Election Day is over, but the excitement is far from over.

Voting went relatively smoothly, as election officials across California reported they were confident in counting votes despite minor technical problems. A new poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies found that only 14% of Californians planned to vote in person on Tuesday, while more Republicans (22%) planned to do so.

To avoid the violent clashes that occurred in 2020 after former President Donald Trump challenged the election results, security at polling stations was increased, including through the use of metal detectors and bomb-sniffing dogs.

Trump was declared the winner at 2:38 a.m. today, likely setting off another clash with California's Democratic leaders.

Let's look at some election results in California:

Proposal 36 applies: The measure to increase penalties for certain drug and theft crimes — and essentially roll back parts of Prop. 47, which voters approved in 2014 — passed with a comfortable majority. Supporters of the tougher crime measure say it will help curb the state's drug crisis and reduce retail thefts. “By supporting Proposition 36, (voters) said yes to treatment. They said yes to accountability. And they said yes to putting common sense over partisanship,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said in a statement.

More election props: Voters also approved Proposition 3, which would enshrine same-sex marriage in the state constitution; and Proposition 35, to secure revenue from a tax on health insurance plans for low-income patients. However, they rejected Proposition 33, which would give cities more power to enforce rent controls.

Schiff wins US Senate: Representative Adam Schiff defeated Steve Garvey and will sit in the Senate alongside his Democratic colleague Alex Padilla. When Schiff is sworn in, it will be the first time in three decades that California will not have a female U.S. senator.

Schiff praised his role in leading Trump's first impeachment trial, while Garvey failed to become the first statewide elected Republican since 2006. By the end of October, more than $85 million had flowed into this race, making it the ninth most expensive U.S. Senate race of this general election.

• ShipIn his victory speech Tuesday night, he said, “I am committed to standing up for every Californian. I am committed to taking on the great fights to protect our freedoms and our democracy. California will continue to be at the forefront of progress, the bulwark of democracy, the champion of innovation and the protector of our rights and freedoms.”

But most races are still too close to decide. (Save this page for the latest results from all major California competitions.)

These include congressional races that could help determine which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as other nationwide voting measures.

About two million students are enrolled in public colleges and universities in California, and many of them voted. In addition to the presidential race, a handful of national proposals and issues such as the Gaza war and climate change are top of mind for these students.

For a snapshot, CalMatters' College Journalism Network spoke with seven people about the election, their biggest concerns and why they voted.

• Aadi Mehta from Cal Poly Pomona on electing Trump: “We need someone who has the experience to be tough, someone who has already proven they have done a good job on these critical issues.”

• Yasmine Dmeiri from UC Davis on the choice of Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein: “I am quite frustrated as both of the party's main candidates support the genocide of my people. … My vote almost always depends on California voting blue. I feel like if I had lived in a swing state it would have been a different story.”

• Yana Ross from Santa Rosa Junior College in support of the $10 billion climate bond: “Prop. 4 supports collaboration with tribes and Cal Fire. It is committed to conserving drinking water, conducting good land management practices and management, addressing sea level rise, and helping some wetlands that contribute to sea level rise.”

Read more about what other California college students had to say about the election. And watch our videos on the topic of coordination with students and high school students.

California's wildfire season exploded in July — particularly with the park fire near Chico that burned nearly 430,000 acres — but has been relatively inactive of late.

That could change this week: Forecasters are issuing a rare extreme warning (“red flag warning “particularly dangerous situation”) in Southern California through Friday. Blame it on Santa Ana winds, which could reach speeds of 80 miles per hour in Los Angeles and Ventura counties and 100 miles per hour at higher elevations starting today.

(The fire threat led to power outages that caused some polling stations to close.)

Already this year, nearly 7,300 fires have burned more than 1 million acres of land and destroyed or damaged more than 1,700 structures, although miraculously there has been only one fatality, according to Cal Fire.

Check out CalMatters' wildfire tracker for live updates on active fires, frequently asked questions and other information. And learn more about wildfires in our updated explainer.