The dust has finally settled. If you’ve spent any time looking at the California ballot results 2024, you probably noticed something weird. For a state that people usually paint as a deep-blue monolith, the actual numbers tell a much messier, more complicated story. Voters didn't just walk in and check "yes" on every progressive dream.
Honestly, it was a bit of a bloodbath for some long-held liberal hopes.
While Kamala Harris handily took the state with about 58.5% of the vote, the real drama was buried in the fine print of the ten statewide propositions. We saw a massive swing toward "tough on crime" policies and a surprising rejection of a higher minimum wage. It’s like Californians looked at their grocery bills and the headlines about retail theft and decided they'd had enough.
The Prop 36 Landslide: Crime and Punishment are Back
If there is one thing you need to know about the California ballot results 2024, it’s that Proposition 36 didn't just pass; it crushed.
We’re talking about a 68.4% "yes" vote. That is a staggering margin. Basically, Prop 36 undoes some of the big reforms from 2014 (Prop 47) by turning shoplifting and certain drug possession charges back into felonies for repeat offenders.
People are tired of seeing "smash-and-grabs" on the news. Even though Governor Gavin Newsom and several high-profile Democrats campaigned against it, claiming it would lead to mass incarceration again, the voters weren't listening. They were looking at the $950 threshold for theft and saying, "No more." Now, if you have two prior convictions for theft, that third one—even if it's under $950—can be a felony.
This shift wasn't just in conservative pockets like Riverside or San Bernardino. It was everywhere. Even in San Francisco and Los Angeles, the appetite for stricter enforcement won out over the reform-minded arguments.
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Why Prop 32 and Prop 33 Both Failed (The "I'm Broke" Vote)
This is where it gets really interesting. For the first time in basically forever, California voters said "no" to a statewide minimum wage increase.
Proposition 32, which would have bumped the minimum wage to $18 an hour, was narrowly defeated with 50.7% of the vote. Why? Well, it seems folks are scared of more inflation. The "No on 32" campaign successfully argued that higher wages would lead to even higher prices for fast food and groceries. Since fast food workers just got a bump to $20 through separate legislation, voters were likely feeling a bit of "wage-increase fatigue."
Then there was Proposition 33. This was the third time in six years that we've voted on expanding rent control. And for the third time, it failed miserably, getting only about 40% support.
The measure would have repealed the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, giving cities more power to freeze rents. But the opposition—heavily funded by the California Apartment Association—poured over $100 million into ads. They convinced enough people that rent control would actually stop new housing from being built.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for renters, but the data shows that Californians are currently more afraid of "stalling growth" than they are of their current landlords.
Marriage Equality and the Big Bonds
It wasn't all a shift to the right, though. Proposition 3 passed with over 62% support. This was mostly a symbolic move, but a big one. It officially stripped the "zombie" language from the state constitution that said marriage is only between a man and a woman (leftovers from Prop 8 in 2008).
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With the current U.S. Supreme Court looking the way it does, voters wanted a "firewall" for same-sex marriage in the state constitution.
We also saw the state get a lot more comfortable with debt. Both major bond measures passed:
- Proposition 2: $10 billion for K-12 schools and community college repairs.
- Proposition 4: $10 billion for "climate resilience" (safe water, wildfire prevention, and clean energy).
It's kind of a paradox. Voters rejected the $18 minimum wage because they’re worried about costs, yet they approved $20 billion in new bonds that will eventually be paid back with interest from the General Fund.
The "Involuntary Servitude" Confusion
One of the biggest surprises in the California ballot results 2024 was the failure of Proposition 6.
This measure was designed to ban "involuntary servitude" in state prisons—basically, it would have stopped the state from forcing incarcerated people to work. It failed with 53% of voters saying "no."
Experts like those at the Presley Center of Crime & Justice Studies think the wording was just too confusing. Most people didn't realize that the California Constitution still allows for forced labor as a form of punishment. Opponents also raised fears that it would cost taxpayers billions if the state had to pay prisoners a full minimum wage for things like cooking and cleaning inside the walls.
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Health Care and the Targeted Attack
Proposition 34 was probably the most "inside baseball" measure on the ballot. It passed narrowly (50.9%).
On the surface, it’s about making sure 98% of certain drug program revenues go to "direct patient care." In reality, it was a laser-targeted strike by the California Apartment Association against the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF).
The AHF has been the primary funder of those rent control measures (like Prop 33) that landlords hate. Because the AHF fits the very specific criteria in Prop 34—spending over $100 million on non-patient care things while also owning apartment buildings with health violations—they are now severely restricted in how they can use their money. It was a political grudge match disguised as health care reform, and the landlords won.
Proposition 35, on the other hand, was a massive win for doctors and hospitals. It permanently authorized a tax on "managed care organizations" (think Kaiser or Anthem) and mandates that the money stays in the Medi-Cal system rather than being diverted to the General Fund. It passed with 67.9% of the vote.
What This Means for You Next
The 2024 results show a California that is fiscally nervous but still socially liberal. The shift toward Prop 36 indicates that the era of "unconditional criminal justice reform" is likely over for a while. If you're looking to understand the next steps for the state, keep an eye on these three areas:
- Court Challenges: Expect the AIDS Healthcare Foundation to fight Prop 34 in court immediately, claiming it's an unconstitutional "bill of attainder" (a law that targets one specific group).
- Implementation of Prop 36: Local District Attorneys will now have more leverage. If you live in a county with a conservative DA, expect to see felony filings for retail theft skyrocket by late 2025.
- Local Bonds: Since Proposition 5 failed (which would have lowered the threshold for local bonds to 55%), your local city or county still needs a two-thirds "supermajority" to pass new housing bonds. This means your property taxes might stay stable, but that affordable housing project down the street just got a lot harder to fund.
For anyone trying to keep track of their local school or park improvements, check your specific county auditor's website. Since Props 2 and 4 passed, billions will start flowing into "shovel-ready" projects by the 2026 fiscal year.