2026 L.A. County voter guide: Judges, healthcare tax, sheriff
With long ballots, you can excuse voters for knowing more about some races than others.
This is especially true this year, with such heated races for California governor and Los Angeles mayor. But even some of those down-ballot choices can have major ramifications. We have selected three that have not received the spotlight to explore.
1. Judges
One of the more challenging decisions for voters is L.A. Superior Court judge. In this election, 15 races are on the ballot and 11 are competitive.
So what do Superior Court judges handle? The Judicial Branch of California provided this breakdown:
- All civil cases (family law, probate, juvenile, and other civil cases)
- All criminal cases (felonies, misdemeanors, and infractions, like traffic tickets)
- Small claims cases and appeals of small claims cases
- Appeals of civil cases involving $35,000 or less
- Appeals of infraction (like traffic) and misdemeanor cases
Source: California Courts Self-Help Guide
The Times researched the races and here is our guide:
2. Health care
Health care is a vexing issue in L.A. County, The half-cent sales tax on the ballot would go to prop up local hospitals and clinics.
Backers say its necessary after President Trump’s Big Beautiful bill is set to slash more than $2 billion from the county’s budget for health services over the next three years. Critics worry it could hurt business and be burden on taxpayers.
Here is our guide and some related coverage:
3. L.A. County sheriff
This is one of the highest profile jobs in L.A. County, and in recent years has been the center of so much controversy.
But this particular race has been fairly muted. Robert Luna seeks a second term as L.A. County sheriff but faces seven challengers, including predecessor Alex Villanueva, whom he defeated in 2022.
Key issues include jail deaths, low morale among deputies, recruitment struggles and the proper role of oversight in the department.
Here is our guide and related coverage:
