This was the first election with California's newly implemented nonpartisan blanket primary in effect, pursuant to Proposition 14, which passed with 53% voter approval in June 2010.

Additionally, in November 2010, voters approved Proposition 20, which authorized a California Citizens Redistricting Commission to re-draw congressional district lines, in addition to its current job of drawing state senate district lines and state assembly district lines, taking away that job from the California state legislature.

Incumbent president Barack Obama ran unopposed on the Democratic primary ballot.

Governor Mitt Romney and Rep. Ron Paul competed in the Republican primary.

Proposition 29 is an initiative statute that would add a $1 tax on cigarettes to fund cancer research.