Explore the region. Get involved in your community. Experience moments of joy.
Delivered Tuesdays & Thursdays
CapRadio
More Election Coverage
It’s Election Day! Here's what we're following:
UPDATE12:10 a.m.
Thank you to all of our listeners for spending election night with us. Although we're finishing up the live blog, CapRadio will be back tomorrow morning to bring you all new election updates.
UPDATE12:05 a.m.
Measure L, the city of Davis’ plan to re-designate a section of land for a senior community, is passing.
The Measure N sales tax measure in West Sacramento barely leads.
The other Yolo County measures were also leading, except Measure O in Woodland. It would have built a new practice facility for Pioneer High School and installed a new heating and air conditioning system at Woodland High. It was losing by 8 percentage points as of 11 p.m..
—Bob Moffitt
UPDATE12:00 a.m.
In West Sacramento and Elk Grove, two mayoral incumbents facing challenges were leading at last tally.
In Elk Grove, traffic was a focal point of the election. Mayor Steve Ly held a 15 percentage point lead over city councilman Darren Suen and a 25 percent lead over consultant Tracie Stafford.
In West Sacramento, development of the riverfront and education were part of both Christopher Cabaldon and Joe DeAnda’s campaigns. Cabaldon is the incumbent and leads DeAnda by 14 percentage point.
Both cities hold a mayoral election every two years.
UPDATE11:40 p.m.
Democratic incumbent Sen. Dianne Feinstein wins the Senate seat against Sen. Kevin de Leon, despite his endorsement by the California Democratic Party.
UPDATE11:05 p.m.
As of 10:30 p.m., Proposition 2 is has 59 percent of the vote, according to the Secretary of State's Office.
The ballot measure would free up $2 billion in bonds to pay to build housing that includes mental health services for chronically homeless people. The original funds are part of the Mental Health Services Act, approved by voters in 2004 to provide mental health services to Californians.
Legislators tried to appropriate this money two years ago, but that law has been tied up in courts ever since.
—Julia Mitric
UPDATE11:00 p.m.
UPDATE10:50 p.m.
UPDATE10:45 p.m.
California voters have rejected Proposition 10, a ballot measure that would have given local authorities more freedom to enact rent control policies.
Leading up to election day, millions of dollars were spent in the strong debate about whether Prop. 10 was the right answer to the state’s affordable-housing crisis.
Opponents of the measure said it would make California’s affordable housing crisis worse by scaring away developers, potentially shrinking the future supply of rentals. Supporters of the measure argued it was needed to slow the state’s ever-increasing rents.
UPDATE10:40 p.m.
California voters are weighing in on a number of controversial ballot measures today, including Proposition 6, which aims to reverse a fuel tax approved in 2017 by Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers.
In preliminary results as of 9:50 p.m., 55 percent of voters are against Proposition 6 while 45 percent are in support of the measure. The money currently generated by the tax goes to pay for improvements to roads, highways and public transit.
UPDATE10:15 p.m.
Republican incumbents had an early lead in most of California’s competitive House races, while another was tied and results had yet to come in for yet another.
A half dozen tight California races, from the Central Valley to Orange and San Diego counties, are expected to help determine control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
In the Central Valley’s closely-watched 10th Congressional District, a campaign volunteer for Democrat Josh Harder’s campaign said full results could be delayed due to a lack of provisional ballots at polling places.
Republican incumbent Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, had an early 51.4 percent to 48.6 percent lead over Harder with nearly 30 percent of precincts reporting.
—Chris Nichols
UPDATE9:15 p.m.
Gavin Newsom, the 51-year-old Democrat who has eyed California’s top office for the past decade and is promising sweeping new statewide programs as part of a full-throated resistance to President Donald Trump, will be the state’s 40th governor. Read more here.
—Ben Adler
UPDATE8:50 p.m.
Gavin Newsom has a lead in the race for governor of California, and Dianne Feinstein seems poised to retain her U.S. Senate seat in early results.
UPDATE7:50 p.m.
