Has Californias progressive facade been shattered beyond repair?

When a September poll signaled that California voters were ready to approve a tough-on-crime ballot initiative that reversed decade-old criminal justice reforms, Gov.Gavin Newsom claimed to be surprised.“I was wondering what state I’m living in,” he told reporters.

He’s living in a state that isn’t nearly as deep blue as it seems.The November election results revealed the Golden State to be red with a fringe of blue and splotches of purple.If that sounds more like a bruise than a map, it captures the mood of the electorate very well.Battered by some of the nation’s highest taxes, utility bills, gasoline prices, housing costs, insurance rates, and grocery receipts — and suffering from public policies that seem to encourage crime, drug use, homeless encampments, and business departures — California’s residents are fed up.

And took their frustrations to the voting booth.On Nov.5, voters in and around Vice President Kamala Harris’ hometown of Oakland threw out Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price in separate recall elections.

In Los Angeles County, voters ejected hyper-progressive District Attorney George Gascón.Both cities are suffering from surges in crime and homelessness.In San Francisco, voters tossed Mayor London Breed by a 13-point margin and replaced her with a more moderate Democrat, Daniel Lurie, who vowed to end the “perception that lawlessness is an acceptable part of life.”Some Californians suspect that lawlessness may have infected the state’s elections.

A week after the polls closed, only about 80% of the vote had been counted.What takes so long?The Golden State takes a particularly expansive-yet-labor-intensive approach to voting.The California Code of Regulations, Section 20991, requires counties to accept mail ballots for seven days after Election Day.

No postmark is required as long as “the voter has dated the vote-by-mail ballot identification envelope or the envelope otherwise indicates...