Elections in California

United States presidential election results for California

Year	Republican / Whig		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	6,081,697	38.32%	9,276,179	58.45%	513,384	3.23%
2020	6,006,518	34.26%	11,110,639	63.37%	414,688	2.37%
2016	4,483,814	31.48%	8,753,792	61.46%	1,005,843	7.06%
2012	4,839,958	37.07%	7,854,285	60.16%	361,572	2.77%
2008	5,011,781	36.90%	8,274,473	60.92%	296,829	2.19%
2004	5,509,826	44.36%	6,745,485	54.30%	166,548	1.34%
2000	4,567,429	41.65%	5,861,203	53.45%	537,224	4.90%
1996	3,828,380	38.21%	5,119,835	51.10%	1,071,269	10.69%
1992	3,630,574	32.61%	5,121,325	46.01%	2,379,822	21.38%
1988	5,054,917	51.13%	4,702,233	47.56%	129,914	1.31%
1984	5,467,009	57.51%	3,922,519	41.27%	115,895	1.22%
1980	4,524,858	52.69%	3,083,661	35.91%	978,544	11.40%
1976	3,882,244	49.35%	3,742,284	47.57%	242,589	3.08%
1972	4,602,096	55.00%	3,475,847	41.54%	289,919	3.46%
1968	3,467,664	47.82%	3,244,318	44.74%	539,605	7.44%
1964	2,879,108	40.79%	4,171,877	59.11%	6,601	0.09%
1960	3,259,722	50.10%	3,224,099	49.55%	22,757	0.35%
1956	3,027,668	55.39%	2,420,135	44.27%	18,552	0.34%
1952	2,897,310	56.35%	2,197,548	42.74%	46,991	0.91%
1948	1,895,269	47.13%	1,913,134	47.57%	213,135	5.30%
1944	1,512,965	42.97%	1,988,564	56.48%	19,346	0.55%
1940	1,351,419	41.34%	1,877,618	57.44%	39,754	1.22%
1936	836,431	31.70%	1,766,836	66.95%	35,615	1.35%
1932	847,902	37.39%	1,324,157	58.39%	95,907	4.23%
1928	1,162,323	64.69%	614,365	34.19%	19,968	1.11%
1924	733,250	57.20%	105,514	8.23%	443,136	34.57%
1920	624,992	66.20%	229,191	24.28%	89,867	9.52%
1916	462,516	46.27%	466,289	46.65%	70,798	7.08%
1912	3,914	0.58%	283,436	41.81%	390,594	57.61%
1908	214,398	55.46%	127,492	32.98%	44,707	11.56%
1904	205,226	61.84%	89,404	26.94%	37,248	11.22%
1900	164,755	54.37%	124,985	41.25%	13,264	4.38%
1896	146,688	49.16%	144,766	48.51%	6,965	2.33%
1892	118,027	43.78%	118,174	43.83%	33,408	12.39%
1888	124,816	49.66%	117,729	46.84%	8,794	3.50%
1884	102,369	51.97%	89,288	45.33%	5,331	2.71%
1880	80,282	48.89%	80,426	48.98%	3,510	2.14%
1876	79,258	50.88%	76,460	49.08%	66	0.04%
1872	54,007	56.38%	40,717	42.51%	1,061	1.11%
1868	54,588	50.24%	54,068	49.76%	0	0.00%
1864	62,053	58.60%	43,837	41.40%	0	0.00%
1860	38,733	32.32%	37,999	31.71%	43,095	35.96%
1856	20,704	18.78%	53,342	48.38%	36,209	32.84%
1852	35,972	46.83%	40,721	53.02%	117	0.15%

Elections in California are held to fill various local, state and federal seats. In California, regular elections are held every even year (such as 2006 and 2008); however, some seats have terms of office that are longer than two years, so not every seat is on the ballot in every election. Special elections may be held to fill vacancies at other points in time. Recall elections can also be held. Additionally, statewide initiatives, legislative referrals and referendums may be on the ballot.

In a 2022 study, California was ranked as the 6th easiest state for citizens to vote in.

Elected offices

Federal

As with every other state in the United States, California participates in federal elections including electing representatives to the House of Representatives, and senators to the Senate. Additionally, the state casts 54 votes in the Electoral College during presidential elections.

