County clerk warns voters: Fresno will use two‑card ballots for June primary

County Clerk and Registrar of Voters James Cous told the Board of Supervisors that Fresno County will use a two‑card ballot for the June 2, 2026 statewide primary, making it the first modern Fresno election to require separate A and B cards in mailed vote‑by‑mail packets.

Cous said the governor’s contest and multiple long statewide races — plus seven contested superior court races — make a single card impractical. “The governor's contest alone will take up the full front page of card A on every voter’s ballot,” he said, explaining that each active registered voter will receive an A and a B card in the first full week of May.

Cous stressed voters’ responsibilities and potential pitfalls: a voter may return only one card (A or B) but doing so completes that voter’s return; returning duplicate A or duplicate B cards for a household or mixing cards between voters can lead to rejection by election staff. He said vote‑center procedures will include verifying the presence of both A and B card corners (not the votes) and that printing and tabulation will take longer than for a single card.

Board members asked practical questions — including whether cards could be printed attached and then separated (not feasible with current certified printers) and how many ballot types exist in the county (Clerk’s office: 62 ballot types, created for precinct and rotation purposes). Cous said the county will send direct mailers, update the voter information guide and post explanatory videos to help voters understand the two‑card process.

The board approved the consolidation request and related consent actions; no changes to state law or county rules were adopted in this briefing.

Practical advice from the clerk to voters: review both cards at home, avoid mixing card A and B between voters, and take questions to vote centers early in the early‑voting window when staff can assist.