Hi Folks,
Tomorrow is Election Day and the final day voters can cast ballots in the statewide special election taking place to determine whether voters approve Proposition 50. Prop. 50 is a ballot measure that will, if enacted, adopt new congressional district maps designed to enable Democratic candidates to win more California congressional seats.
The measure was placed on the ballot by the State Legislature and is intended to counter the state of Texas' redrawing of its congressional districts to help Republican candidates win more of that state's congressional seats.
Both states have an eye on the 2026 midterm elections, which will determine whether Republicans continue to hold a majority of seats in the House of Representatives and maintain control of both chambers of Congress, or if the Democrats will win control of the House after the 2026 election. Check out CVF's California Voter Guide for links to the official voter information guide and other nonpartisan resources to help voters vote.
Voters have until 8 pm on November 4th to vote in person or turn in a vote-by-mail ballot to a drop box or voting site. Voters who choose to return a mail ballot via US Mail today or tomorrow are advised to take their ballot inside a post office and ask an employee to postmark it to ensure it is eligible to be counted.
Watching the Vote Count
Voters have already been casting ballots for nearly a month. The Secretary of State is publishing, for the first time, daily Ballot Return Updates showing how many Californians have already voted and by what method - whether using a vote-by-mail ballot or in-person. As of Sunday, Nov. 2, a total of 6,674,591 ballots have been cast, representing about 29 percent of the state's registered voters.
CVF will be monitoring the election results and set up a new tracker on our Close Count Transparency Project we will frequently update to keep track of the vote count on Proposition 50, the status of the count and overall turnout. Unofficial election returns will be available to view starting after 8 pm on November 4th on the Secretary of State's Live Election Results page.
Legislation Enacted to Speed Up California's Vote Count
Five bills that CVF supported in the 2025 legislative session to accelerate California's vote count were signed into law last month by Governor Gavin Newsom. Because these bills did not include an urgency clause, they will not take effect until January 1, 2026 and include the following:
- SB 3/Cervantes: Requires ballot return envelopes and signature verification statements to advise voters that county elections staff may compare the voter’s signature with their signature appearing on the voter’s driver’s license or state identification card.
- AB 5/Berman: Requires counties to finish counting ballots and release vote counts no later than 13 days after Election Day except ballots eligible to cure or received from other counties; provisional and conditional provisional ballots; and valid ballots received 4-7 days after Election Day.
- AB 827/Berman: Requires counties to contact voters to cure ballots no later than 14 days after Election Day and allow voters to cure their ballots up until 22 days after Election Day, creating a standardized, statewide cure deadline four days shorter than the Nov. 2024 deadline.
- AB 1072/Pellerin: Requires the Secretary of State to provide statewide standards and guidance to voters for what to do when they make ballot mistakes and remove roadblocks voters encounter when completing vote-by-mail ballots that can lead to ballot casting delays.
- AB 1249/Wilson: Requires all counties to offer voters the opportunity to vote early the Saturday before a statewide election day and give voters the ability to cast a vote-by-mail ballot as an in-person ballot at a county election office or satellite location. This will create an equal opportunity for all Californians to vote early no matter which county they live in, ensure there is an accessible early voting option for all Californians, and expand opportunities for voters to cast vote-by-mail ballots as in-person ballots.
CVF will continue in 2026 advancing additional legislative improvements as well as state funding counties need to acquire the resources necessary to accelerate the vote counting process. In the meantime, we will continue monitoring the ballot counting process and helping the public track outcomes of close contests.
Monday, Nov. 3 is Election Hero Day
Today is Election Hero Day and a great day to thank democracy's frontline workers - poll workers, election staff, and election officials - for the hard work they do to enable all of us to vote safely and securely. The League of Women Voters is now heading up Election Hero Day and you can learn more about this annual civic holiday and how you can get involved by visiting www.electionheroday.org.
- Kim Alexander, California Voter Foundation
About the California Voter Foundation
The California Voter Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working through research, oversight, outreach and demonstration projects to improve the election process so that it better serves the needs and interests of voters. CVF-News is a free, electronic newsletter featuring news and updates about the California Voter Foundation's projects and activities.