Filling out your ballot? A last-minute guide for voting in 2022 Los Angeles city elections

It has been described as one of the most pivotal elections in decades for Los Angeles.

Voters will pick a new mayor and face generational and ideological choices for other key races that could bring major changes at City Hall.

L.A. is struggling to recover from the pandemic at the same time that it is grappling with housing affordability and homelessness crises. A series of corruption scandals have tainted the public’s view of City Hall. And that was before a racist audio leak caused the president of the City Council to step down and prompted calls for two other council members to follow her out of politics.

Here is a cheat sheet for the big issues facing voters:

Left-wing gains?

Left-wing candidates did very well in the primary election. That has created runoff battles between traditional liberal Democrats and those vowing a more progressive direction.

With the racist leak hurting several establishment Democrats, left-wing political organizers see a potential tipping point ahead of the Nov. 8 election. Their grass-roots movement already had tremendous momentum, with many of their candidates placing first in the June primary.

If they prevail, they could easily remake the city in a number of ways, cutting spending for police, enacting more aggressive renter protections and rethinking the city’s approach to homelessness. Several have called for the repeal of a city law barring encampments outside schools, day-care centers and other facilities.

What you need to know before you vote

Mayor’s race

Rep. Karen Bass and businessman Rick Caruso are facing off in what is considered a high-stakes race to be mayor.

Caruso, a billionaire businessman, has funneled more than $100 million into his campaign, dramatically dwarfing spending by Bass, a six-term congresswoman from South L.A. who would be the first Black woman elected mayor if she wins.

What you need to know before you vote:

Deep dives into the candidates

The issues

Like many big cities, Los Angeles was hit hard by the pandemic. But the issues that have resonated with voters most are long-simmering: the homelessness crisis; housing shortages; crime; corruption at City Hall; and racial divisions.

What you need to know before you vote:

Other races in L.A. County