With the national headline swallowing up all of my brain’s oxygen, I missed finding out about nearly everything else I had voted for (or against) in the California/Oakland election.

While I have a solid record of doing voting homework each election, I have been less consistent in processing the results afterwards. Tonight’s thing was catching myself back up.

As expected, Adam Schiff won both full and partial Senate terms left by Dianne Feinstein (held this past year by Laphonza Butler). In the House, the race was called by AP only Friday night for Lateefah Simon to assume the seat left behind by Barbara Lee.*

What was not expected (by me, although polling saw it coming) was the defeat of Proposition 6, which would have ended involuntary servitude for the incarcerated. Nearly every part of California quietly** believes in the 13th Amendment’s carveout providing for the continued enslavement of our disproportionately non-white prison population.

Prop. 6 Results by County (Via NYT)

Attempts to raise the minimum wage (Prop 32) and expand cities’ freedom to enact rent control (Prop 33) both failed, but the initiative to scrub the anti-marriage legacy of Proposition 8 from California’s constitution succeeded.

Vote counting in Oakland has been frustratingly slow, but the recalls of Oakland mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County DA Pamela Price look to both pass. (I find myself deeply ambivalent about the premise of recalls, and voted No on both.) All three local measures (MM, NN, OO) are on track to pass. I’m fine with our State Assembly member Mia Bonta serving another term, and with former Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin as our district’s newest State Senator.

My city council member Janani Ramachandran (District 4) was not up for re-election, but I cast five ranked-choice votes for an at-large council seat. While the race has not been called, the two candidates remaining are Rowena Brown (my 3rd choice) and LeRonne Armstrong (my 4th). My preferred candidate for City Attorney is trailing, but the leading candidate seems fine! Often in the Bay Area we’re choosing between multiple credible options.

Prop 34 this year was confusing and weird—a seemingly plain-language, common sense law that analysts suggest is written to punish a single organization. That this legislative sleight-of-hand might win suggests reasons to review California’s long-standing direct-to-voter initiative process. (Reflecting on the tradeoffs of direct versus representative democracy can wait for another night.)

Pacing one’s self

It will be challenging to sustain anything approaching this length on a nightly cadence.

I felt emotional saying goodbye to the boy tonight, and am grieving slightly that we did not take a picture together this week. (He’ll be home for Thanksgiving soon.)

All of the @#$%ing things

Night 3: Deactivated my X account
Night 2: Contributed to my local nonprofit newsroom
Night 1: Started by starting

_{*Lee has been my congresswoman for nearly 20 years, having served 26 years total. In that time the District number has changed, from 9 to 13 to 12.
**In the California state Election Guide, no one in the pro-slavery coalition felt brave enough to submit a paid argument against abolition.}

_{Words, sorts, and thinks by Chris Ereneta, from Oakland, California. Thoughtful feedback and questions are welcomed at that.often@gmail.com}