The line was out the door and down the street for students at Sacramento State who had registered to vote, but who had not filled one out beforehand.
Julian Cunningham and Jezelle Zapanta inched along for an hour and 53 minutes before they made it into the voting room at Modoc Hall.
"I think voting is important now. I mean it’s obviously always been important, but like, we’re realizing especially with this administration the things that are on this ballot," he said.
He tracked election results on his phone.
The battery in Zapanta’s phone died, but she was undeterred from casting a ballot, "There’s just a lot more emphasis on how there’s less youth of people our age, in college age voting. And we want to turn that around. I want to turn that around."
Down the hall and 20 minutes away from being able to vote, Amari Sperling sat cross-legged in the hall with friends. She took a guess as to why turnout seemed to be so much higher than two years ago, "I just think cause it’s on campus that so many students, it’s more available for more students to come. So, more students are showing up."
As she spoke, the occasional student would pop in from the building’s north side, drop off a ballot in a big pink box, and leave.
Sam Vong and Danielle Gonzalez were somewhat envious, and feeling guilty,
Danielle Gonzalez: "I lost my mail-in ballot," she laughed, "Yeah, I just didn’t take care of it."
Vong was in a similar boat, "Mine was sent to my sister’s house and then she lost it. So I couldn’t find it."
The line reached 400 feet in length at one point.
UPDATE6:45 p.m.
A prominent political data expert expects turnout in California to near 60 percent, which is on the higher end for midterm elections but not extraordinary.
Paul Mitchell says that's because some counties, including Orange, have exciting congressional races where turnout might near presidential levels.
But voters in other California counties are casting votes for a more routine slate of statewide office as well as 11 propositions.
He says statewide turnout could range from 56 percent to 60 percent. He called it the tale of "two Californias."
Mitchell is vice president of the non-partisan research firm Political Data, Inc.
You can hear Mitchell discuss the California Congressional races on our Keys to the House podcast
—The Associated Press
UPDATE6:30 p.m.
Josh Harder’s campaign volunteers knocked on her apartment door. And they kept coming back.
That’s why 27-year-old Turlock resident Yuana Macias says she voted for the Democratic challenger today in California’s 10th Congressional District.
It’s a race that pits four-term incumbent GOP Rep. Jeff Denham against Harder, a political newcomer. Both Denham and Harder call Turlock their home in the Central Valley district, which includes Modesto, Tracy, Manteca and Oakdale.
“I wasn’t going to vote for Josh Harder,” Macias, a junior high school teacher, said after voting.
Before they showed up, Macias says she “heard bad things” about Harder. The volunteers convinced her Harder cares deeply about education.
After growing up in the district, Harder worked at venture capital firms in Boston and San Francisco, but now teaches business at Modesto Junior College. He moved back to the district last year to challenge Denham.
Trudy Fraiser said Harder’s pro-choice stance on abortion was disqualifying for her.
“I’ve always voted for Jeff Denham,” said Frasier, who works as a sales clerk in Turlock. “I don’t like [Harder] at all because of his stance on abortion.”
Roy Ellis, a longtime almond farmer outside the city’s limits, said the Central Valley district is changing, and not for the better.
“The younger generation is going to vote for the Democrats,” said Ellis, standing outside the polling place at Stanislaus Christian Fellowship Church.
Ellis said he typically votes for Republicans. He said he thinks students at nearby Cal State Stanislaus could help Harder win.
“A lot of them go for the blue,” he said.
UPDATE6:15 p.m.
I’ve arrived at the nightclub in downtown Los Angeles where Gavin Newsom will hold his Election Night watch party.
The Democratic lieutenant governor and former San Francisco mayor is vying to become California’s 40th governor. His Republican opponent is San Diego businessman John Cox, who’s gathering with other statewide GOP candidates and the Yes on Proposition 6 campaign at a San Diego hotel.
The winner of the governor’s race will inherit a state of nearly 40 million people that looks nothing like the one termed-out Gov. Jerry Brown faced when he began his second stint in office in 2011. Back then, California faced a $27 billion deficit. Now, the state is projected to end the current fiscal year next summer with $16 billion in reserves — all while its general fund budget has soared 60 percent higher.
