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CalMatters

@CalMatters

Your nonprofit & nonpartisan state newsroom dedicated to explaining how government impacts our lives.

 California, USA
calmatters.org/
Joined November 2014
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Photo by CalMatters (@CalMatters)Photo by CalMatters (@CalMatters)Photo by CalMatters (@CalMatters)Photo by CalMatters (@CalMatters)Photo by CalMatters (@CalMatters)Photo by CalMatters (@CalMatters)Photo by CalMatters (@CalMatters)Photo by CalMatters (@CalMatters)Photo by CalMatters (@CalMatters)Photo by CalMatters (@CalMatters)
Californians are facing decisions on a wide range of topics, including how recall elections are conducted, speeding development by capping environmental reviews, and whether the state should put more money toward housing... cal.news/4A8ArkP 📸 Miguel Gutierrez Jr.
A voter casts their ballot at a polling site in Modoc Hall at the Sacramento State campus in Sacramento on March 5, 2024. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

ALT A voter casts their ballot at a polling site in Modoc Hall at the Sacramento State campus in Sacramento on March 5, 2024. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

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The state of California has agreed to accept $1.4 billion in federal funding to bring broadband internet access to 270,000 people while simultaneously challenging conditions attached to the funding. cal.news/4f8n0sU 📸 Carlos Avila Gonzalez
Gov. Gavin Newsom said California will accept federal broadband funding to close the digital divide despite provisions requiring the state to drop net neutrality rules. Sonic technician Tom Sherrill installs fiber optic cable to a home in Berkeley on March 4, 2019. Photo by Carlos Avila Gonzalez, San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

ALT Gov. Gavin Newsom said California will accept federal broadband funding to close the digital divide despite provisions requiring the state to drop net neutrality rules. Sonic technician Tom Sherrill installs fiber optic cable to a home in Berkeley on March 4, 2019. Photo by Carlos Avila Gonzalez, San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

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Californians are choosing a new insurance commissioner after almost a decade of deadly wildfires that threw the state’s property insurance market into a crisis from which it is still trying to recover. cal.news/4isDRYs 📷 Fred Greaves
From left, insurance commissioner candidates Ben Allen and Jane Kim

ALT From left, insurance commissioner candidates Ben Allen and Jane Kim

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California voters are deciding whether Republicans will hold onto seats they flipped in 2024 and whether business-backed groups can help elect more moderate Democrats. cal.news/4izZbew 📷 Fred Greaves
Lawmakers gather on the Assembly floor during the final days of session at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Aug. 31

ALT Lawmakers gather on the Assembly floor during the final days of session at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Aug. 31

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The race between Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom is one of the most consequential on the ballot. Polls for months have put Becerra ahead of Hilton by double digits. cal.news/3Wm23o3 📷 Fred Greaves and Rahul Lal
From left, gubernatorial candidates Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton

ALT From left, gubernatorial candidates Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton

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Opinion | Eligible voters have a right to show up on Election Day, get registered and cast their ballots. Their votes count the same as yours, mine and everyone else the pollsters have deemed “likely” to vote. cal.news/4BWDJcK 📝 Laura Brill 📷 Larry Valenzuela
Image from CalMatters (@CalMatters)
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If it passes, Proposition 40 would assess a one-time 5% tax on the net worth of the state’s roughly 200 billionaires, targeting their stocks, bonds, business holdings and other valuable personal property. cal.news/4ePkvf1 📷 Manuel Orbegozo
A “Tax the Ultra-Rich Now” bus parked outside the Curran Theater before the start of a "Ballots Over Billionaires" rally in San Francisco on Oct. 3, 2026

ALT A “Tax the Ultra-Rich Now” bus parked outside the Curran Theater before the start of a "Ballots Over Billionaires" rally in San Francisco on Oct. 3, 2026

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CalMatters journalists are covering the election in every corner of the state and we’ll post updates here. Thank you for joining us! cal.news/4iVcTdh 📷 Jae C. Hong, AP
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Your November ballot includes billions of dollars in proposed bonds, including money for immunology research in an effort to find cures for Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease and other ailments. cal.news/4in1Vx3 📷 Larry Valenzuela
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Proposition 2, or the Save for California’s Future Act, aims to shore up the state’s rainy day fund by allowing state leaders to save up to 20% of the state’s general fund tax revenue, up from the current ceiling of 10%. cal.news/4BEbqzu 📷 Miguel Gutierrez Jr.
Gov. Gavin Newsom addresses the media during a press conference unveiling his revised 2026-27 budget proposal at the Capitol Annex Swing Space in Sacramento on May 14, 2026

