Santa Clarita was once one of Southern California’s proudest conservative strongholds. Families moved here for safe neighborhoods, excellent schools, and a city that has been managed with fiscal responsibility.
That reputation of conservatism is slipping away — not because residents suddenly woke up progressive, but because Republicans have seemingly stopped voting while Democrats never miss a chance. The final November 2025 ballot count on Proposition 50 is a throat punch to the jugular we cannot ignore:
Prop. 50 passed by 3,166,203 votes, and 3,074,519 registered Republicans never returned their ballot.
Another 4.6 million independents (many of whom lean right in the Santa Clarita Valley) simply stayed home.
In Santa Clarita itself, Republicans in Assembly District 40 here voted, but they only represented 32% of the entire vote. That’s how a once-deep-red valley keeps sliding purple. Thirty-two percent!
As the chairwoman for the Republican Party in this Assembly district, trust me when I say I take no joy in writing this, but it needs to be said.
It’s easy for Republicans to rage at barbecues and online about “stolen elections,” “voter fraud,” “illegal ballot harvesting,” or a “rigged system.” Those claims ring completely hollow when more than 3 million registered Republicans can’t be bothered to mail back a ballot with a single item to vote on.
Unless and until Republicans consistently return 90% or more of their ballots, conspiracy theories and fraud allegations are nothing but a distraction and a coping mechanism. It’s actually harmful in the sense that it causes Republicans to self-rig by giving them an excuse not to vote. These excuses let lazy Republicans blame shadowy forces instead of looking directly in the mirror.
Let’s sum it up and call it for what it is: No conspiracy is required to beat a side that voluntarily sits elections out by not voting.
Like it or not — California is a vote-by-mail state. Democrats treat it like a 30-day sprint; too many Republicans still treat Election Day like the only day that counts. This outdated losing mindset is why we keep losing. The definitive case for voting early — and voting the very moment your ballot arrives — is simple math and proven strategy:
It’s Math: Democrats bank votes for four weeks. We can’t catch up in one day when they’ve already been voting for 30.
Election Day is Too Late: Long lines, closed polling places, family emergencies, rain, or even running out of printer ink have cost us millions of votes. Half a million Californians couldn’t vote in 2016 because of polling-place chaos. George Gascón survived the 2020 primary because conservatives were stuck in line while liberals had already mailed their ballots. And God forbid it rains on Election Day.
Early Momentum Drives Turnout: When high-propensity Republican voters return ballots immediately, it creates visible momentum that pulls low-propensity conservatives off the couch. Democrats have perfected this.
Conserves Resources: Every Republican who “plans to vote on Election Day” but doesn’t, drains phone-bankers, door-knockers, and texts that could have been used on a low-propensity voter who actually needed the nudge. These election day voters also cost campaigns money by forcing continued mailings.
Mail Ballots Build a Firewall: Analysts know exactly how many early Republican votes are needed to make a race “Too Big To Rig.” That’s how Pennsylvania flipped red in 2024.
You Can’t Help Until You’ve Voted: Nothing sounds hollower than urging your neighbor to vote when your own ballot is still on the kitchen counter.
Early Voting Safeguards Against Fraud: Once your ballot is in and tracked, no one can harvest or fake a vote in your name.
Lost Ballots Can Be Cured: BallotTrax lets you fix signature issues or replace a lost ballot weeks before Election Day. If your ballot is rejected on election day, there is no time to fix it.
“Running Out the Clock” Loses Every Time: The long propogated myth that we shouldn’t “tip off the Democrats” by voting early has now cost us six straight cycles. Too Big To Rig CLEARLY wins. Hiding our strength has cost us. It sadly cost us Mike Garcia’s seat in 2024 and it cost us with Prop. 50.
Changing California’s election rules requires us to win first. We MUST play by the rules in front of us, which call for mailing in ballots — not the rules we wish existed. When we win we can change the rules.
Until then, here’s the new unbreakable rule for every Santa Clarita Republican: The instant your ballot hits your mailbox (29 days before Election Day), you have 72 hours to fill it out, sign it, and return it — mail or drop box.
Then go straight to ballottrax.ca.gov and confirm it’s counted. Ten minutes. That’s all it takes to stop handing victories to the left. Imagine Prop. 50 failing by 3 million votes instead of passing by 3 million. Imagine city council seats and school boards flipping because 90% of Republicans finally showed up. No more excuses. No more Election-Day nostalgia that causes us to lose.
And for the love of God — no more conspiracy posts until Republicans are returning 90%-plus of our ballots. Return it within 72 hours. Track it. Bring 10 friends with you. That is THE ONLY WAY to win elections and defeat terrible policy.
Denise Lite is a Santa Clarita resident. “Right Here, Right Now” appears Saturdays and rotates among local Republicans.