Yet the state’s cost of living has also soared — and California’s poverty rate is the highest of any state. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Supplemental Poverty Measure, which factors in cost-of-living, California’s three-year average poverty rate from 2015-17 was 19 percent.
Newsom and Cox both campaigned on fighting poverty — but with very different policy prescriptions. Newsom has promised sweeping new government programs, including universal pre-school and single-payer health care, to help families struggling to make ends meet. Cox says he would cut taxes and reduce regulations to speed up construction projects.
Follow me on Twitter @adlerben for updates throughout the evening.
UPDATE6:00 p.m.
California state Sen. Kevin de León is the so-called underdog in the U.S. Senate race against 26-year Democratic incumbent Sen. Dianne Feinstein, but he’s still rallying a group of his volunteers tonight in Los Angeles.
Polls show Feinstein has a strong lead over de León — but he’s putting in the fight, according to a video on his Facebook.
“We actually have a few more hours to work,” the state senator told volunteers. “Because when we get our voters to vote we win.”
—Nadine Sebai
Cap Radio’s Ezra David Romero has been reporting in Nevada all day. Voters he spoke with in Reno and Sparks said they believe attitudes about politics are changing in the state.
Lois Manning is a democrat who moved from California to Reno 20 years ago. She’s hoping that these midterm elections will bring more women into power in Nevada.
“Women bring a different perspective... some of these older white men need to have a check on them,” Manning said.
Republican Andy Medrano moved to Reno 15 years ago, also from California. He expressed less enthusiasm over the elections than Manning.
“For the last 15 years I’ve lived in Reno, it’s been quiet. This year that changed with all the election nastiness,” Medrano said. He added that he does believe changes are happening, but he hopes that they only occur after he retires in four years.
Reno resident Ray Northern shared similar sentiments, suggesting that Nevada has become more of a political focus because of California’s influence.
“California is bleeding over into Reno. And not everyone is happy about it,” said Northern, who’s lived in Reno since 2000.
—Ezra David Romero and Andra Cernavskis
UPDATE5:45 p.m.
You’ve seen some California eggs with “cage-free” on the carton. But if Proposition 12 passes, all California egg producers would be required to produce cage-free eggs by 2022.
Prop. 12 puts new requirements on ranchers raising egg-laying hens, pigs and calves raised for veal. Hens would have to be housed in indoor or outdoor cage-free housing. Breeding pigs and veal calves would need to have a minimum amount of space.
Supporters of the measure say consumers don’t want animals confined in cages. Critics say not all consumers want cage-free eggs and these new rules would drive product prices up.
—Sally Schilling
UPDATE5:30 p.m.
Last year, state lawmakers raised the gas tax by 12 cents per gallon to fund public transportation and road repairs.
Proposition 6 would repeal that tax increase.
Many voters say the measure is confusing because a “yes” vote is actually a vote against the gas tax increase, while a “no” vote is a vote to keep the increase.
Many California Republicans — including Republican John Cox, who is running for governor — have made supporting Prop. 6 a key part of their campaign message. They say the tax increase was evidence of California’s Democratic leaders mismanaging and further bloating state government. But Democrats say the tax increase will fund much-needed repairs to infrastructure.
This one may be the cause of your “proposition paralysis,” but don’t give up. Read more here.
UPDATE5 p.m.
Proposition 10, which would give local governments more freedom to enact rent control, is expected to fail.
The Public Policy Institute of California’s latest poll found 60 percent of voters would vote no, while 25 percent would vote yes and 15 percent are undecided. That’s changed since September, when only 48 percent of voters were predicted to vote against the prop.
Tenant-rights groups have been fighting for the change against landlords, developers and realtors. It’s been an expensive face-off — as of five days before the election, the “No on 10” side had raised upward of $75 million and the “Yes” side, $26 million.
Backers of Prop. 10 say they’ll continue to push the rent control issue if the measure fails.
