blog post California’s Election Reforms at the Dawn of a New Decade By Eric McGhee Jul 18, 2022 The June primary marked the tenth of anniversary of two major changes to elections in California: the Citizens Redistricting Commission and the Top Two primary. What can the recent primary’s results tell us about the impact of these reforms?
Fact Sheet California’s New Electoral Reforms: The Fall Election By Eric McGhee, Daniel Krimm Nov 8, 2012
blog post Video: 2022 Election Preview By Vicki Hsieh Oct 14, 2022 Jennifer Medina, national politics reporter at The New York Times, talks about the priorities and mood of California’s electorate with Tamara Keith, White House correspondent at National Public Radio, Christine Mai-Duc, reporter for The Wall Street Journal, and Terry Tang, editorial page editor at The Los Angeles Times.
blog post Voters’ Wish List for the Next Election Cycle By Mark Baldassare Nov 10, 2022 California’s citizens’ initiative process remains popular as a way of addressing the state’s most important challenges. But voters believe that the system has certain shortcomings and should be reformed.
event A 2020 Election Preview Oct 6, 2020 With one month to go before a highly consequential election, what does the political landscape look like in California and the nation? A panel of top political journalists will discuss emerging themes and issues, and assess the nation’s readiness for a pandemic election.
blog post Election Day and California’s Future By Mark Baldassare Nov 3, 2020 In a year of unprecedented crises, Californians express a high level of enthusiasm about voting, and the state appears on course to set a modern-day record for voter turnout.
Report Test-driving California’s Election Reforms By Eric McGhee, Daniel Krimm Sep 13, 2012 In the June 2012 primary, California tested two important electoral changes: new legislative and congressional districts drawn by an independent citizens commission and a "top two" primary system. The results suggest the reforms produced some changes—in particular, more open seats and more competition. However, there was also a great deal of continuity with recent elections: most candidates endorsed by a major party and all incumbents are advancing to the fall election and partisan outcomes were broadly in line with what might have been expected under the old primary system. Over time, the reforms may produce more radical change, but the first step on the road of reform has been a small one.
blog post Election Takeaways: California Voters Send Conflicting Signals By Mark Baldassare Dec 14, 2020 Nearly 18 million Californians voted in the November 2020 election—an all-time high. PPIC’s Mark Baldassare discusses the final election results and what they say about Californians’ mindset and policy preferences in a year of unprecedented challenges.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Equity in Voter Turnout after Pandemic Election Policy Changes By Eric McGhee, Jennifer Paluch, Mindy Romero, Stephanie Barton Mar 1, 2022 While California has made progress toward voting equity, reforms meant to address running an election during the pandemic may have disrupted voting habits for some communities.
