Victory for the Democratic camp was recorded in California, as Governor Gavin Newsom won the referendum and remains in office.
A large majority of voters voted “no” in the referendum organized by his critics to get his revocation, according to the first estimates.
Less than an hour after the polls closed (20:00 local time, 06:00 today Greek time), “no” garnered about two-thirds of the vote after counting more than 60% of the ballots, according to CNN and NBC.
With such a lead, the two television networks estimate that Democrat Gavin Newsom will remain governor of the most populous state in the United States and will complete his term.
Some 9 million voters had already cast their ballots before the polls opened, allowing the first screening to be announced quickly.
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The outcome of the vote is a victory for Governor Gavin Newsom, who has been hit by the coronavirus crisis and health measures he has taken to contain the pandemic, but also for the entire Democratic camp.
Indicative of the national dimension of this referendum in a state that could be the world’s fifth largest economy, President Joe Biden traveled to California on Monday to support Newsom to pass this first post-election test. His election last year to the White House.
This vote “says ‘yes’ to what we love, Californians,” Gavin Newsom said when these first results were announced. “As a state, we said yes to science, yes to vaccines, yes to the end of the pandemic, yes to the right to vote without fear of false accusations of fraud,” the governor said.
Allegations of fraud by Republican candidates
As Donald Trump had done, many Republican candidates hoping to take over the presidency had begun to question the election and denounce electoral fraud before the vote even ended, a strategy that has become commonplace in the Conservative military.
Favorite in case of winning “yes”, the super-conservative radio presenter Larry Elder had launched a website on Monday, calling on his fans to report any irregularities they found in order to preserve the “integrity” of the vote.
The 69-year-old African-American, however, admitted the victory of his “opponent”. “We recognize that we lost the battle, but we will definitely win the war,” he told supporters gathered in Orange County, some of whom wore the red “Make America Great Again” hats worn by Donald Trump supporters.
How the referendum was provoked
Using an article in the California Constitution, disgruntled citizens – who were quickly “embraced” by the Republican Party – had succeeded in holding this recall vote, which allows a governor to be recalled beyond any electoral timetable. 1.5 million signatures.
Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online.
Opponents of the referendum saw it as a Republican maneuver to take the lead in a democratic state, which they could not win by a classic vote.
Caitlin Jenner did not succeed
Voters had to choose from 46 candidates, the vast majority of Democrats, including Larry Elder, transgender Caitlin Jenner, best known for her role in the Kardashian family, and many other more or less serious candidates.
The cost of the referendum is estimated at almost $ 280 million by the authorities.
Eighteen years ago, a similar vote allowed Arnold Schwarzenegger to win California by ousting its then-Democratic governor.
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