—Sammy Caiola
UPDATE4:30 p.m.
More than a hundred people stood in a line outside of Sacramento State's Modoc Hall waiting to vote in Tuesday's midterm election. Many said it wasn't their first time voting. Most students seemed in good spirits and willing to wait. One reason for the good mood? Free pizza.
Come back to our Facebook page for more live coverage throughout the night.
UPDATE4 p.m.
Some of the big questions in the race for California’s next insurance commissioner focus on how residents can protect themselves from wildfires, and who holds responsibility when they ignite.
In this age of warming temperatures and increased fire activity, the insurance commissioner’s policy has broad implications statewide. Former commissioner Steve Poizner held the position from 2007 to 2011. He's running against Democratic state Sen. Ricardo Lara.
Further reading:
—Ezra David Romero
UPDATE3:30 p.m.
Mayor Darrell Steinberg has spent the past several months making the case that Sacramento needs to invest in Sacramento — and there’s been major spending behind his ask.
The Yes on Measure U effort took in more than $1.2 million in campaign contributions for Tuesday’s vote, fundraising that far outpaced the opposition, which tallied a little more than $160,000.
Steinberg’s specific ask is for voters to approve a 1-cent sales tax increase, which he hopes will be spent on everything from police and firefighters to homelessness and job-development in communities of color.
Critics worry the money will go to pay of the city’s mounting public-employee retirement benefits and pensions instead of programs and amenities for low-income communities.
Measure U is an extension of a 2012 half-cent sales tax bump, but with an additional, new half-cent on top. The original measure is set to expire in March of next year, but it will be made permanent if voters approve Measure U on Tuesday.
Major funders of the Yes on Measure U effort include labor groups such as the local SEIU chapter, and police and firefighter unions. The opposition’s financing came mostly from Chris Rufer, a Northern California Libertarian who made his fortune in the tomato business, and labor groups that opposed the city’s local workforce agreement program, which council approved earlier this year.
Measure U can pass with a simple majority, instead of two-thirds voter approval, because it does not specify how the dollars will be spent.
If it fails today, that would mean a significant budget deficit for the city in coming years.
Steinberg has hinted that the city would hold a special election early next year to extend the current Measure U tax, which generates nearly $50 million a year for the city.
The original Measure U passed with 64 percent of the vote in 2012, which was a presidential year. But today is also anticipated to be a high-turnout election.
—Nick Miller
UPDATE3 p.m.
If voters pass Proposition 1, the state will borrow $4 billion for existing housing programs. A quarter of the bond funds would go toward housing loans for vets. The rest would go to housing assistance for low-income residents, and grants for urban infill and affordable housing projects.
Supporters say the funds would help address California’s housing crisis. Critics argue it doesn’t target the root cause of the state’s housing problem: It’s expensive to build new housing in California.
UPDATE2:45 p.m.
Voters are being asked to weigh in on whether paramedics should remain on-call during breaks.
That’s the protocol right now, and Proposition 11 would keep it that way. It would also protect private ambulance companies in future lawsuits from workers who say it’s illegal for companies not to allow for full breaks.
American Medical Response, the major ambulance company backing the measure, says not keeping paramedics on call during meal and rest could lead to slower response for patients.
The labor groups opposing the measure say the company just wants to dodge lawsuits, and avoid hiring more staff to cover break times.
UPDATE2:30 p.m.
The debate over how to spend $2 billion in Mental Health Services Act funding comes to a head on today’s ballot.
The “millionaire’s tax,” passed in 2004, supports county mental health treatment across the state. Proposition 2 authorizes the state to use $2 billion in bonds to build housing for about 20,000 chronically ill homeless people, and repay the debt with Mental Health Services Act dollars.
Supporters of the prop say it’s a small sliver of the much larger millionaire tax cache, and that investment in housing is key to solving the homelessness crisis. Opponents worry repaying the bonds for housing would cut into important mental health services.
UPDATE2 p.m.
After running out of ballots mid-vote during June’s primary election, the Amador County clerk’s office says its polling stations are well-stocked this time around.
