Comparing Election Results: What to Look for in California's 2020 Congressional Races'

In the upcoming election, California voters will head to the polls to choose their representatives in Congress. To help make sense of the results, The New York Times has created a series of maps and charts that provide a detailed look at the vote totals across the state.

One key thing to note is that our maps exclude places where third-party candidates won more than 5 percent of the vote. This is because those areas are often too small or too scattered to have a significant impact on the overall outcome.

The Associated Press also provides estimates for the share of votes reported, which can be useful in races where The Times does not publish its own estimates. These estimates are based on historic turnout data and reporting from results providers.

Some of the most closely watched races this year include the contests between Reps. Katie Porter (D-CA) and Scott Baugh (R-CA), Michelle Steel (R-CA) and Jay Chen (D-CA), Ken Calvert (R-CA) and Will Rollins (D-CA), Mike Garcia (R-CA) and Christy Smith (D-CA), and David Valadao (R-CA) and Rudy Salas (D-CA).

Rep. Porter, a powerhouse fund-raiser and popular figure on the activist left, is facing off against former Republican leader Scott Baugh in a newly drawn district that leans slightly Democratic.

In another closely watched race, Rep. Steel, a freshman Republican from Southern California, will take on Democrat Jay Chen, a Navy reservist, in a district that has been redrawn to include Palm Springs and its sizable L.G.B.T.Q. community.

Rep. Calvert, a 30-year incumbent Republican, is facing off against former federal prosecutor Will Rollins in a desert district that was once a Republican stronghold but could now swing either way.

Meanwhile, Rep. Mike Garcia will face Christy Smith, a former Democratic state legislator, for the third time in their ongoing battle for representation in Congress.

In other races, Rep. Valadao, one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald J. Trump, is facing off against five-term Democratic assemblyman Rudy Salas in a strongly Democratic district.

Overall, these elections are expected to be closely contested and could have significant implications for the balance of power in Congress. By following our maps and charts, voters can get a better sense of what's at stake in each race and make informed decisions about who they want to represent them in Washington.

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