Ballots are in the mail and the California Primary Election is officially underway.

But it also marks something else: more campaigning from both sides of the aisle.

“We’ve been having a lot of meet and greets, fundraising, and we will continue to do that,” President of the East Valley Women Republican Patriots, Joy Miedecke, said. “We will be hosting a lot of people coming in, calling for candidates, and making sure to get out the vote for them.”

“We are going to be hosting a number of in-person events,” President of the Democrats of the Desert, Stephen Jaffe, shared. “We are also going to be doing the usual kinds of volunteer work, mailings, phone-ins, phone banking, putting out signs and just doing things that political clubs do.”

But this year is a bit different from years past.

The Coachella Valley used to be a single congressional district, but now it’s two.

Which means organizations are preparing for a bigger turnout.

“I think there seems to be a little more interest than usual for the midterms, particularly at the national level, because the House and the Senate majority are both at stake and this is also a redistricting year,” Jaffe continued.

But both Republicans and Democrats have the same message: make sure you’re registered and vote early.

“Voter registration…that’s important,” Miedecke emphasized.

Jaffe exclaimed, “Educate yourself on who you’re voting for and vote early!”

Drop boxes across the desert open Tuesday, May 10.

The last day to register to vote is May 23, but you can vote all the way until election day on June 7.

Local Political Organizations Prepare for Primary Elections