CA could, right now, re-legalize write-ins in general elections by statute. Two thirds needed to take immediate effect, which Dems have. There's also a bill filing deadline already past, but bills approved by the Speaker or Senate Rules Cmte are excepted. It's nuts they haven't done this already.
A Dem-sponsored poll of California's governor race shows the two Republicans ahead, at 16% and 14%. Eight Democrats follow: Swalwell, Porter, Steyer are at 10%, & everyone else below that. (Reminder this'll go to a 'top 2' runoff, regardless of party. cadem.org)
They could, in theory, still do it after the June primary if there's been a lockout, but that would be handing the Republicans a stronger argument in the inevitable litigation that it's changing the rules in the middle of the game, so to speak. It is likelier to survive if they do it now. It is absurdly undemocratic CA could be forced to pick between two pro-Trump GOP gubernatorial candidates, this system is insane. But the legislature could avoid that. In a lockout, Dems could still very likely win on a write-in campaign for their top candidate, if that option was legal again. The state constitution says only the top two candidates can be on the general election ballot, but allowing write-ins doesn't touch that, it's not putting more than two candidates on the ballot. It was instead banned by statute, and that ban could be undone by statute. A reminder that this kind of perverse lockout isn't a hypothetical under California's top two system. It's happened before, repeatedly. It's indefensible.
www.cato.org