Elections in California

Overview of the procedure of elections in the U. S. state of California

2020 Democratic 6006518 11110639 395,108 California
2016 Democratic 4483814 8753792 1,005,843 California
2012 Democratic 4839958 7854285 361,572 California
2008 Democratic 5011781 8274473 296,829 California
2004 Democratic 5509826 6745485 166,548 California
2000 Democratic 4567429 5861203 537,224 California
1996 Democratic 3828380 5119835 1,071,269 California
1992 Democratic 3630574 5121325 2,379,822 California
1988 Republican 5054917 4702233 129,914 California
1984 Republican 5467009 3922519 115,895 California
1980 Republican 4524858 3083661 978,544 California
1976 Republican 3882244 3742284 242,589 California
1972 Republican 4602096 3475847 289,919 California
1968 Republican 3467664 3244318 539,605 California
1964 Democratic 2879108 4171877 6,601 California
1960 Republican 3259722 3224099 22,757 California
1956 Republican 3027668 2420135 18,552 California
1952 Republican 2897310 2197548 46,991 California
1948 Democratic 1895269 1913134 213,135 California
1944 Democratic 1512965 1988564 19,346 California
1940 Democratic 1351419 1877618 39,754 California
1936 Democratic 836431 1766836 35,615 California
1932 Democratic 847902 1324157 95,907 California
1928 Republican 1162323 614365 19,968 California
1924 Republican 733250 105514 443,136 California
1920 Republican 624992 229191 89,867 California
1916 Democratic 462516 466289 70,798 California
1912 Progressive 3914 283436 390,594 California
1908 Republican 214398 127492 44,707 California
1904 Republican 205226 89404 37,248 California
1900 Republican 164755 124985 13,264 California
1896 Republican 146688 144766 6,965 California
1892 Democratic 118027 118174 33,408 California
1888 Republican 124816 117729 8,794 California
1884 Republican 102369 89288 5,331 California
1880 Democratic 80282 80426 3,510 California
1876 Republican 79258 76460 66 California
1872 Republican 54007 40717 1,061 California
1868 Republican 54588 54068 0 California
1864 Republican 62053 43837 0 California
1860 Republican 38733 37999 43,095 California
1856 Democratic 20704 53342 36,209 California

Elections in California are held to fill various local, state and federal seats. In California, regular elections are held every even year (such as 2006 and 2008); however, some seats have terms of office that are longer than two years, so not every seat is on the ballot in every election. Special elections may be held to fill vacancies at other points in time. Recall elections can also be held. Additionally, statewide initiatives, legislative referrals and referendums may be on the ballot. In a 2022 study, California was ranked as the 6th easiest state for citizens to vote in.

As with every other state in the United States, California participates in federal elections including electing representatives to the House of Representatives, and senators to the Senate. Additionally, the state casts 54 votes in the Electoral College during presidential elections.

Every four years, the United States holds a national indirect election for president and vice president of the United States. In such elections, voters cast their votes for a slate of representatives (electors) who have pledged to cast their votes for a particular presidential and vice presidential candidate (a ticket) in the Electoral College. During the election, the voters of the state select the slate of electors on the ballot by voting for the ticket that they are pledged to. The slate of electors pledged to the ticket with the most votes statewide gets to vote in the Electoral College. Although, the electors are not obligated to vote for the candidates they are pledged to, they usually do. The number of electors the state is allocated is equal to the number of representatives in Congress that the state has (the members in the House of Representatives, plus the two senators).

California, like all other states in the United States, is represented in the United States Senate by two senators. In addition to representatives in the House of Representatives, California's senators represent the state's constituents in Congress. Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler currently serve as the state's senators. Each senator is elected to serve a six year term with Kamala Harris having last been elected in 2016 and Feinstein in 2018. After Kamala Harris was elected as Vice President in 2020, Padilla was appointed to serve the remainder of her term. Each U. S. senator is elected in a statewide election following earlier primary elections typically held in the first week of June during which both major national parties (the Democrats and Republicans) and minor parties nominate candidates via popular vote. There is no limit to the number of terms that a senator may serve so long as they continue to be elected to the position via statewide vote.

Similarly, California is also represented in the US Congress by fifty two members of Congress representing the fifty two congressional districts in the state. As in all other states, these congressional districts are reapportioned every ten years following the release of a new census. Due to its status as the most populous state in the union, California has the largest number of representatives of any single state in Congress. These representatives are elected for two year terms as per the rules of the House of Representatives and currently feature a number of prominent members of the body such as former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy.

California has a gubernatorial election every four years, and in 2003 and 2021, gubernatorial recall elections were held. Primary elections were held in March or June until 2008, when they were held in February. General elections, which cover statewide issues, continue to be held in November. On a county by county basis, elections also cover electing municipal leaders. In addition, a special election can occur at any time.

Due to a combination of the state's large population and a legislature that has not been expanded since the ratification of the 1879 Constitution, the State Senate has the largest population per state senator ratio of any state legislative house. Members of the State Senate serve four year terms. Every two years, half of the Senate's 40 seats are subject to election.

The lower house of the California State Legislature is the "California State Assembly". Every two years, all 80 seats in the Assembly are subject to election. Members elected to the Assembly prior to 2012 are restricted by term limits to three two year terms (six years), while those elected in or after 2012 are allowed to serve 12 years in the legislature in any combination of four year State Senate or two year State Assembly terms.

In addition, many if not most of California's county, city, school district, community college district, health care district, municipal utility district, transit district and other special district officers are elected. Per the California Secretary of State website, "political parties are not entitled to nominate candidates for nonpartisan offices at the primary election, and a candidate at the primary election is not the official nominee of any party for the specific office at the general election. [However, parties may endorse candidates.] A candidate for nomination to a nonpartisan office may not designate his or her party preference, or lack of party preference, on the ballot." Effective January 1, 2018, all of California's cities, K 12 school districts, community college districts and special districts will have to move their election dates to a statewide election (primary or general) held during an even numbered year due to the passage of Senate Bill 415 (California Voter Participation Rights Act), which was approved by the California Senate and Assembly and signed by the Governor in 2015. The 2018 elections will be held on June 5 (primary) and November 6 (general). Starting in 2020, the presidential primary will move to March which also include the U. S. House of Representatives, California State Senate and Assembly and County Boards of Supervisors. U. S. Senate primary in California will take place in March 2022. Los Angeles City Council and School Board will have its primary election in March and its runoff election in November beginning in 2020, due to the passage of Charter Amendments 1 and 2 during the 2015 elections.