Californians took to the polls on Nov. 8 to vote on 17 initiatives, deciding on proposed laws ranging from recreational marijuana use to the death penalty to a plastic bag ban. It was the fullest ballot California voters had faced in 16 years, and the results were diverse.
The state saw nearly 10 million ballots cast as of press time—showing a 51.2 percent registered voter turnout, according to statistics from the secretary of state’s office. Santa Barbara County voters turned out at a 55.1 percent rate as of press time, compared to final results from the 2012 general election showing the county with a 59.68 percent voter turnout rate.
The people have spoken, and the results are in. Here’s what happened with some of the hot-button issues you saw on this year’s ballot, with statistics from the Associated Press:
Tobacco tax (Proposition 56): Pass
This initiative increases taxes on tobacco and e-cigarettes by $2 per pack. The funding goes toward health care for low-income Californians, and the proposition passed with a 63 percent vote.
Parole for nonviolent felons (Proposition 57): Pass
Proposition 57 increases chances for parole and good behavior credits for felons convicted of nonviolent crimes. It also places the decision of whether to try certain juveniles as adults in the hands of judges, rather than prosecutors. This initiative passed with a 64 percent vote.
Bilingual education (Proposition 58): Pass
This initiative repeals the requirement for English-only education for English learning students, allowing schools to utilize bilingual education programs. It passed with a 72 percent vote.
Ammunition background checks (Proposition 63): Pass
Prop 63 requires background checks for those purchasing firearm ammunition, and prohibits the possession of large-capacity magazines. The initiative also requires individuals and businesses to obtain a one-year license from the state in order to sell ammunition. It passed with a 63 percent vote.
Recreational marijuana (Proposition 64): Pass
This legislation legalizes the recreational use of marijuana in California for adults ages 21 and over. It passed with a 56 percent vote.
Expedited death penalty (Proposition 66): Pass
This year’s ballot saw two death penalty initiatives: One aiming to ban it, and the other aiming to speed up its process. Proposition 66 is the latter, and it passed with a 51 percent vote. Under this legislation, legal challenges to death sentences cannot take longer than five years.
Plastic bag ban (Proposition 67): Pass
We also saw two plastic bag-related propositions, one which would have reallocated funds from selling single-use plastic bags, and the other proposing a ban on them altogether. The latter, Proposition 67, passed with a 52 percent vote.
This article appears in Nov 10-17, 2016.