Kimberly Grady, the Amador County Clerk/Recorder, said the county had ordered more ballots than there are registered voters. “There shouldn’t be any shortage,” she said. “There’s no way.”
Some polling places ran out of ballots in June well before the polls closed, with workers having to rush emergency ballots from Sacramento to accommodate unexpectedly high turnout.
As of mid-afternoon on Monday, 36 percent of voters registered to mail in ballots in Amador County had already done so.
In neighboring Calaveras County, nearly 47 percent of the more than 20,000 eligible mail-in ballots had been processed by the late afternoon on Monday.
Tuolumne County has seen similar early voter turnout, with 46 percent of vote-by-mail ballots having been received as of Monday afternoon. The 12,300 ballots processed thus far are significantly more than the 9,624 received at this time in 2014, the county clerk’s office said.
—James Reddick
UPDATE1:45 p.m.
Should California loosen restrictions for baby boomer homeowners who want to transfer their property tax adjustments to new homes? Voters get to decide today.
Proposition 5 would amend a 1978 proposition to allow homeowners who are age 55 or older, or severely disabled, to transfer their property tax adjustments from a prior home to a new home with fewer limitations.
As it stands, senior homeowners can only transfer their tax adjustments once, to a home of the same or lesser value in the same county. There’s an exception in 11 counties that already allow tax breaks to carry over to new homes across county lines.
If Prop. 5 passes, senior homeowners would be able to transfer their tax breaks regardless of how many times they’ve moved, where the new house is, or how much it costs. If the new house is more expensive, the difference in price would be assessed.
Opponents say this will cost schools and local governments valuable tax dollars while doing little to help the housing market.
UPDATE1:30 p.m.
Twenty-seven seats in Nevada's 63-seat Legislature are forecast to go to women, and an additional five would be needed to take majority.
That's according to analysis by the Reno Gazette Journal. It's a tight possibility, but Sondra Cosgrove with the League of Women Voters of Nevada says it's doable.
"For us to have the first female majority I think is going to hit a lot of milestones,” Cosgrove said.
Nevada's Legislature is about 38 percent female and California's is 25 percent. Cosgrove says having more women shifts conversations around topics like reproductive rights and human trafficking.
"I personally think it does make a difference when you have more women than men, because women prioritize issues differently than men do and women tend to engage in politics a little different than men do,” Cosgrove said.
She says women are more collaborative, but for a new leadership style to takeover she says voters will especially need to turn out in districts with tight races.
UPDATE12:30 p.m.
Should a bond for both habitat restoration and water-infrastructure projects be paid for by all Californians, or just the groups that would directly benefit? That's up for voters to decide.
Proposition 3 would authorize billions in state bonds for water-related infrastructure and environmental projects.
The measure is packed full of funds for restoring parkways along rivers, wetlands and the coast. But opponents say the funds are a gift to farm and water interests.
UPDATENoon
Depending on who you ask, Measure U would either hurt or help low-income residents.
Some argue that it would take money out of their wallets by raising the sales tax, and others say it would pay for more government programs in underserved neighborhoods.
Measure U would double the half-cent tax voters approved on a temporary basis back in 2012.
Jony Magdalena, who lives in South Sacramento and shops on Fruitridge Road, is 21 years old with a one-year-old daughter and a new job as a welder. After seeing how much money comes out of his paycheck for taxes, he's not sure he wants to pay any more.
"I don't support the fact they just charge us for everything, you know?" Magdalena said.
Also on Fruitridge is Sacramento Pizzas and Subs, where Tyana Rose said she would gladly pay an extra four cents in tax for her pizza if it meant poor neighborhoods would receive help — and if it didn't go to police officer salaries.
"Lots of homeless people out here really need low-income housing,” she said. “These kids out here really need help with backpacks and other school supplies, and the police officers are just getting paid off taxes off us.”
Mo Amer, the man who sold her the pizza, isn't sure she should have to pay the extra four cents. He says he would consider it under different circumstances.
