LIVE UPDATES: CA Races To Watch, What To Know, Where To Vote

UPDATED AT: 5:25 P.M.: An unusual calm swept over vote centers across California Tuesday as more than half of all registered voters cast their ballots prior to Election Day. But Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday afternoon that California was "prepared" and ready for the possibility of civil unrest the evening could bring.

The governor paid a visit to Manny's in the Mission District of San Francisco Tuesday to text hundreds of Pennsylvania voters in a final push to sway voters to elect Joe Biden.

Newsom said that he believes most demonstrations will be "peaceful and "appropriate," but said that state officials were prepared if things got out of control.

Los Angeles Police Department declared a citywide tactical alert ahead of the polls closing at 8 p.m., but not because of any one incident that occurred Tuesday.

Even as businesses across urban centers boarded up their windows, police departments were placed on high alert, and the logistics of pandemic voting rattled poll workers, voters across California mostly reported shorter lines at voting centers.

As the afternoon wore on, there were some signs that the anticipated demonstrations and possible classes were gearing up. Trump supporters gathered to rally in Beverly Hills while Refuse Fascism supporters planned to gather in Downtown Los Angeles for an anti- Trump/Pence protest. The two groups have clashed repeatedly in the weeks during the runup to the election.

The day didn't go off without a hitch. Riverside County responded to reports of long lines by adding additional voting machines to some of its voting centers Tuesday.

There were also some issues centered on voter intimidation or partisan politicking at the polls.

According to the Los Angeles Times, a Trump supporter in Sacramento County attempted to start a pro-Trump chant among voters lined up to vote while also pressuring residents to discard their masks. And Trump supporters in Orange County had to be asked not to bring Trump flags and banners into the voting center because it is illegal to campaign at polling centers.

Original Post: LOS ANGELES, CA — The sun rose on an Election Day where more than half of all registered voters in California had already cast their votes. Two outcomes are almost certain even before the polls open: President Donald Trump will lose California, and voter turnout will set records. In both cases, strong feelings about the president are root causes.

California’s 55 electoral votes may not be up for grabs, but Election Night will hardly be anticlimactic in the Golden State. There are eight competitive U.S. House of Representative races that will determine if the GOP can maintain or build upon its tenuous foothold in California.

Additionally, voters are poised to decide upon 12 statewide measures that would send shockwaves across California. The measures, including the most expensive ballot measure campaign in state history, will determine the future of property taxes and school funding, stem cell research, rent control, and voting rights in California. They’ll aso determine the fate of rideshare companies and app-based drivers, cash bail and criminal justice reform.

SEE ALSO:

• California’s 2020 Propositions Explained
• 8 CA Congressional Races That Could Help Shape The State's Future
• How To Register To Vote Same-Day In CA: It's Not Too Late
• Counting Votes On Election Day: What To Expect In California

The stakes are high, and voters know it.

According to Political Data Inc., 12,087,163 ballots — or 55 percent of all mail-in ballots sent out in California — had already been returned as the clock struck midnight on the eve of the election. About 51 percent of the ballots returned were from registered Democrats and the remainder were evenly split between Republican and independent or other party voters. The statewide trend is consistent with the national trend in that voter turnout is expected to set modern records nationwide Tuesday.

In addition to helping prevent long lines on election night, election officials say voting early will also help speed the process of ballot-counting in California.

If you're still looking for a place to vote in person or to drop off your ballot, there are vote centers open across the state.

Or, if you'd like to score some freebies, be sure to check out: Free Things On Election Day: Restaurant Steals & Deals 2020.

SEE ALSO: Where, How To Vote In Person In California On Election Day

The Registrar of Voters in Los Angeles County, the state’s most populous county, plans to release a tally of all mail ballots received prior to election day within 30 minutes of polls closing at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Shortly after, the ballots cast at early vote centers will be tallied.

As it stands now, according to the USC Dornsife Daybreak Poll released this week, 50% of Republican voters and those who lean Republican plan to vote on election day, compared to 34% of Democrats and Democratic leaners and 48% of independents. Looked at another way, the results indicate that just under half of the voters showing up at the polls on election day will be Republicans, more than a quarter will be Democrats and another one in five will be independents.The result may make for a reversal of historic trends at voting centers with longer lines in conservative communities as opposed to urban centers.

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“More Republicans vote on Election Day, and they tend to be older and more conservative,” said Fred Smoller, a professor of political science at Chapman University. “Democrats tend to vote by mail, creating something called the blue shift because it tends to favor Democrats.”

SEE ALSO: Counting Votes On Election Day: What To Expect In California

According to Smoller, Republican candidates in California often appear to have a larger percent of the vote until mail-in ballots are counted. Such was the case in California’s 21st Congressional District in 2018 when TJ Cox unseated three-term Republican David Valadao. On Election Night, Valadao was ahead by more than 4,000 votes, but he eventually lost his lead and the race as mail-in ballots were tallied in the ensuing days. The two are battling again this year in a fierce rematch.
The race in the 21st District is one of eight Congressional races rated competitive in California by The Cook Political Report.

Allegations of sexual misconduct chased a star freshman Democrat from office in the 25th District, while the Republican congressman in the 50th District is headed to prison for misusing campaign funds. Now, the races to fill both seats are competitive. And despite the political headwinds facing Republicans nationwide and in California, Republicans have a real shot at wrestling back some of the seats that flipped two years ago. Democrats are favored in the polls to retain the House and take the Senate along with 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., but state Republican officials believe 2020 could be a comeback year in California.

In all, California’s 4th, 10th, 21st, 22nd, 25th, 39th, 48th, and50th Congressional Districts are all rated competitive.

The fate of the ballot measures and the outcomes of several Congressional races are likely to be decided on Election Day. However, if the race is tight, Golden State voters will have to settle in and wait days for the final results to be tallied - a common scenario in California elections. Mail-in ballots postmarked by election day will be counted as long as they are received by Nov. 20.
Officials have 30 days after the election to tally all ballots and certify the results.

"On Election Night, we will have a good picture of most contests, but the outcomes of close contests may take days or weeks to settle. This is normal," Secretary of State Alex Padilla said in a statement.

Voters late to the party can still get in on the action with same day registration here. Amid heightened anxiety about mail-in voting and election integrity. Many voters are worried their votes may not be counted. Californians can track their ballots here.

City News Service contributed to this report.