After tens of millions of dollars in spending, thousands of door knocks, and hundreds of attack ads, voting ends today in California — and we’ll soon know the verdict of voters.
Which of the seven ballot measures pass? Will a Republican win statewide office for the first time since 2006, or even come close? Will Democrats keep their stranglehold on the Legislature with super-majorities? Did either party flip any congressional seats, and will it matter for overall control of the U.S. House?
Some answers will become clear sooner than others. In blowouts, projected winners will be called tonight, soon after the polls close at 8 p.m. and early voting results are announced. But very close contests may not be decided for days, if not weeks.
California now sends mail ballots to all registered voters, and any ballots postmarked by today will still be counted through Nov. 15, which can delay final results. As of Monday, nearly 5.5 million of the 22.2 million ballots mailed had been returned. California’s election results will be certified in early December, and the secretary of state will publish the official vote counts by mid-December.
