances in recent days but continues to campaign on addressing the state's housing crisis.
"On my first day as governor, I will declare California's housing shortage a state of emergency," he said. "No more studies, no more task forces. We have homes to build right now."
The gubernatorial primary has surpassed $315 million in ad spending and reservations, according to AdImpact, making it the most expensive governor's race on record.
Jude Mayer says she wasn't thrilled about voting for a billionaire for governor. But she believes Democrat Tom Steyer "is talking about the environment in the way that I want to hear about it."
The 24-year-old says climate change is an imminent threat to her home state in particular.
"I don't want to be under water in 10 years," Mayer said Tuesday after voting in Los Angeles.
For those voting in person, polls opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m. Voters have the right to cast their ballot as long as they are in line by 8 p.m., according to California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber.
California citizens who missed the voter registration deadline can still register and vote on Tuesday through "Same Day" or "Conditional" voter registration, which is available at every county elections office, polling place, or vote center, Weber said.
Information on county elections offices can be found at https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices.
Voters who have filled out their ballot can drop it off at any polling location, vote center, or ballot drop box in the state. More information is available at https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/make-plan-vote .
Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and be received not later than seven days after Election Day. To ensure a ballot is postmarked by June 2, voters should get a hand-stamped postmark from a postal employee inside a U.S. Post Office.
Steyer kicked off Pride Month and capped off the last full day of his primary campaign for California governor by belting out Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down."
A photo he posted on social media shows Steyer, wearing a backward baseball cap, singing karaoke alongside his wife Kat at a bar in the gay enclave of West Hollywood on Monday night.
"I can't sing," Steyer wrote Tuesday on X, "but I can wish you a Happy Pride."
Steyer, a former hedge fund manager turned liberal activist, has spent millions of his own money as he hopes to advance to the November election.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged his followers to vote for Hilton, a former Fox News TV host and British political adviser.
"He will work with me and the Federal Government, the money will flow because I have confidence in him (but not any of the others!), and we will MAKE CALIFORNIA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Meanwhile, Vice President J.D. Vance called Hilton a "good guy" and encouraged Californians to vote for him.
"California is such a beautiful state--it just needs better political leadership!" Vance wrote on X.
