California Statewide General Election This is the regular scheduled major statewide election that happens every two years (even numbered years). This is when governor, all major statewide offices, congress, legislature, and statewide propositions are voted on. California Special Election A Special Election is not on a regular fixed calendar. It only happens when needed. Examples: There is no automatic yearly date for a special election. The date is scheduled by law depending on what triggered the special election. There may be multiple special elections in one year or none. Summary Election TypeWhat it isDateCalifornia Statewide General ElectionRegular statewide election every even yearNext: November 3, 2026California…
Author: Civic Lightworks
California Proposition 50: Why It Was Created Proposition 50, on California’s November 4, 2025 ballot, is a response to aggressive gerrymandering in states like Texas. Earlier this year, former President Donald Trump urged Texas lawmakers to redraw their congressional maps in ways that gave Republicans additional seats by weakening fair voter representation. Other Republican-led states have followed similar strategies at Trump’s direction. Supporters of Proposition 50 argue that California must act to cancel out these unfair advantages. By allowing the Legislature to adopt new maps for the 2026, 2028, and 2030 elections, California can ensure that its representation in Congress is…
The Case for Paper Ballots and Public Hand Counts Free and fair elections require public trust. Voters must see that their votes are counted as cast. The simplest and most transparent way to ensure that trust is through paper ballots and hand counts conducted in public by a nonpartisan system. Paper creates a physical record that no software can silently alter, and hand counting in the open allows every community to witness democracy in action. Why Paper Ballots Are Essential Paper ballots provide a durable, verifiable record of voter intent. When technology fails, paper remains. In 2018, the National Academies…