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Do Registration Reforms Add New Voters or Keep Californians Registered?

By Eric McGhee, Jennifer Paluch, Mindy Romero

In recent years, new voter registration and voter address updates have surged—due largely to California’s new process for automatic voter registration. But registration reforms have not significantly diversified the electorate, and the state may need to do more to engage newly registered voters.

blog post

Video: Assessing California’s Redistricting Commission

By Mary Severance

In a radical departure, California empowered an independent commission to create new electoral maps. A new PPIC report assesses the maps' fairness and competitiveness to both major political parties.

Report

Assessing California’s Redistricting Commission: Effects on Partisan Fairness and Competitiveness

By Eric McGhee

The creation of the Citizen Redistricting Commission (CRC) in 2008 was a radical departure from California’s previous redistricting process, which had been directed by the legislature with little public input and no official rationale. Many hoped that, in addition to meeting legally mandated representational and geographic goals, the CRC would produce electoral maps that were fair to the two major parties and more competitive than the maps that had been drawn by the legislature.

Report

Test-driving California’s Election Reforms

By Eric McGhee, Daniel Krimm

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.

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