They’re called Veterans Treatment Courts, a little-known part of the judicial system that deals specifically with military veterans crippled by stress, drugs and the memories of war. The specialized courts can be found around the country. But only 12 of California’s 58 counties have this service for veterans.
California supporters of Bernie Sanders attend a rally. (Photo: Joseph Sohm)CA120: Sanders has been stronger in states like California with “open” primaries — those that allow non-Democrats voters to cast a ballot. California Democrats allow voters not registered with any other political party to vote in their primary. But the question is this: In what numbers will these non-partisans vote? Can Sanders surf this wave of support to a victory in California? The answer, according to our data, is probably not.
A vendor hawking buttons, stickers at the Callfornia Republican Party convention. (Photo: Serla Rusli)Judy DeVries was in her car when she heard the surprise news that Ted Cruz had selected Carly Fiorina as his running mate. She knew immediately what she had to do. “We’re like ‘Oh my goodness, we have a VP,” she said. “We need to make buttons!”
Republican presidential contender Ted Cruz at the California GOP convention. (Photo: Jeff Chiu/Associated Press)At the top of the glistening white staircase leading to the hotel mezzanine, the amiable, white-haired activist was handing out “Cruz for President” stickers. “I’ve been scoffed at and scorned,” he said. “It was fun.”
Republican presidential contender Donald Trump at an event in Nevada. (Photo: Joseph Sohm, via Shutterstock)Donald Trump brings his brash and boisterous Republican campaign for president to the Golden State this week. The New York billionaire and GOP frontrunner is Friday’s keynote speaker at the California Republican Party Convention south of San Francisco. When Trump arrives, he’ll bring his well-documented and checkered relationship with the truth.
An election-season shirt and tag. (Photo: IQConcept,via Shutterstock)It’s the most important election you’ve never heard of: On Sunday, thousands of Democrats across California will go to scattered voting places – libraries, community centers, meeting halls – to choose presidential delegates for the national convention this summer in Philadelphia.
A California ballot box. (Photo illustration, Hafakot, via Shutterstock)California’s fledgling top-two voting system, which creates an open primary for all statewide candidates, could prove costly to Democrats in liberal districts while rewarding Republicans who lose. In heavily liberal areas in Northern California, voters could be presented with the choice of two Democrats and no Republicans in the general election.
Newly installed Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon talks to reporters. (Photo: Speaker's office)New Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon doesn’t believe the emergence of a less-liberal, more pro-business wing of his big Democratic caucus is going to set off a high-visibility war among Democrats. “I don’t know if the party has ever been monolithic,” Rendon said in a telephone interview. “We’ve always been a big-tent party, with a diversity of viewpoints reflecting the diversity of California.”
Voters casting ballots in Ventura County during an earlier election. (Photo: Joseph Sohm, Shutterstock)As we enter the June primary, we have an electorate that has been seen in polling to be more energized and with a desire to vote more commonly in general elections. The last time we had anything close to this kind of engagement was during the 2008 presidential primary. Since then, we have seen a 35% growth in No Party Preference registrations and an 88% spike in the number of Permanent Absentee Voters. In total, the population of non-partisan voters who get their ballots by mail has nearly tripled.
Voters and potential voters at a political rally. (Photo: Joseph Sohm, via Shutterstock)Overall, voter registration has skyrocketed in the first months of 2016. There have been over 850,000 registrations in the months between January 1 and March 31. This is twice as much as was registered during the same period in 2012. It even exceeds the total new registrations in the months leading up to the 2008 Primary, albeit that was a February primary, so much of the registration window was dominated by the fall and winter holidays.