Elections in California
Federal government Presidential elections 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 Primary elections Democratic 2000 2004 2008 Republican 2000 2004 2008 2012 United States Senate elections 1950 1980 1982 1986 1988 1992 1992 (special) 1994 1998 2000 2004 2006 2010 2012 Congressional elections At-Large (1849-1863) 1864 1866 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 12th (1946) 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 11th (2006) 2008 2010 2012 2014 Special elections to the House 5th (2005) 48th (2005) 36th (2007) 12th (2008) 10th (2009) 32nd (2009) 36th (2011)
State government (executive) Gubernatorial elections 1861 1906 1910 1914 1918 1922 1926 1930 1934 1938 1942 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2003 (recall) 2006 2010 2014 Lieutenant governor elections 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 Secretary of State elections 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 Controller elections 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 Treasurer elections 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 Attorney General elections 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 Insurance Commissioner elections 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 SPI elections 1994 1998 2002 2006
State government (legislative) State Senate elections 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 Special State Assembly elections 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 Special
State government (judicial) Court of Appeals elections 1994 1998 2002 2006
Propositions 1910-1919 1911 4 7 8 1960-1969 1964 14 1970-1979 1972 11 17 1978 8 13 Briggs Initiative 1980-1989 1982 8 1986 64 65 1988 98 99 1990-1999 1996 196 209 215 218 1998 6 10 227 2000-2009 2000 21 22 36 39 2003 53 54 2004 1A 55 56 57 58 59 60 60A 61 62 63 64 65 66 69 71 2005 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 2006 81 82 83 85 87 89 90 2008 91 92 93 94, 95, 96, and 97 98 and 99 1A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 2009 13 1A 1B 1C 1D 1E 1F 2010-2019 2010 13 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 2012 29 30 32 34 37 38 39 Full list
Elections by year State elections Nov 1992 Nov 1994 Nov 1996 Nov 1998 Nov 2000 Nov 2002 Nov 2004 Nov 2005 Nov 2006 Feb 2008 Jun 2008 Nov 2008 May 2009 Jun 2010 Nov 2010 Jun 2012 Nov 2012
Los Angeles Mayoral elections 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1909 (M) 1909 (N) 1911 1913 1915 1917 1919 1921 1923 1925 1929 1933 1937 1938 1941 1945 1949 1953 1957 1961 1965 1969 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 General elections 2009 2011 2013 City Attorney elections 2009
San Diego Mayoral elections 2004 2005 2008 2012 City Council elections 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012
San Francisco Mayoral elections 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 Board of Supervisors elections 1977 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 General elections Mar 2004 Nov 2004 Nov 2005 Jun 2006 Nov 2006 Nov 2007 Feb 2008 Jun 2008 Nov 2008 Nov 2009 Jun 2010 Nov 2010 Nov 2011 Jun 2012 Nov 2012
v t e

Elections in California are held to fill various local, state and federal seats. In California, regular elections are held every even year (such as 2006 and 2008); however, some seats have terms of office that are longer than two years, so not every seat is on the ballot in every election. Special elections may be held to fill vacancies at other points in time. Recall elections can also be held. Additionally, statewide initiatives, legislative referrals and referenda may be on the ballot.

Elected offices [edit]

Federal [edit]

President [edit]

Every four years (since 1792), the United States holds an indirect election for President and Vice President. In such elections, voters cast their votes for a slate of representatives (electors) who have pledged to cast their votes for a particular presidential and vice presidential candidate (a ticket) in the Electoral College. During the election, the voters of the state select the slate of electors on the ballot by voting for the ticket that they are pledged to. The slate of electors pledged to the ticket with the most votes statewide gets to vote in the Electoral College. Although, the electors are not obligated to vote for the candidates they are pledged to, they usually do. The number of electors the state is allocated is equal to the number representatives in Congress that the state has (the members in the House of Representatives, plus the two senators).

Senate [edit]

House of Representatives [edit]

State [edit]

California has a gubernatorial election every four years and, in 2003, it had a recall election. Primary elections were held in March or June until 2008, when they were held in February. General elections, which cover state-wide issues, are held in November. On a county-by-county basis, elections also cover municipal issues. In addition, a special election can occur at any time.

Political parties [edit]

There are six qualified political parties:^[1]

• American Independent Party
• Democratic Party (see also California Democratic Party)
• Green Party (see also Green Party of California)
• Libertarian Party (see also Libertarian Party of California)
• Peace and Freedom Party
• Republican Party (see also California Republican Party)

Due to the first-past-the-post electoral system used in California, only the Democratic Party and Republican Party currently have representation in the State Legislature. However, Audie Bock, a member of the Green Party, was elected in 1999 during what is known as special election musical chairs.

Local elections in California at the county and city level are officially non-partisan and political party affiliations are not included on local election ballots.

Future elections [edit]

• November 4, 2014: California gubernatorial election, 2014

Past elections [edit]

See lists on the side for past election results.

Election law in California [edit]

See also [edit]

• Elections in the United States
• Electoral reform in California
• Government of California
• List of California ballot propositions
• List of California Governors
• Political party strength in California
• Politics of California
• U.S. Congressional Delegations from California

References [edit]

Bibliography [edit]

• California Secretary of State - On-Line Lists of Candidates
• JoinCalifornia - California Election Statistics

External links [edit]

• California Elections and Voter Information from the California Secretary of State official website
  • Official Voter Information Guide
• California at Ballotpedia
• California Election Statistics One Voter Project
• Elections Information California Voter Foundation

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