Voters: Yes on Prop 99, No on Prop 98

Yesterday, voters in California said that they support curbs on the authority of public entities to use eminent domain, but that they want to keep rent control rules in place.

The decision is a blow to landlords and others who supported Proposition 98. The ballot measure would have phased out rent control not just in apartments, but also in mobile home parks across the state. Prop 98 wasn’t just defeated — it only got a “yes” from 39 percent of voters.

Proposition 99 passed with 62.5 percent of ballots cast. Moreover, only Colusa County voters rejected the measure.

There were some trends in turnout against 98. In Yolo County, where Woodland has passed a strong set of protections for renters in mobile home parks, 98 got 30.7 percent of votes while 99 got 57.1 percent.

In large urban areas, it was much the same story. Alameda (30.4 for 98, 66.7 for 99), Los Angeles (31.5 for 98, 63.6 for 99), and most notably San Francisco (25.3 for 98, 71.3 for 99) all split heavily against dropping rent control while still supporting eminent domain restrictions.

Just as we live in a country of blue and red states, California’s counties diverged on the measures in ways that show great geographic linkages. Inland counties were much more likely to support 98.

The only county with a coast that voted in favor of 98 was Del Norte, and by a slim 51 percent margin.

If both measures had earned more than half of all votes, as was possible, then the measure with more votes would have been enacted.