2016 Election: Results
This is not a HOLY CRAP WHAT JUST HAPPENED post. This is not a HOW ARE WE GOING TO SURVIVE post. This is simply a recap of my 2016 Ballot post, with results and some commentary. For more post-election reaction, see the entire rest of the Internet.
Sources: California Secretary of State; San Mateo County Registrar of Voters
Candidates
President and Vice-President: ❌ Do I have to say it? I voted Clinton/Kaine. I’m frightened for our future. I intend to do whatever I can to resist and fight what comes out of Washington for the next four years.
United States Senator: Kamala Harris. ✅
United States Representative, 14th Cong. District: Jackie Speier. ✅
California State Senate, District 13: Jerry Hill. ✅
Member of the State Assembly, 24th Assembly District: Marc Berman. ✅
Judge of the Superior Court, Office №7: Sean Dabel. ✅
Ravenswood City School District, Members, Governing Board: Marielena Gaona-Mendoza. ✅
City of East Palo Alto, Members, City Council (3): Carlos Romero, Lisa Yarbrough-Gauthier, Larry James Moody. ✅
Statewide Ballot Measures
Prop. 51 — Bonds for School Facilities: YES. ✅
Prop. 52 — Private Hospital Fees for Medi-Cal: YES. ✅
Prop. 53 — Public Vote on Revenue Bonds: NO. ✅
Prop. 54 — Changes to the Legislative Process: YES. ❌ I ended up voting NO on this because I couldn’t decide whether it was a good idea or not, and my general bias toward ballot initiative measures is negative. I guess we’ll have to wait and see how it’s applied in practice.
Prop. 55 — Extend Tax on High Income: YES. ✅
Prop. 56 — Tobacco Tax: YES. ✅
Prop. 57 — Parole, Sentencing and Court Procedures: YES. ✅
Prop. 58 — English Language Education: YES. ✅
Prop. 59 — Political Spending Advisory Question: YES. ✅
Prop. 60 — Condoms in Adult Films: NO. ✅
Prop. 61 — Prescription Drug Costs: YES. ❌ Passed by the barest majority. Will it work? Will it be immediately enjoined, or the subject of multiple lawsuits? Who can say.
Prop. 62 — Repealing the Death Penalty: YES. ✅ I’m so proud of us, California. This was a good call.
Prop. 63 — Gun and Ammunition Sales: YES. ✅
Prop. 64 — Making Recreational Marijuana Legal: YES. ✅ See Prop 62, above.
Prop. 65 — Money from Carry-Out Bags: YES. ❌ But see Prop 67 below.
Prop. 66 — Death Penalty Court Procedures: NO. ✅
Prop. 67 — Plastic Bag Ban: YES. ✅ Both of the plastic bag measures passed (proving that many people didn’t bother reading or understanding what they were voting for) but 67 passed by over 35% while 65 barely scraped up 5.6%. I believe the rules for opposing measures state that if they both pass, the one with the greater margin prevails.
County / City Ballot Measures
Measure K: YES. ✅
Measure J: YES. ✅
Measure O: YES. ✅
Measure P: YES. ✅
If not for the Presidential result, I’d be pretty happy with this election — at least from a California perspective. But we can’t ignore the top of the ticket, and it’s going to be very important to mobilize and be ready for 2018 / 2020. Get involved.
