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California Voters Face New Choices, Districts

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California voters will confront a longer ballot with more choices as they head to the polls Tuesday. It's the first statewide primary in which voter-approved political reforms are in widespread use.

A new top-two primary system and redrawn districts are meant to blunt the influence of the two main political parties and produce more moderate candidates. Tuesday's election will test those assumptions about legislative and congressional races.

Only the top two vote getters will advance to November, regardless of their political party.

Californians are weighing in on candidates for Assembly and Senate, Congress and U.S. Senate, where incumbent Dianne Feinstein faces no real opposition.

They also will consider ballot initiatives that would modify lawmakers' terms in office and raise cigarette taxes by $1 a pack to fund cancer research.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

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