We provide in-depth coverage of California elections with one aim: to give voters what they need to make informed decisions. Our nonpartisan coverage of elections explains key races, candidates, ballot measures and campaign finance.
Californians overwhelmingly backed Prop. 36 to lengthen criminal sentences for certain theft and drug offenses, and to direct more people to drug treatment after convictions. Voters’ views changed on public safety after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Against a national red wave, Californians sent a top Trump nemesis to the US Senate, and favored Democrats in House and state races. But they also toughened criminal sentences and rejected more rent control.
California's health care industry mostly united behind Proposition 35, which would bolster Medi-Cal by dedicating money for it from a tax on health insurance plans.
The California Constitution permits involuntary servitude as criminal punishment, a practice that advocates liken to slavery. Prop. 6 would repeal that language and allow incarcerated people to prioritize rehabilitation.
California voters passed Proposition 3, which enshrines the right to marry into the state’s constitution. While same-sex marriage is already legal, Prop. 3 ensures that LGBTQ+ couples can continue to marry even if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns landmark cases.
California’s college students represent a wide array of ages, ethnicities, lived experiences and political beliefs. Eight voters who attend a California college shared their perspectives with CalMatters on the issues that matter to them as some vote in local, state and national elections for the first time.