Biden Did Not Get Benefit of Buttigieg and Klobuchar Dropping Out In CA

[TomCADem]

A lot of California counties have switched to voting centers, which allow early voting 10 days before the election, and every voter in many counties are provided with a vote by mail ballot. Thus, by the time Buttigieg and Klobuchar dropped out, a lot of ballots had already been cast. Heck, a lot of ballots were cast for Bloomberg before his disastrous debate performance in February, since vote by mail ballots had already been distributed.

While I think California's expanded vote centers and vote by mail increases turnout, it means that a lot of votes will be baked in more than 10 days before the election.

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/3/3/21162814/early-voting-california-klobuchar-buttigieg-dropped-out

What happens to the thousands of early votes cast for candidates who have dropped out

California has a lot of people who already cast ballots by mail

California will award a total of 415 delegates for candidates. With so many delegates in play, every vote matters in the state. There is no provision under state law by which voters can change their already-cast votes, and attempting to vote again on Election Day would be illegal. A lot of wasted ballots on candidates who have already dropped out could make a massive difference in the delegate race, especially if one or two contenders fall just short of the 15 percent viability threshold.

California has increasingly encouraged mail-in ballots, a system which has been shown to boost voter turnout, but could also delay vote counting for days or even weeks. Voters in the state have until midnight on election day to mail in their ballots, as long as it is postmarked on or before election day.

In the 2018 midterm statewide primaries, 67 percent of all votes cast in California were done so by mail.

[AlexSFCA]

1. totally, I voted for Pete days ago

no doubt would have voted Joe today so is my many friends who voted for Pete. Who knew things can dramatically change overnight.

[TomCADem]

3. One of my relatives had voted for Bloomberg before his first debate

For all of Bernie's complaints about the "establishment," he has been benefited by Bloomberg taking votes away from Biden, as well as Buttigieg and Klobuchar taking away left of center votes from Biden.

Also, at this point, I don't think you have too many folks who are undecided between Bernie and Warren. Warren was supportive of President Obama's efforts to protect consumers and was his nominee to lead the Consumer Protection Agency. Bernie, on the other hand, has made a name for himself by attacking Democrats.

Finally, given how Bernie's campaign has gone scorched earth on Warren in the past, it is not a safe assumption that Bernie is the second choice for most of Warren's supporters.

Personally, I would have loved to see Warren win the Democratic nomination. She is a progressive and she would a be a candidate who could unify the Democratic party against Trump. But, if she is not going to get the nomination, then I would strongly and enthusiastically support Biden.

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/3/3/21161869/elizabeth-warren-super-tuesday-bernie-sanders-biden-drop-out

What Warren deciding to stay in the race means isn’t as clear-cut as you might think — voters aren’t super-ideological, and Sanders isn’t all of her supporters’ second choice, nor are all the Buttigieg and Klobuchar backers going to go to Biden.

“Possibly the biggest beneficiary of Pete and Amy suspending their campaigns is Elizabeth Warren,” said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which backs Warren. “She, in general, was people’s first or second choice, but she was also particularly Amy and Pete [voters’] second choice.”

Warren spent the closing weeks of the campaign casting herself as the unity candidate that can bring together the progressive and moderate wings of the party.

[Demsrule86]

2. The same day vote was great for Biden...it seems.. voters still in line.

[dhill926]

4. glad I waited until today....

was a tough choice....but Biden by a nose over Warren.