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California elections, 2016
Welcome to the California elections portal for 2016. Scroll down for information about what was on the ballot, election dates, voting, and more. California saw elections for the offices listed below in 2016. Click the links to navigate to Ballotpedia's overview pages for each of these elections, where you will find background, candidate lists, dates, analysis, and more.
Election results
As a result of the 2016 elections, California maintained a Democratic trifecta—meaning the Democratic Party held control of the governorship, the state Senate, and the state House. Democrats remained in control of the state Senate with 26 seats to Republicans' 14 seats. The party also gained three seats in the state House for a total of 55 seats to Republicans' 25 seats.
In 2016, California had two U.S. Senate seats and 53 U.S. House seats. Democrat Kamala Harris won the state's open seat to the U.S. Senate. All of the U.S. House seats were also up for election in November 2016. California's 7th and 25th U.S. House district elections were expected to be among the most competitive congressional elections in the country. Democrats took 39 of the state's U.S. House races, and Republicans won 14.
In 2016, California was one of 26 states, as well as Washington, D.C., that offered initiative and/or veto referendum rights for its citizens. Eighteen statewide ballot measures were certified for the ballot in 2016. One, the California $15 per hour Minimum Wage Initiative, was certified for the November ballot but then was withdrawn by proponents on June 23, 2016, after the California State Legislature passed Senate Bill 3, a bill raising the state's minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2022.
Of the remaining 17 measures, 12 were approved and five were defeated.
Hillary Clinton won California's 55 electoral votes in the 2016 general election for president. Barack Obama carried California in both the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections. See also: Presidential election in California, 2016.
Voting
| Dates | |
|---|---|
| Presidential primary dates | |
| California election dates | |
| 2/2/2016 | Recall election |
| 6/7/2016 | State and presidential primary |
| 11/8/2016 | General election (nationwide) |
| Ballot access dates | |
| 2/25/2016 | Close of signature in lieu of filing fee period for voter-nominated offices |
| 3/11/2016 | Close of declaration of candidacy and nomination paper period for voter-nominated offices |
Find answers to common questions about voting in California below.
- How do I register to vote?
- Is there an early voting period?
- Who is eligible for absentee voting?
- What are the voter ID laws in California?
- What time were the polls open?
General information about voting or getting on the ballot is provided at the following links.
Official elections page: California Secretary of State - Elections and Voter Information
Primary election
See Primary elections in California.
Elections to watch
- Statewide ballot propositions
- California's 7th Congressional District election, 2016
- California's 10th Congressional District election, 2016
- California's 25th Congressional District election, 2016
- Proposition 50
- Municipal elections in San Diego, California (2016)
- San Francisco City and County, California ballot measures
- Butte County, California, Fracking Ban Initiative, Measure E (June 2016)
- San Jose, California, Medical Marijuana Collectives Initiative, Measure C (June 2016)
What makes an election notable?
History
Presidential Voting Pattern
The percentages below show California voter preference in general election presidential races from 2000 to 2012.[1]
For more information, see: Presidential voting trends in California.
California vote percentages
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U.S. vote percentages
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See also
Footnotes
Ballotpedia uses these criteria to identify notable elections:
- Incumbents facing more conservative or liberal challengers
- Rematches between candidates
- Elections that receive considerable media attention
- Elections that could significantly affect the state's partisan balance
- Noteworthy elections involving party leaders
- Open, competitive elections with Republican and Democratic primaries
- Elections that capture money and attention from outside groups, including key endorsements
