Politics & Government

CA Election Results: Five Props Pass, Democrats Make Gains

Patch will bring you statewide results for president, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, the state Legislature and ballot measures when they are released. Check back often and refresh this page for the latest information.

Five out of 11 state propositions were passed by voters on Tuesday, including a sales and income tax hike proposed to pay for education.  

The vote count also showed the possibility that Democrats could take several congressional seats out of California's delegation of five. In addition, the count appears to show the Democrats winning a supermajority in the Assembly and Senate, according to the Los Angeles Times.  That would give them the ability to pass tax increases, which requires a two-thirds vote.

In Congressional District 7, Ami Bera, the Democratic challenger from Elk Grove, led Rep. Dan Lungren by a small margin with all returns counted. But the incumbent has yet to concede and more ballots need to be counted. 
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Proposition 30, the tax measure, narrowly passed with almost 54 percent voting in support. Also passed were Proposition 35, the human trafficking proposition, Proposition 36, the three-strikes law amendment, Proposition 39, a business tax measure and Proposition 40, an affirmation of a state redistricting process.  

The following propositions lost: Proposition 31, a state and local government reform measure; Proposition 32, a campaign reform measure; Proposition 33, an insurance rule change measure; Proposition 34, a repeal of the death penalty and Proposition 38, a second education tax measure.

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Proposition 37, the labeling of genetically modified foods also failed, though narrowly, with almost 54 percent voting against it.

The latest results posted on the Los Angeles Times interactive map site showed Democrats poised to possibly gain as many as four congressional seats, while maintaining large majorities in the state Assembly and Senate.  Several of the races were extremely close Wednesday morning, and the vote totals have not yet been officially certified.

There were no widespread reports of voter problems, though there were a few minor issues reported throughout the state: in Sonoma County, the election clerk found more than 400 ballots cast from voters who registered online where signatures on the ballot did not appear to match with signatures on file.  

In Westwood in Los Angeles County, voting machines did not arrive until nearly mid-day at one polling place. Voters at one precinct in Monterey County had their polling place evacuated because of a wildfire.


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