Elections

With both Donald Trump and Joe Biden hitting up California for presidential campaign contributions, this map shows which candidate collected more campaign cash in each California zip code. iIllustration by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters; iStock

Elections

Ziplocked: Last look at California’s presidential money race, by ZIP code

Vertiginous blue spires on the urban coast and crimson plateaus stretching from the Central Valley to suburban SoCal — this is the presidential race for California cash, in 3D. In the map below, each ZIP code is colored according to the candidate who amassed more individual contributions from its residents. That’s blue for former Vice […]

By

Ben Christopher

• October 30, 2020

Elections

Counting votes: “We’d rather get it right than get it fast”

Lea este artículo en español. It’s the weekend before Election Day. Elections officials across California are already processing the 9 million-plus ballots returned thus far. But don’t expect the full picture to emerge until well after November 3. Counting all vote-by-mail, provisional and same-day voter registration ballots, in addition to those in-person ballots cast in the […]

By

Dylan Svoboda

• October 30, 2020

Santa Cruz Votemobile. Photo courtesy of Santa Cruz County Clerk

Elections

Voters flood election offices with last-minute questions

“Can I still register to vote?” “What if I never received my ballot?” “When will we know the results?” Those are among the most common questions fielded by the Ventura County registrar’s office, where the phone has been ringing nonstop. Between 600 and 800 calls come in daily, said Registrar Miranda Nobriga. Nobriga tells voters […]

By

Freddy Brewster

• October 30, 2020

Voting Centers opened across Los Angeles County, including Grand Central Market, on October 24, 2020. Voters can drop-off ballots or vote in person before Nov. 3rd. Photo Credit by Los Angeles County via Flickr

Elections

Counties, cops making sure you’re safe at the polls

California's election officials don't expect intimidation or interference at the polls Tuesday but they're asking law enforcement to step in pronto if it happens.

By

Lewis Griswold

• October 30, 2020

Tens of thousands of people incarcerated in county jails are eligible to vote under California law, but many will not cast ballots this election due to lack of information and delays receiving mail-in ballots. Photo by Rich Pedroncelli, AP Photo/file

Elections

Pandemic slows legal voting from California jails

Tens of thousands of jailed Californians who are eligible to vote won't be able to this year because of issues tied to the pandemic.

By

Michael Lozano

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Isabella Fertel

• October 30, 2020

A poll working ushers a voter into the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles' Korea Town neighborhood on Oct. 24, 2020. Photo by Tash Kimmell for CalMatters.

Elections

In LA, smooth voting (so far) after primary stumbles

For thousands of voters in Los Angeles County, the primary last March was a debacle. A glitch in the new electronic voting system, compounded by the inability of election workers to rectify problems, meant that many voters waited in lines for up to three hours to cast their ballots. Some encountered broken ballot-marking machines when […]

By

Elena Neale-Sacks

• October 30, 2020

Students register to vote outside Rancho Cucamonga City Hall during a rally against gun violence on Friday, April 20, 2018 in Rancho Cucamonga. Photo by Stan Lim, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG

Elections

Voting at 17: Ballot measure would give Latino teens biggest share in new voting rights

If Proposition 18 passes, California would allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries or special elections if they will be 18 by the general election.

By

Elizabeth Aguilera

• October 30, 2020

Elections

For Native Americans, voter outreach is by both wi-fi and radio

Although California is home to the largest Native American population in the United States, voting has always been problematic. This year, the pandemic — and the state’s decision to mail ballots to every California voter — has created new issues for tribal lands, whose residents often lack traditional mailing addresses. Outreach groups, which were focused […]

By

Freddy Brewster

• October 29, 2020

Elections

California may “shatter the total vote record”

Lea este artículo en español. As the final weekend before Election Day approaches, approximately 40 percent of California’s electorate, or 8.5 million voters, have already cast their ballots—about double the number a week ago. As more in-person polling places open, experts say the state is on track to have more votes cast than ever before. One […]

By

Zachary Fletcher

• October 29, 2020

Elections

How a small county got the money to buy “I voted” stickers and other election supplies

Twenty-four electronic poll books to check voters in quickly: $45,000. One high-capacity letter opener to process an onslaught of mailed-in ballots faster than human hands: $34,000. Six stainless-steel ballot boxes with anti-tamper protection: $21,261. Seven kits of disinfectant and protective gear to shield poll workers and voters from Covid-19: $2,500. These price tags, provided to […]

By

Robin Estrin

• October 29, 2020