It is the big one. The Golden State. When you talk about california electoral votes 2024, you are talking about the single largest prize on the American map, even if the result felt like a foregone conclusion to most of the country.
People think they know how California works. They assume it is just a giant blue block that automatically lands in the Democratic column the second the clock strikes 8:00 p.m. on election night. Honestly, they aren't entirely wrong about the outcome, but the "how" and the "why" behind those 54 votes is a lot more interesting than just a color on a map.
The Magic Number: Why 54?
California is still the heavyweight champion of the Electoral College. For the 2024 cycle, the state held 54 electoral votes. If you are doing the math at home, that is basically 10% of the 538 total votes available nationwide.
Wait. Did the number go down?
Yes. Actually, it did. For decades, California’s influence only went up, but the 2020 Census changed the trajectory. Because population growth in other states—think Texas or Florida—outpaced the Golden State, California actually lost a seat in the House of Representatives for the first time in its history.
So, instead of the 55 votes it had in 2020, we saw 54 this time around. That is one for each of the 52 Congressional districts, plus two for the state’s U.S. Senators. Even with that "loss," it still dwarfs every other state. Texas is the closest runner-up, and they are still trailing significantly behind.
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Who Walked Away With the Prize?
Kamala Harris took all 54 of the california electoral votes 2024.
She didn't just win; she dominated the popular vote in a way that made the Electoral College tally a certainty. According to certified data from the California Secretary of State and major trackers like NPR and the Associated Press, Harris pulled in 9,276,179 votes. That is about 58.5% of the total.
Donald Trump, on the other hand, grabbed 6,081,697 votes, or roughly 38.3%.
While the 20-point gap is massive, it’s actually a bit tighter than 2020. Back then, Joe Biden won the state by over 29 points. It’s a subtle shift, but it shows that even in the deepest blue strongholds, the ground can move a little.
The Winner-Take-All Reality
California uses a "winner-take-all" system. This is where a lot of people get frustrated.
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Basically, if you win by one vote or five million votes, you get all 54 electoral votes. There is no splitting them up like they do in Maine or Nebraska. If you are a Republican in Kern County or a Democrat in San Francisco, your vote helps decide who gets the whole bucket, but it doesn't "proportionalize" the outcome.
This is why you don't see presidential candidates spending millions on TV ads in Los Angeles in October. They already know where those 54 votes are going. Instead, they treat California like an ATM—visiting for high-dollar fundraisers—before flying back to Pennsylvania or Michigan where the votes are still "up for grabs."
A Closer Look at the Counties
While the state is blue, it is not a monolith. Not even close. If you look at the 2024 map, you see a familiar coastal vs. inland divide:
- Los Angeles County: Predictably, a powerhouse for Harris with 64.8% of the vote.
- San Francisco: The blue heart, giving Harris over 80%.
- Riverside and San Bernardino: These were much tighter. In fact, Trump actually flipped several areas or kept them razor-thin, winning Riverside by about 1% and San Bernardino by roughly 2%.
- The Central Valley: This remains a GOP stronghold. In Kern County, Trump dominated with over 59% of the vote.
Who Are the Electors, Anyway?
We talk about "votes," but we are actually talking about people.
On December 17, 2024, fifty-four real human beings met in Sacramento to officially cast those ballots. These aren't just random people pulled off the street. Each party picks its own slate of electors.
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For the Democrats, the electors are often chosen by the party’s congressional nominees. They are usually activists, local leaders, or long-time party loyalists. They have one job: show up and vote for the person the state picked.
There is always talk about "faithless electors"—people who go rogue and vote for someone else. California has laws to prevent this, essentially requiring electors to vote for the candidate they are pledged to. In 2024, there were no surprises. All 54 votes went exactly where the popular vote said they should go.
Why These Votes Still Drive National Strategy
You might think 54 votes in a "safe" state don't matter for strategy. You'd be wrong.
The sheer volume of california electoral votes 2024 means the Democratic nominee starts the race with 20% of the 270 votes they need to win the White House. It is a massive "floor." It allows the Democratic party to focus almost all their resources on just five or six "swing" states.
If California were ever to move to a proportional system, the entire landscape of American politics would vanish overnight. Republicans would suddenly have a reason to campaign in San Diego, and Democrats would have to defend their turf in the Bay Area. But for now, the winner-take-all system keeps California as the undisputed, if somewhat predictable, heavyweight of the election.
Actionable Insights for the Next Cycle
If you're watching how these numbers affect the future, keep an eye on these three things:
- Redistricting and 2030: Watch the population shifts. If California continues to see people moving to Idaho, Texas, or Arizona, that 54 number might drop again after the 2030 Census.
- The "Inland Shift": Pay attention to the margins in the Inland Empire (Riverside/San Bernardino). If the GOP continues to make small gains there, the "Super Blue" status of California might start to look a little more purple around the edges, even if the electoral votes don't move yet.
- Voter Turnout: In 2024, turnout was around 71% of registered voters. When that number drops, it usually hurts the party in power. High turnout is the lifeblood of California's massive electoral hauls.
To stay ahead of how these shifts impact the next map, you can track official registration data through the California Secretary of State's website or use tools like the Cook Political Report to see how individual districts are trending long before the next presidential primary.