Proposition 1 Opponents Concede Narrow Defeat On Ballot Measure

Sacramento, CA — 6.7 million Californians weighed in on Proposition 1 and it leads by only 22,000 votes.

With election offices across the state now mostly completed with the counting process, the opponents are conceding defeat.

Proposition 1 is an overhaul of the state’s Behavioral Health Services Act and was pushed by Governor Gavin Newsom to address the state’s rising homelessness crisis. It will put more of an emphasis on housing and reduce local flexibility to spend the money on some other current behavioral health programs. The measure was opposed by some counties, including the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors.

The group Californians Against Prop 1 released a statement, noting, “We almost took down the bear, but it looks like we will fall short. Today, as the principal opponents of Proposition 1, we concede that it is almost certain to pass.”

The vote count is currently 50.2% in favor and 49.8% opposed.

In Tuolumne and Calaveras Counties, only 35% were in favor and 65% were opposed.