Elections in California

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.

After Kamala Harris was elected as Vice President in 2020, Padilla was appointed to serve the remainder of her term.

There is no limit to the number of terms that a senator may serve so long as they continue to be elected to the position via statewide vote.

General elections, which cover statewide issues, continue to be held in November.

Effective January 1, 2018, all of California's cities, K-12 school districts, community college districts and special districts will have to move their election dates to a statewide election (primary or general) held during an even-numbered year due to the passage of Senate Bill 415 (California Voter Participation Rights Act), which was approved by the California Senate and Assembly and signed by the Governor in 2015.

Starting in 2020, the presidential primary will move to March which also include the U.S. House of Representatives, California State Senate and Assembly and County Boards of Supervisors.

Pursuant to Proposition 14 (2010), California uses a nonpartisan blanket primary for "voter-nominated" offices, which include:[7] In this system voters may vote for any candidate in the primary and the top two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the general election.

[7] Candidates may qualify in one of two ways: by payment of a fee, or by the collection of registered voters' signatures on an in-lieu-of-filing-fee petition.

[8] A ballot proposition is a proposed law that is submitted to the electorate for approval in a direct vote (or plebiscite).

A ballot proposition may be proposed by the State Legislature or by a petition signed by members of the public under the initiative system.

In California a vote on a measure referred to voters by the legislature is a mandatory referendum; a vote to veto a law that has already been adopted by the legislature is an optional referendum or "people's veto"; the process of proposing laws by petition is the initiative.