California has made it easier than ever to vote, with ballots mailed to every registered voter. Yet as of Monday, a day before Election Day, only 15% of them had been returned. Election observers said voters have been underwhelmed by the lack of competitive races at the top of the ticket. Paul Mitchell, of Political Data Intelligence, put it bluntly: “It’s a boring election,” he said. L.A. Times

What is animating voters? There are signs that gas prices and cost of living have overshadowed other issues in some battleground areas. “They’re beyond furious — it’s called desperation,” said Rep. Lou Correa, a Democrat from Santa Ana. “I don’t hear anything about the other national issues we’re focusing on in Washington. The thing I hear about is gasoline. What are you going to do to bring down the gas prices?” N.Y. Times

What to know on Election Day:

If you haven’t voted, polls are open today from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find your polling place here.

Ballots returned by mail can be postmarked as late today.

Not registered? In California, you can register and vote on Election Day. The votes still count, but they are processed only after officials confirm eligibility. Register online here or at your polling place.

Voter guides: CalMatters | S.F. Chronicle | L.A. Times

Tip: California lets you track when your ballot is mailed, received, and counted. Sign up at ballottrax.

Rebecca Traister wrote a fascinating profile of Senator Dianne Feinstein, who turns 89 this month. A few highlights:

The reporter Conor Dougherty told his editor he wanted write a profile of a NIMBY, “but make it feel like a profile of a cowboy or some other American archetype.” The result is a glimpse into the mind of Susan Kirsch, 78, a retired teacher who has fought for 18 years to stop a condo project at the end of her block in Mill Valley. Asked how she expects the next generation to find housing, she said: “Local communities would do a much better job of solving these problems. Using the language of centralized power is what charges me to do this — I think small is beautiful.” N.Y. Times

Sonoma State University’s president, Judy Sakaki, said she would step down Monday after she was accused of retaliating against a provost who reported allegations of sexual harassment by Sakaki’s husband. Sakaki’s leadership came under scrutiny in April when news reports revealed that the university had paid a $600,000 settlement to the former provost, Lisa Vollendorf. Sakaki subsequently separated from her husband and denied any wrongdoing. L.A. Times | EdSource

Elon Musk on Monday issued his most direct threat to scrap his $44 billion bid to buy Twitter, accusing the San Francisco company of “actively resisting” his requests for data on fake accounts. That amounted to a “clear material breach” of the deal, Musk’s lawyers wrote. Last month, Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal posted a Twitter thread explaining why the company believes fewer than 5% of the platform’s accounts are spam. Musk responded with a poop emoji. Washington Post | A.P.

Swimming hole season has begun, and few are as enchanting as those set along the rivers of Northern California. In Butte County, locals park in a dirt lot off Coutolenc Road in Paradise, then crawl under a metal gate and walk down to the west branch of the Feather River, where a dam doubles as a diving platform. A group of friends made a great little video. 👉 YouTube

Outdoor Project: “14 incredible swimming holes in Northern California”

San Diego has begun cracking down on roadside homeless encampments, a shift prompted by growing public anger over crowded sidewalks. In a press briefing on Monday, Mayor Todd Gloria said anyone who refuses offers of shelter could face arrest. “We don’t like to do this,” he said. “Please accept the help that you’re offered. I can’t imagine what caused you to end up on the streets. Bad luck. Divorce. Job loss. Generational trauma. The list goes on. What I know for sure is there’s a better life for you.” S.D. Union Tribune | CBS8

A new poll found that just 30% of Los Angeles voters approve of the Los Angeles Police Department’s performance, a huge decline from 2009, when the approval rate was 77%. Confidence in the LAPD is even worse than it was in 1991, shortly after the beating of Rodney King, when 46% of Angelenos expressed approval of the department. The latest survey revealed a remarkable split between respondents based on age. Among people 65 and older, 18% said police made them feel “mostly anxious.” For ages 18 to 29, the figure was 60%. L.A. Times

In April, a Huntington Beach attorney named Robert L. McKenna III explained to a jury that the case against his client, a gastroenterologist accused of negligence in a patient’s death, amounted to nothing less than “extortion.” The jury returned with a unanimous verdict in his favor. But later, as McKenna and others gathered to celebrate at the office amid balloons, he used very different language. The case involved “a guy that was probably negligently killed, but we kind of made it look like other people did it,” McKenna boasted. The remarks, captured on video, have sparked a furious backlash. L.A. Times

“Whenever you are, we’re already then.”

There’s a convenience store for time travelers in Los Angeles. The Time Travel Mart in Echo Park is lovingly curated with products you may need to travel into the fourth dimension, such as barbarian repellent, medical leeches, robot milk, and ray guns. Surveillance cameras displayed in a corner show cavemen, robots, and Victorian-era people walking the store aisles. The best part: The store exists solely to raise money for childhood literary programs. Atlas Obscura | California Through My Lens