After tens of millions of dollars in spending, thousands of door knocks and hundreds of attack ads, voting ended Nov. 8 in California ā and the verdict of voters is now rolling in.
Among theĀ seven ballot measures, Californians said yes to enshrining āreproductive freedomā in the state constitution, but rejected pricey campaigns thatĀ would have allowed sports betting onlineĀ and at Native American casinos, as well as a tax on millionaires to combat climate change.
In the vote count thus far, noĀ Republican was winning statewide officeĀ ā something that last happened in 2006. Will Democrats keep their stranglehold on the LegislatureĀ with super-majorities? Will this be theĀ most diverse Legislature ever? Did either party flipĀ congressional seats, and will it matter for overall control of the U.S. House?
In blowouts, projected winners were called soon after the polls closed at 8 p.m. andĀ early voting results were announced. But very close contests may not be decided for days, if not weeks. California now sends mail ballots to all registered voters, and any ballots postmarked by Election Day will still be counted through Nov. 15. ThatĀ can delay final results, which will beĀ certified in early December.
Thursday, with more than 5.6 million ballots counted in the governorās race, the secretary of stateās office said thatĀ more than 4.8 million ballots still need to be processed.
Find a roundup of key contests with interactive maps at calmatters.org.