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Big-money campaigns led to a victory for rideshare companies in California and a defeat for car companies in Massachusetts, where some of the most high-spending ballot initiative efforts of the 2020 general election prevailed. 

About $200 million was spent California to urge voters to permanently classify app-based rideshare and delivery drivers as independent contractors. That campaign was backed by Uber Technologies Inc., Lyft Inc., DoorDash Inc., and other gig economy platforms.

Across the country, national car parts chains AutoZone Inc. and Advance Auto Parts Inc. succeeded in passing a Massachusetts measure that allows any car repair shop—rather than just dealerships—access to an automobile’s diagnostic platform. That includes access to data typically transmitted wirelessly from cars to the dealership (Question 1).

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Ventura County not only had record registration numbers for this election, but also headed into the Election Day with high early turnout.

Back in 2016, the county had received just over 145,000 ballots before the election, according to Miranda Nobriga, spokeswoman for the elections division. This year, 320,498, or 64%, were returned by mail or dropped off by Tuesday.

"So more than twice as many," Nobriga said. "Ventura County voters, they got the message loud and clear to return their ballots early."

Big numbers of early returns were reported throughout California as election offices sent mail-in ballots to all registered voters for the first time. It was one of the changes made because of the coronavirus pandemic in the state.

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If you were looking for the best advice on how to spend the hours after the polls close on election night, here’s the best we have to offer: Go do something else.

Turn off your TV, close your computer, put away your phone. Now go for a walk. Bake a dessert with your family. Take up knitting. Pop a few melatonin and go to sleep early. Do anything but spend the remaining dark hours of Nov. 3 ping-ponging through the cable news channels, doom scrolling on Twitter and watching the New York Times’ dreaded needle (or CalMatters’ own California election results tracker) for any sign of what the will of the people will hold.

But you are not looking for the best advice on how to spend tonight. We know this because you’re reading an article called “A user’s guide to California’s election night results.”

Election Day has finally arrived. Tens of millions of Americans will head to the polls to vote for either Republican incumbent President Donald Trump or Democrat Joe Biden. Nearly 100 million American voters have already cast early ballots but election officials are saying that days or weeks could pass before we know the winner of the presidential election. Today on Insight, Election Day, what you need to know, and what’s at stake. (Full Audio)