Proposition 14, the top-two ballot measure, has been passed in California with 53.8% “Yes”. This changes their primary election into an open general and thus makes the general election effectively a run-off between the top two primary candidates, regardless of their party. Third party candidates will be completely shut out by Republicans and Democrats and write-in votes will no longer be counted.
California now has the most restrictive general election ballot access in the nation. Even Georgia always has three candidates on the November ballot for statewide office. Even Oklahoma typically has three candidates on the November ballot for Congress, as does North Carolina. Even Washington state will sometimes count write-ins. California now has a general election ballot (for partisan office other than President) that compares with Ohio’s general election ballot between 1949 and 1967…no one on the November ballot but Democrats and Republicans, no write-ins counted. We know top-two works this way because that is how it worked in Washington state in 2008.