"If they promise where they gonna allocate the money, then it makes more sense, and especially if it's temporary versus it's permanent, that's another thing to consider," Amer said.
Measure U would be permanent, and because it is a general-use tax, the city can not state specifically how it would be spent.
7/ Proponents make the case that: a) Sacramento ain't S.F. or the East Bay. It needs to tax itself to pay off obligations, and to invest in its future, and b) if Measure U fails, the city will face enormous deficits in the coming years, which could impact the local economy. — Nick Miller (@NickMiller510) November 6, 2018
7/ Proponents make the case that: a) Sacramento ain't S.F. or the East Bay. It needs to tax itself to pay off obligations, and to invest in its future, and b) if Measure U fails, the city will face enormous deficits in the coming years, which could impact the local economy.
9/ I'm reluctant to forecast outcomes, but I think anything can happen today when it comes to Measure U. It passed with 64 percent of the vote in 2012, which was a presidential year. But this will also be a high-turnout election. — Nick Miller (@NickMiller510) November 6, 2018
9/ I'm reluctant to forecast outcomes, but I think anything can happen today when it comes to Measure U. It passed with 64 percent of the vote in 2012, which was a presidential year. But this will also be a high-turnout election.
In order to pass, Measure U must receive more than 50 percent of the vote.
UPDATE11:30 a.m.
Nevada is a swing-state and there are a number of interesting races there this election.
The biggest story to possibly come out of Election Day in Nevada is that it could become the first state to elect a female majority in its Legislature. To do so, women would need to win big in all races.
There's also a U.S. Senate race that's predicted to be close. Incumbent Sen. Dean Heller is opposed by Democratic U.S. Rep. Jacky Rosen.
Nevada could also elect its first Democratic governor in almost two decades.
Two energy-related ballot initiatives are on the ballot: Question 3 would make the state electricity market competitive, and Question 6 would require electric utilities to source 50 percent of their electricity from renewable resources by 2030.
Lastly, some Nevadans could elect a dead guy: Brothel owner and Las Vegas area Republican assembly candidate Dennis Hof died in October. If he wins commissioners will choose a republican to fill his seat.
UPDATE10:45 a.m.
Democratic Assembly member Anna Caballero, who currently represents the Salinas area, woke up to a break-in at her campaign office in Merced, where she’s running a tight state Senate race against Madera County Supervisor Rob Poythress.
The culprits stole computers containing voter contact information, precinct maps and door hangers, said Ken Smith with Caballero’s campaign.
Merced police are investigating the overnight incident. Smith said it’s another example of the “distortions, attacks and misrepresentations” that supporters of Republican Poythress are launching at Caballero.
“This is a continuation of what we see on the national level,” Smith said.
The District 12 seat that Poythress and Caballero are squaring off for recently opened up after incumbent Republican Anthony Cannella termed out. More than $7.7 million has been spent, with the two parties dumping in $4.1 million, tops among all legislative races in the state. Democrats have spent $2.3 million of that total.
UPDATE10:30 a.m.
Former charter school executive Marshall Tuck and Assemblyman Tony Thurmond will be vying to be California’s next Superintendent of Public Instruction tonight. The winner will oversee the state’s K-12 public education system, consisting of more than 6 million young people.
A battle between charter schools and traditional public schools has only worsened during this race. Tuck has been the overwhelming favorite among charter school advocates and has received a large majority of the record breaking $50 million that has been donated to this campaign. Thurmond, a former educator, would call for a pause on new charters.
UPDATE10 a.m.
If voters approve Proposition 4 this November, the state will put $1.5 billion in bond funding toward infrastructure improvements at 13 regional children’s hospitals.
Ann-Louise Kuhns with the California Children’s Hospital Association says it’s gotten harder for hospitals to upgrade their wards, invest in new machines and stay seismically compliant as they treat more children on Medicaid and sicker children live longer.
“Very premature infants that didn’t used to survive now can survive, but with a level of medical intensity that requires referral to our hospitals,” she said.
