11/18/2004: Cheer up—the power is in your hands

11/3/2004: In Democratic Presidential Candidate John Kerry's speech at 11am today, he conceded defeat in the Presidential race, before the provisional ballots in Ohio had all been counted. Bush gave his acceptance speech at 12pm. Aside from planned actions, people are assessing "what went wrong," as a seemingly unprecedented in size progressive mobilization was met by an apparently stronger conservative voter movement and turnout. One Indybay reader's assessment Protests planned for today continued in spite of an afternoon rainstorm.

Statewide Propositions: In California, Measure 66, which would have limited the three strikes law, was not voted in, although it had appeared to be approved in the evening of November 2nd. Statement by author of Prop 66. Measure 69, which would collect DNA samples from all felons, and from adults and juveniles arrested for or charged with specified crimes, and put that information into a statewide database, was approved by the voters. Prop. 67 was voted down- it would have allowed for increased funding for emergency medical services and training through a small tax on telephone use. Both measures related to taxing Indian casinos were rejected. The voters did support Prop. 71, which will establish an institute in California to regulate legalized stem cell research and provide funding, through grants and loans, for such research and research facilities. All of the California proposition results Barbara Boxer was re-elected to the Senate. Other statewide election results

Locally, medical marijuana was an important issue: measure Z in Oakland was passed and the result for Measure R in Berkeley is apparently going to depend on the absentee ballots. Read more Measure Q, which would have decriminalized prostitution in Berkeley, did not win. Oakland's Measure Y, in spite of months of people mobilizing against more money for police, was passed, perhaps in part due to a bus stop adveritising campaign. SF Supervisor Candidate Robert Haaland won national attention because he was one of several transgender candidates He was the runner-up after Ross Mirkarimi. Marin County voted to ban genetically-engineered crops. SF Election Results | SFBG election blog reports on SF Supervisor Election | Berkeley Election Results | All Alameda County Results | Santa Clara County | San Mateo County | Marin County

In Oregon, voters rejected a medical marijuana initiative. Anti-gay marriage amendments passed in 11 states.