How do California Democrats vote for Gaza ceasefire in primary?

Democrats unhappy with President Biden’s steadfast support of Israel in the Gaza war mounted a concerted effort in Michigan to protest, urging voters to mark “uncommitted” on their ballots to call for a ceasefire.

More than 100,000 voted that way on Tuesday, compared to more than 800,000 for Biden — though the “uncommitted” percentage is not wildly out of line from recent presidential primaries in Michigan.   

But can Democratic voters do the same in California? 

Some readers want to know, wondering if they could send a message by writing in “uncommitted” or “ceasefire” instead of a candidate’s name on the March 5 primary presidential ballot.

The Secretary of State’s office says that only votes for Biden, the seven other official candidates on the Democratic ballot or the six certified write-in candidates will be counted for the presidential race. 

But leaving the presidential race blank or “editorializing” by writing in another name or phrase won’t invalidate the rest of your ballot, unless it “impedes tabulation,” in which case it will be set aside and reviewed by election officials.

Besides registered Democrats, no party preference voters can also cast ballots in the primary if you request a Democratic presidential ballot.

To minimize the risk of invalidating one’s vote, California leaders with the Council on American-Islamic Relations told CalMatters they are calling for Democratic voters to leave the presidential race blank and make sure to vote in other contests.

• Al Jabbar, secretary of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, California PAC: “We are asking all of our voters to vote down-ballot, and many of them are looking for candidates who are asking or calling for a ceasefire…. We don’t want to take the risk of affecting other down-ballots, especially with tight Senate and congressional races.”

Rallies calling for a ceasefire are planned for Saturday in cities across California and the nation. The Gaza war has been a contentious issue in California politics ever since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. 

Debate over U.S. policy led to disruptions at the state Democratic Party convention in November, protests during the first day of the state Legislature and divisions on college campuses. In the primary campaign, the issue is helping distinguish the three leading Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate.

Decision time: We’re also answering other common voting questions: How can you get your vote counted faster? How are the presidential primary rules different? How can you find information on local judicial candidates? 

Our comprehensive Voter Guide has what you need to know on the big races on the March 5 ballot. And as the campaign heats up, keep up with what you need to know from CalMatters’ coverage.

Not only does California have more unhoused people than any other state, but a new study says more are dying. 

The disturbing trend — published in a study by Health Affairs in February — bears out just how dangerous it is to be homeless, and how high the stakes are when state and local officials address the issue, writes CalMatters homelessness reporter Marisa Kendall.

The study looked at the deaths of homeless residents in 10 states and Washington, D.C., including eight California counties: Alameda, Los Angeles, Orange, Sacramento, San Diego, San Mateo and Solano. Between 2015 to 2020, the mortality rate more than doubled in those counties.

While the higher mortality rate could be due to counties keeping better track of who is homeless in their death records, the true reasons could be varied.

Overdoses could be one reason: It was the leading cause of fatalities in the study, accounting for nearly a third of them across the U.S. In California, deaths related to fentanyl have soared since 2019 among the general population.

For unhoused people who can no longer treat their chronic illnesses with medication, homelessness can also worsen their conditions. In the study, the second-leading cause of death was cardiovascular disease.

The homeless population in the state is also getting older: From 2017 to 2021, the number of Californians 55 and older who sought homelessness services rose 84%, compared to only a 43% increase across all age groups. More people are also becoming homeless for the first time after they turn 50. 

• Matthew Fowle, the study’s co-author, from the University of Pennsylvania: “To see a more than doubling of the all-cause mortality rate is astonishing. It’s unlike any other mortality trend that we really see in demography. It’s comparable to something like a natural disaster or war.”

For more on homeless mortality rates, read Marisa’s story.

California State University students voted to unionize last week, after months of organizing last year. Representing 20,000 Cal State student assistants, the group will join the California State University Employees Union, and is expected to form one of the largest undergraduate student worker unions in the country.

Student assistants hold a variety of jobs, such as being library assistants and clerical workers, and earn minimum wage despite carrying out many of the same tasks as full-time employees. Since the union vote, workers have been clear-eyed on fighting for better pay and benefits, write Haydee Barahona, Christina Chkarboul, Jacqueline Munis and Helena San Roque from CalMatters’ College Journalism Network. 

One union organizer they spoke to was Maddux Erkerling, a first-year sociology and political science student at San Francisco State, who found it difficult to make rent.

• Erkerling: “I was working two jobs last semester, and was still about $200 to $300 short on my rent every month. I had to rely on scholarships just to pay my rent and food bills.” 

Paid sick leave was another priority for workers, such as Cal State Fullerton communications student Delila Grubaugh. Though she wasn’t too sure about siding with the union at first, a bout of pneumonia and her inability to afford sick leave convinced her. 

Leora Freedman, Cal State’s vice chancellor for human resources,​ said the university “looks forward to bargaining in good faith.” Earlier this month, members of another union, the California Faculty Association, approved a labor deal with the university, which Cal State’s board of trustees is expected to vote on in March.

Learn more about the Cal State student assistant union in the CJN story.

Every time there’s a major storm, many note that if the rain could be stored, it would help California withstand any droughts. But how much stormwater could really be captured? CalMatters water reporter Rachel Becker has the answer. And stay up to date on the state’s water situation with our drought tracker.