ALT Gov. Gavin Newsom addresses the media during a press conference unveiling his revised 2026-27 budget proposal at the Capitol Annex Swing Space in Sacramento on May 14, 2026

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California schools, already grappling with declining enrollment and tight budgets, will dodge a steep revenue cut if voters approve Proposition 3. cal.news/4ist8NC 📷 Larry Valenzuela
Students walk through the basketball courts at Sherwood Elementary School in Salinas on Feb. 11, 2025

ALT Students walk through the basketball courts at Sherwood Elementary School in Salinas on Feb. 11, 2025

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California voters will play a key role in determining which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives, and by how much, as voting for the 2026 midterm election concludes Tuesday. cal.news/4zpDMfp 📷 Demetrius Freeman
The U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C, on Jan. 29, 2026

ALT The U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C, on Jan. 29, 2026

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California voters are deciding on Proposition 39, which would require voters to show a government ID, such as a driver’s license, at polling places. cal.news/4kwOETW 📷 Miguel Gutierrez Jr.
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A former staffer for Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco, a Downey Democrat, has sued the lawmaker and her chief of staff, alleging they created a “hostile and abusive” work environment and retaliated against him for complaining about it. cal.news/4eGyiVa 📸 Fred Greaves
Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco talks with other lawmakers during a floor session at the state Capitol in Sacramento on March 23, 2026. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters

ALT Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco talks with other lawmakers during a floor session at the state Capitol in Sacramento on March 23, 2026. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters

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On the eve of Election Day, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a last-minute legal challenge from the Trump administration that would have forced CA to not count over 20,000 ballots that the administration had flagged... cal.news/4zsSeTU 📸 Jae C. Hong, AP
Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, is joined by Erin Burke, left, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations, and San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow during a news conference in Los Angeles on Nov. 2, 2026. Photo by Jae C. Hong, AP Photo

ALT Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, is joined by Erin Burke, left, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations, and San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow during a news conference in Los Angeles on Nov. 2, 2026. Photo by Jae C. Hong, AP Photo

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Some of California’s most populous counties are issuing guidelines restricting the press from documenting Election Day proceedings at polling places in ways that appear to violate state statutes and the First Amendment. cal.news/3UWKOt0 📷 Kirby Lee
A Kern County ballot drop box sign at Cal State Bakersfield, in Bakersfield on Oct. 31, 2020

ALT A Kern County ballot drop box sign at Cal State Bakersfield, in Bakersfield on Oct. 31, 2020

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It happens in close races in almost every major election. Early California returns show Republicans winning or at least faring better than expected. Then, as votes are counted over the following days, the tallies shift. cal.news/4ecfBbI 📷 Jill Connelly
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt talks to Yolanda Gonzalez Vitkoff, left, and Vivian Escalante, right, during a campaign event on in Los Angeles on May 31, 2026

ALT Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt talks to Yolanda Gonzalez Vitkoff, left, and Vivian Escalante, right, during a campaign event on in Los Angeles on May 31, 2026

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A new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September requires colleges and universities to clearly display how students can request additional financial aid if they believe their awarded amount does not sufficiently cover their costs. cal.news/4AtXSFB 📷 Jessica Parga
Student Jackie Cordero in front of McHenry Library at UC Santa Cruz on Oct. 27, 2026. Cordero, a first-generation college student who attends UC Santa Cruz, is currently going through the process of requesting an adjustment to her cost of attendance

ALT Student Jackie Cordero in front of McHenry Library at UC Santa Cruz on Oct. 27, 2026. Cordero, a first-generation college student who attends UC Santa Cruz, is currently going through the process of requesting an adjustment to her cost of attendance

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About half of California’s school board candidates are most likely running unopposed, according to a recent USC report, leaving a dearth of public scrutiny just as enormous changes to K-12 education are underway. cal.news/4ziwkm8 📷 Carlin Stiehl
Students attend class at Woodworth-Monroe K-8 Academy in Inglewood on Nov. 8, 2024

ALT Students attend class at Woodworth-Monroe K-8 Academy in Inglewood on Nov. 8, 2024

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CA counties Election Day rules may block news coverage of voting at polling sites calmatters.org/politics/2026…
Counties' Election Day rules may block news coverage of voting, civil rights groups warn

Counties' Election Day rules may block news coverage of voting, civil rights groups warn

These restrictions potentially stem from recent notices and poll worker training standards from the California secretary of state.

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