President

Main articles: United States presidential election and United States presidential elections in California

Every four years, the United States holds a national indirect election for president and vice president of the United States. In such elections, voters cast their votes for a slate of representatives (electors) who have pledged to cast their votes for a particular presidential and vice presidential candidate (a ticket) in the Electoral College. During the election, the voters of the state select the slate of electors on the ballot by voting for the ticket that they are pledged to. The slate of electors pledged to the ticket with the most votes statewide gets to vote in the Electoral College. Although, the electors are not obligated to vote for the candidates they are pledged to, they usually do. The number of electors the state is allocated is equal to the number of representatives in Congress that the state has (the members in the House of Representatives, plus the two senators).

Senate

Main article: List of United States Senate elections in California

California, like all other states in the United States, is represented in the United States Senate by two senators. In addition to representatives in the House of Representatives, California's senators represent the state's constituents in Congress. Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler currently serve as the state's senators. Each senator is elected to serve a six-year term with Kamala Harris having last been elected in 2016 and Feinstein in 2018. After Kamala Harris was elected as Vice President in 2020, Padilla was appointed to serve the remainder of her term. Each U.S. senator is elected in a statewide election following earlier primary elections typically held in the first week of June during which both major national parties (the Democrats and Republicans) and minor parties nominate candidates via popular vote. There is no limit to the number of terms that a senator may serve so long as they continue to be elected to the position via statewide vote.

House of Representatives

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in California

Similarly, California is also represented in the US Congress by fifty-two members of Congress representing the fifty-two congressional districts in the state. As in all other states, these congressional districts are reapportioned every ten years following the release of a new census. Due to its status as the most populous state in the union, California has the largest number of representatives of any single state in Congress. These representatives are elected for two-year terms as per the rules of the House of Representatives and currently feature a number of prominent members of the body such as former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy.

State

See also: California State Legislature

California has a gubernatorial election every four years, and in 2003 and 2021, gubernatorial recall elections were held. Primary elections were held in March or June until 2008, when they were held in February. General elections, which cover statewide issues, continue to be held in November. On a county-by-county basis, elections also cover electing municipal leaders. In addition, a special election can occur at any time.

State Senate

See also: California State Senate

Due to a combination of the state's large population and a legislature that has not been expanded since the ratification of the 1879 Constitution, the State Senate has the largest population per state senator ratio of any state legislative house. Members of the State Senate serve four-year terms. Every two years, half of the Senate's 40 seats are subject to election.

State Assembly

See also: California State Assembly

The lower house of the California State Legislature is the "California State Assembly". Every two years, all 80 seats in the Assembly are subject to election. Members elected to the Assembly prior to 2012 are restricted by term limits to three two-year terms (six years), while those elected in or after 2012 are allowed to serve 12 years in the legislature in any combination of four-year State Senate or two-year State Assembly terms.

Local

Further information: Local government in California

In addition, many if not most of California's county, city, school district, community college district, health care district, municipal utility district, transit district and other special district officers are elected. Per the California Secretary of State website, "political parties are not entitled to nominate candidates for nonpartisan offices at the primary election, and a candidate at the primary election is not the official nominee of any party for the specific office at the general election. [However, parties may endorse candidates.] A candidate for nomination to a nonpartisan office may not designate his or her party preference, or lack of party preference, on the ballot."

Effective January 1, 2018, all of California's cities, K-12 school districts, community college districts and special districts will have to move their election dates to a statewide election (primary or general) held during an even-numbered year due to the passage of Senate Bill 415 (California Voter Participation Rights Act), which was approved by the California Senate and Assembly and signed by the Governor in 2015. The 2018 elections will be held on June 5 (primary) and November 6 (general). Starting in 2020, the presidential primary will move to March which also include the U.S. House of Representatives, California State Senate and Assembly and County Boards of Supervisors. U.S. Senate primary in California will take place in March 2022. Los Angeles City Council and School Board will have its primary election in March and its runoff election in November beginning in 2020, due to the passage of Charter Amendments 1 and 2 during the 2015 elections.