This is the third bond measure that the Children’s Hospital Association has put on the ballot for infrastructure improvements — two bonds for $750 million and $980 million passed in 2004 and 2008, respectively.
UPDATE9 a.m.
Democrats are hoping to regain a two-thirds supermajority in the California Legislature in Tuesday’s election — a battle that could come down to a single Central Valley state Senate seat.
Republicans busted up the Democrats’ supermajority in June with the successful recall election of state Sen. Josh Newman. To win it back, Democrats are targeting a handful of Central and Southern California incumbents, including Sens. Andy Vidak of Hanford and Janet Nguyen of Orange County.
But their best shot at the one pickup they need lies with an open seat in the Modesto area. That’s where moderate Republican state Sen. Anthony Cannella, who voted for last year’s gas tax increase, is termed out. Former Democratic Assemblywoman Anna Caballero, who also served as a cabinet secretary to Gov. Jerry Brown, faces Republican Rob Poythress, a Madera County supervisor.
Democrats are in much stronger shape in the Assembly. The parties are fighting over roughly a half-dozen seats, with each side working to defend some of their incumbents while also seeking out pickup opportunities.
But Democrats currently hold one more seat than they need for a supermajority — and they’re already poised to pick up two districts currently held by Republicans, including one where the GOP failed to advance a candidate in the “top two” primary. They’re also hoping to unseat Orange County Republican Matthew Harper of Huntington Beach and win an open seat in that county.
Current Democratic assembly members facing competitive races include Rudy Salas of Bakersfield, Sabrina Cervantes of Riverside, Al Muratsuchi of Torrance and Sharon Quirk-Silva of Fullerton.
UPDATE8:50 a.m.
A proposition that would regulate the way California dialysis clinics spend money was one of the most contentious on this year’s ballot, with supporters contributing $20 million and opponents putting in a whopping $111 million as of Monday.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports this is a record amount, breaking past the most recent high of $109 million spent by drug companies to defeat Proposition 61 two years ago. That measure would have limited what the state pays for prescriptions drugs.
This year’s Proposition 8 could cap what dialysis clinics spend on overhead and administration, versus what they put into care costs. The labor union supporting the measure hopes it will force clinic operators to hire more staff, increase staff training and invest in newer or better equipment. The dialysis companies and physician groups opposing the measure say drastic cuts will make it hard for clinics to stay afloat.
UPDATE8:48 a.m.
Today is Election Day, but many voters are already ahead of the game.
In Sacramento County, the elections office says about one-third (35 percent) of registered voters had already returned their ballots as of Monday.
The county says 263,243 ballots were received. Most have been read by a machine, but the results have not been tabulated. That is scheduled to happen the second the polls close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday.
Janna Haynes is a spokeswoman for the the county Voter Registration and Elections department and says anonymity is ensured for almost every ballot.
“We actually have a machine that cuts open the envelope, and that's where the envelope and the ballot separate for good,” Haynes explained. “That's why your ballot is anonymous. The only defining information is on the envelope. So, once the ballot and envelope separate, now your ballot is completely anonymous.”
That’s true, unless there is a physical problem with the ballot: damage, a missing signature, or a signature that doesn’t match.
Haynes says employees are working on damaged ballots now.
The county expects to update its results every two hours beginning at 8 p.m. on Tuesday through 2 a.m. on Wednesday. It will then provide updates every Friday and Tuesday at 4 p.m. through December 4.
UPDATE8:40 a.m.
California is rarely the nation’s focus on election night, as the reliably Democratic state has delivered foregone conclusions in recent races for president and U.S. Senate.
But not this year.
The eyes of the nation could be riveted on several California House races — not just tonight but for weeks to come.
Democrats need to pick up 23 seats to win control of Congress, and at least a half-dozen California House districts are in play.
And because so many Californians now vote by mail, races that are too close to call on election night often take several days to resolve, if not weeks.
That means if control of the House isn’t immediately clear — and if some of California’s tight races remain too close to call — we might be in for a long, long wait.
The races to watch considered to be the closest include:
UPDATE8:30 a.m.
