VotingMatters Event Held in Camarillo

CalMatters and the Ventura County Star brought CalMatters’ VotingMatters primary voter guide to Camarillo on May 12 with a free public event at Institution Ale Co. in Ventura County. The 6 p.m. gathering was one stop on a CalMatters statewide series of in-person election events tied to the June 2 California primary. Ventura County Star said the event was designed to help voters navigate key races and ballot questions, while CalMatters said the broader tour aimed to bring its 2026 voter guide into local community conversations. ### Why was CalMatters in Camarillo? CalMatters said in a May events announcement that it spent much of May taking its 2026 voter guide on the road through in-person VotingMatters events across California. The newsroom said those events were produced with local partners including news organizations, colleges, libraries, churches and nonprofits. Camarillo was listed as one of the tour stops. (vcstar.com) A June 2 CalMatters photo recap said VotingMatters reached multiple Southern California cities, including Camarillo, as part of the primary-election push. The recap described the events as part of a statewide effort to connect voters with election information before ballots were due. ### What happened at the Camarillo event itself? (calmatters.org) The Ventura County Star said the Camarillo event was scheduled for 6 p.m. on May 12 at Institution Ale Co., 3841 Mission Oaks Blvd. The paper described it as a “casual, free gathering” centered on CalMatters’ latest voter guide for the 2026 primary. (calmatters.org) Dan Hu, CalMatters’ director of partnerships, was set to emcee the event, according to the Star’s preview. Tony Biasotti, an investigative reporter for the Ventura County Star, was scheduled to present information about key local races. The event was also billed as a place for voters to ask questions about the election, including statewide offices and candidate positions. (vcstar.com) ### What information were voters being directed to? CalMatters’ 2026 California Voter Guide is an online guide to the June 2 primary election, according to the organization’s voter-guide page. CalMatters also said in a newsletter item promoting the guide that it included candidate interviews and election information intended to help Californians prepare to vote. (vcstar.com) The Ventura County Star said its newsroom was also publishing local election coverage alongside the event. In its May 8 preview, the paper directed readers to its elections coverage and said it had been rolling out candidate profiles for local races. ### How did CalMatters describe the purpose of the tour? (calmatters.org) CalMatters said the VotingMatters series was meant to bring its voter guide “to life” through community conversations held around the state. The newsroom said the events were part of its effort to give Californians information they need to understand and engage with government. (vcstar.com) The June 2 photo recap placed Camarillo alongside other Southern California stops, including Montecito, Los Angeles and Riverside. That recap did not provide attendance figures for the Camarillo stop, but it confirmed the city as part of the broader primary-election outreach effort. ### What comes next for voters after the Camarillo stop? (calmatters.org) June 2 is California’s primary election day, according to CalMatters’ voter-guide materials. CalMatters’ 2026 voter guide remains available online, and the Ventura County Star’s local elections coverage page continues to carry Ventura County race information ahead of and through the primary. (calmatters.org) (calmatters.org)