Updated: How do Proposition 50 results compare to other recent elections?
This story has been updated to reflect the reported number of ballots left to count according to the Secretary of State’s Office as of Thursday evening.
With about 75% of ballots counted, California voters passed Proposition 50 by a wide margin, but results from the Sacramento region reflect a community split on the measure. While Prop. 50 passed in Sacramento and Yolo counties, the measure was opposed by most voters in Placer, El Dorado, Sutter and Yuba counties.
In the six-county region through Thusrday evening, the number of votes left to count was almost 300,000 — the bulk of which were in Sacramento. County election officials reported to the state that they had 217,443 votes to count after Tuesday night; it’s next update was expected Friday afternoon.
Statewide, nearly 2.7 million ballots and votes, including those of conditional and provisional ballots, have yet to be counted, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. Turnout overall at the state averaged to 50.1%.
Turnout figures for the Sacramento region show the Yes on 50 campaign benefitted from low voter turnout compared to other recent elections. The region saw 30% to 40% fewer ballots cast than in last year’s presidential election, for example. A steep dropoff is always expected in an off-cycle election, but that dropoff was greater than anticipated. An analysis of election data conducted by The Sacramento Bee projected turnout to hover around 60% of registered voters, but no counties in the Sacramento region seem likely to reach that figure.
The 2021 effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom was a similarly controversial off-year election. Because Prop. 50 was framed as a referendum on the governor’s leadership, voters who supported the recall were likely to oppose the Newsom-led redistricting measure. Results from the Sacramento region bear that out: Prop. 50 fared worse in counties that voted to recall Newsom, but voters did not turn out in the same numbers they did in 2021. About 20% to 30% fewer ballots were cast in this election than in the 2021 gubernatorial recall.
The Sacramento region saw lower-than-expected turnout
| County: | 2021 Turnout | 2024 Turnout | 2025 Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Dorado | 71.49% | 84.27% | 65.22% |
| Placer | 72.76% | 82.13% | 62.99% |
| Sacramento | 63.66% | 75.12% | 55.57% |
| Sutter | 61.15% | 73.54% | 54.91% |
| Yolo | 64.21% | 80.06% | 48.98% |
| Yuba | 56.92% | 69.07% | 50.53% |
While turnout figures pale in comparison to other recent elections, results from the Sacramento region parallel both the Newsom recall and the 2024 presidential election. The share of voters that wanted to recall Newsom is within a few percentage points of the share that opposed Prop. 50.
Proposition 50 results mirror 2021 Newsom recall vote
| County: | 2021 Pro-Recall | 2024 Pro-Trump | 2025 Anti-50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Dorado | 59.25% | 54.6% | 57.25% |
| Placer | 57.23% | 52.8% | 55.05% |
| Sacramento | 39.67% | 38.4% | 38.88% |
| Sutter | 63.63% | 64.5% | 63.19% |
| Yolo | 31.74% | 30.1% | 30.90% |
| Yuba | 65.53% | 61.5% | 61.52% |
Around the state, results show the measure fared best in liberal, coastal California and worst in far Northern California, a region that will be dramatically impacted by redistricting. The measure also outperformed expectations in the conservative-leaning Inland Empire.
Although the granular data needed to analyze results by demographics is not yet available, exit polling reflects strong support for Prop. 50. Exit polling conducted by Social Science Research Solutions, a survey and market research firm for the Associated Press and television networks found that for all demographics, most California voters supported Prop. 50. A majority of voters supported the measure across ages, genders, education and income levels, and racial and ethnic demographics, the polling found.
This story was originally published November 5, 2025 at 3:35 PM.