Voting rights and voter powers

Voting rights in California
Demographics
Poll taxes	Abolished 1914
Literacy tests abolished	N/A
Minimum voting age	18
Preregistration age	16
Felon voting status	Allowed to vote upon release
Voter registration
Voter registration required	Yes
Online voter registration	Yes
Automatic voter registration	Yes
Same-day registration	Yes
Partisan affiliation	Yes
Voting process
Free elections requirement	Yes
Polling place identification requirements	Not required
In-person early-voting status	29 days prior up to the day before
Out-of-precinct voting status	N/A
Postal ballot status	No-excuse required
Permanent list postal ballot status	any voter
Ballot collection status	any trusted person
Straight-ticket device status	No
Election method	Top-two voting via nonpartisan blanket primary
Means of casting in-person ballots	All-mail voting; hand-marked paper ballots and ballot-marking devices on Election Day
Voter powers
Redistricting system	Independent non-partisan redistricting commission
Prison-based redistricting	No
Ballot question rights	Initiative and referendum for both statute and constitutional amendment
Recall powers	For all offices
Federal representation level	State-level

Districting

Main article: Redistricting in California

Procedure

Pursuant to Proposition 14 (2010), California uses a nonpartisan blanket primary for "voter-nominated" offices, which include:

• United States Senators,
• United States Representatives,
• State Senators,
• State Assembly members,
• the Governor,
• the Lieutenant Governor,
• the State Treasurer,
• the State Controller,
• the State Insurance Commissioner,
• the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (nonpartisan),
• the Secretary of State,
• and the State Attorney General.

In this system voters may vote for any candidate in the primary and the top two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the general election. Elections for president, vice president, political party state central committees, and county central committees are "party-nominated".

Candidates may qualify in one of two ways: by payment of a fee, or by the collection of registered voters' signatures on an in-lieu-of-filing-fee petition. Candidates must also file a "candidate intention statement" with the Secretary of State, as well as nomination forms with their home county.

Ballot propositions

Main article: California ballot proposition

A ballot proposition is a proposed law that is submitted to the electorate for approval in a direct vote (or plebiscite). It may take the form of a constitutional amendment or an ordinary statute. A ballot proposition may be proposed by the State Legislature or by a petition signed by members of the public under the initiative system. In California a vote on a measure referred to voters by the legislature is a mandatory referendum; a vote to veto a law that has already been adopted by the legislature is an optional referendum or "people's veto"; the process of proposing laws by petition is the initiative.

Political parties

There are six qualified political parties:

• American Independent Party
• California Democratic Party (see also Democratic Party)
• Green Party of California (see also Green Party)
• Libertarian Party of California (see also Libertarian Party)
• Peace and Freedom Party
• California Republican Party (see also Republican Party)

Political bodies attempting to qualify as a political party are:

• American Moderate Party
• American Solidarity Party
• California Women's Party
• Common Sense Party
• Constitution Party of California
• The Hogwash Party
• Normal Party
• One Party

Only the Democratic Party and Republican Party currently have representation in the State Legislature. However, Audie Bock, a member of the Green Party, was elected in 1999 during the 1998–99 California special elections.

Local elections in California at the county and city level are officially non-partisan and political party affiliations are not included on local election ballots.

See also

• 2024 California elections
• 1934 California gubernatorial election
• Electoral history of Jerry Brown
• Electoral history of Gavin Newsom
• Electoral history of Ronald Reagan
• Elections in the United States
• Electoral reform in California
• Government of California
• List of California ballot propositions
• List of California Governors
• Political party strength in California
• Politics of California
• U.S. Congressional Delegations from California
• Women's suffrage in California

Bibliography

• California Secretary of State - On-Line Lists of Candidates
• JoinCalifornia - California Election Statistics

External links

• California Elections and Voter Information from the California Secretary of State official website
  • Official Voter Information Guide
• California at Ballotpedia
• California Election Statistics One Voter Project
• Elections Information California Voter Foundation
• "State Elections Legislation Database", Ncsl.org, Washington, D.C.: National Conference of State Legislatures, archived from the original on 2021-02-03, retrieved 2020-10-09, State legislation related to the administration of elections introduced in 2011 through this year, 2020