Associate Justice Joshua Groban held 70.7% yes votes statewide in unofficial returns from his California Supreme Court retention election, with 4,348,533 yes votes and 1,799,166 no votes as of 8:08 a.m. PT on Wednesday, Nov. 4, according to Nacionale, citing CityHallPass and the California Secretary of State.

All 23,860 precincts had reported at that point, but precincts reporting is not the same as all ballots counted. The Secretary of State's count was marked as still continuing, Nacionale reported.

No call from the Associated Press or a major television network had been made for the Groban retention race as of the afternoon of Nov. 4, Nacionale reported. A retention vote requires a simple majority of yes votes for the justice to keep the seat, according to the California courts' retention elections page. No one runs against the justice.

The Ark, a Marin County newspaper, reported Nov. 4 that Groban won retention to a new 12-year term with 72.1% yes statewide. That figure appears to reflect a different Secretary of State update than the 8:08 a.m. count. Both figures are unofficial and will change as counting continues.

LA County returns unavailable

The LA County Registrar's results page showed its election night tally in progress when checked during research, but specific vote totals for the Groban retention contest could not be retrieved from the site. The text-results page was blocked by a security layer at the time of research.

What this means for Santa Monica

Because Supreme Court justices hold statewide offices, every California voter weighs in on retention, according to the California courts. The court reviews appellate rulings, takes up major unsettled questions of state law and reviews all death sentences, KPBS reported. Its decisions bind every other state court.

Who is Joshua Groban?

Former Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Groban to the Supreme Court in 2018 to complete a retired justice's term, according to CalMatters. The State Bar rated him "exceptionally well qualified" at the time of his confirmation, according to the state's Official Voter Information Guide.

Before joining the bench, Groban served as a senior advisor to Brown from 2011 to 2018. He previously practiced law at Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP and at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. He earned his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1998 and his undergraduate degree from Stanford University in 1995.

Groban was retained by voters in 2022 with 68.0% yes statewide, according to CityHallPass. That vote covered the remainder of his predecessor's term. This Nov. 3 vote is for a full 12-year term, CityHallPass reported.

There appears to be no formal opposition to Groban's retention, according to LAist. Associate Justice Kelli M. Evans, the other justice on the ballot, held 71.4% yes statewide in the same 8:08 a.m. count, with 4,380,187 yes and 1,752,274 no, Nacionale reported. A political action committee funded by the Peace Officers Research Association of California launched a "No On Kelli Evans" effort late in the cycle, LAist reported, but no similar campaign targeted Groban.

What happens next

Counties have until Nov. 10 to receive mail ballots postmarked by Election Day, according to the Secretary of State. Ballots continue to be counted during the official canvass period. Counties must complete final official results by Dec. 3, and the Secretary of State will certify statewide results on Dec. 11.

Residents can track updated returns at results.lavote.gov for LA County and at electionresults.sos.ca.gov for statewide totals.