Whatever opinion you hold about the twice-a-year clock change, don’t expect a concrete answer on Election Day.
For years, California lawmakers have tossed around the idea of eliminating daylight saving time or making it permanent. The state could move one step closer to either option under Proposition 7, which repeals a 1949 voter-approved proposition that established Daylight Saving Time in California.
This would leave it up to the Legislature to decide how the state’s time should be set. The Legislature could then establish year-round Daylight Saving Time in California with a two-thirds vote and Congressional approval.
California Without Daylight Saving? Arizona Shares Lessons From 50 Years Of Noncompliance
Is The Sun Finally Setting On Daylight Saving In California?
UPDATE8:15 a.m.
Control of the House could be decided by a handful of tightly contested California congressional races, from the Central Valley to Orange and San Diego counties.
Here’s a look at some of the closest races and some of CapRadio’s and PolitiFact’s past coverage.
Josh Harder (D) vs. Rep. Jeff Denham (R)
District 10, Modesto area
PolitiFact California fact-checked TV attack ads in the race, including ones that paint Harder as a Bay Area elitist and others that criticize Denham for his vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act. PolitiFact found Harder is a fifth generation Valley resident. He moved away to work at venture capital firms in Boston and San Francisco and returned last year to run for Congress and teach business at Modesto Junior College.
Katie Porter (D) vs. Rep. Mimi Walters (R)
District 45, Southern Orange County
PolitiFact also fact-checked claims in this race. It rated Mostly False Porter’s claim that Walters “raised taxes on middle-class Californians." It also examined a mailer from Walters that claimed Porter is part of a "radical group of Democrats with an extreme agenda to abolish ICE." It rated that False after finding Porter has called for immigration reform, but not to abolish ICE.
CapRadio has reported extensively on how control of the House could come down three close races in Orange County, including the Walters vs. Porter race. Listen here to CapRadio’s full Keys To The House Podcast episode to learn more about the races in “The OC.”
Gil Cisneros (D) vs. Young Kim (R)
District 39, Northwest Orange County
In this race, PolitiFact rated Mostly False Cisneros’ claim that Kim is "a tax cheat" who "illegally claimed a $7,000 annual homestead exemption on a house she wasn’t living in.” It also investigated an ad that claimed Cisneros demanded sex for campaign cash, but did not make a formal rating.
Harley Rouda (D) vs. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R)
District 48, Orange County coast
CapRadio examined the Rouda vs. Rohrabacher race here in the Keys To The House podcast episode on Orange County. PolitiFact has also fact-checked Rohrabacher in the past.
Finally, we’ll be tracking these two additional Congressional races on Election Night:
Katie Hill (D) vs. Rep. Steve Knight (R)
District 25, Los Angeles and Ventura counties
Mike Levin (D) vs. Diane Harkey (R)
District 49, San Diego and Orange counties
A state with a population of nearly 40 million people is poised to elect its 40th governor.
Californians will also pick a U.S. senator, decide 11 statewide ballot measures and help determine control of Congress.
The governor’s race pits Democratic Lt. Gov. and former San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom against Republican San Diego businessman John Cox.
The two finalists in the Senate race are both Democrats: 26-year incumbent Sen. Dianne Feinstein and state Sen. Kevin de León, who’s challenging Feinstein from her left.
And a half-dozen or more California House districts are also in play as Democrats seek to win control of Congress.
The races to watch are in the Modesto area, northern Los Angeles County, northern San Diego County, and three districts in Orange County.
Because so many Californians now vote-by-mail, races that are too close to call on Election Night often take several days to resolve, if not weeks. That means if control of the House isn’t immediately clear — and if some of California’s tight races remain too close to call — we might be in for a long, long wait.
The most controversial ballot measures include two that voters should study carefully.
A yes vote on Proposition 6 repeals last year’s gas tax increase; a no vote leaves the funding for those transportation projects in place.
And a yes vote on Proposition 10 repeals the state law that bans rent control on newer apartments and single-family homes, while a no vote leaves that law in place.
election 2018
Loading...
