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Californians have five more days to vote, and as of Thursday, more than 5.8 million of the 22.6 million registered voters had returned their ballots. In the final stretch, campaigns are amping up outreach efforts and some of the stakes in the election are coming into sharper focus: Legislative races: Democrats hold two-thirds supermajorities in […]

California is a sure thing for Democrats in the presidential race. So some supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris are heading to Arizona and Nevada — two neighboring states where the outcome is uncertain and could help determine who wins.  CalMatters’ Ana B. Ibarra spoke with volunteers from Los Angeles who traveled to Las Vegas […]

In the political world, there has been a lot of discussion lately about newspaper endorsements — or non-endorsements — and whether they matter for voters. They don’t for those who pick candidates based on party. But can they influence voters on ballot propositions? CalMatters politics intern Jenna Peterson looks at where California’s six leading newspaper […]

No matter how many California lawmakers win reelection next week, there will still be plenty of turnover at the state Capitol. A dozen state senators and two dozen Assemblymembers are exiting — due to term limits; because they’re seeking another office; or for other (and sometimes multiple) reasons. That churn — which could grow if […]

Many California families are still struggling to get mental health treatment four years after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a landmark law requiring health insurance plans to provide enrollees with all medically necessary mental health and addiction treatment.  A new investigation by CalMatters mental health reporter Jocelyn Wiener found the system for appealing mental health denials […]

Good morning, Inequality Insights readers. I’m Wendy Fry.  Proposition 36, appearing on California’s 2024 ballot, would reclassify some retail theft and drug crimes as felonies after multiple convictions. It aims to reverse parts of Proposition 47, a 2014 law that reduced such offenses to misdemeanors in an effort to decrease prison overcrowding. Proponents have raised […]

Voting ends in California on Nov. 5, and nearly 3.3 million ballots had already been returned as of Thursday. It’s not shocking that more than half of them are from voters 65 and older, the most reliable voters. What’s more noteworthy is that the turnout so far is higher among registered Republicans (16.5%) than Democrats […]

With less than two weeks until Election Day, some of you may have already filled out your ballot and submitted your vote (way to go, you!).  But for those who are still deciding and curious about what other California voters think about the statewide ballot measures, a new poll out Wednesday night from the Public […]

Gov. Gavin Newsom easily survived a recall attempt in 2021, then overwhelmingly won re-election a year later.  But his approval rating dropped to a low point by November 2023, and hasn’t recovered. Californians remain divided on his job performance (49% approval, 48% disapproval in a September Public Policy Institute of California survey). Republicans in the […]

With proponents of Proposition 36 raising nearly $15 million so far — about three times as much as its opponents — and 71% of likely voters in support, it appears the statewide ballot measure will pass in November. And that’s exactly what immigrant rights advocates are worried about. As CalMatters’ Wendy Fry explains, Prop. 36 […]