California ballot measures
November 3, 2026 statewide ballot guide for California. 14 statewide measures.
14 statewide measures.
Complete statewide November roster identified from the official election guide or certified measure directory. Local measures are excluded.
- Proposition 1 — Housing bonds
Would authorize $11.25 billion in bonds: $10 billion for affordable housing, homebuyer assistance, infrastructure and related programs, plus $1.25 billion for veterans’ home loans. Veterans’ loan repayments would cover that portion; general revenues would repay the other borrowing.
- Proposition 2 — Rainy-day reserves and debt payments
Would raise the reserve target to 20%, increase deposits in strong revenue years and extend extra debt payments through 2040 while broadening their uses. Certain reserve deposits would count against the spending limit when withdrawn rather than when deposited.
- Proposition 3 — Make high-income tax rates permanent
Would make the temporary higher rates permanent. The 2025 thresholds start at about $371,000 for single filers,$742,000 for joint filers and $505,000 for heads of household, adjusted annually. Revenue supports education and makes other General Fund resources available for health and other services.
- Proposition 4 — Public campaign financing
Would let state and local governments create public campaign-financing programs. Candidates would need to meet eligibility and spending rules; education, transportation and public-safety funds could not be used. It also triples the maximum foreign-contribution fine. It does not itself create a financing program.
- Proposition 5 — Recall election vacancies
Would remove the replacement-candidate question. Vacancies would instead follow appointment or later-election procedures. The lieutenant governor would succeed a recalled governor, with a later election required for certain early-term vacancies; a recalled officer could run in that later election.
- Proposition 37 — Loans for buyers of new homes
Would authorize up to $25 billion in revenue bonds for loans covering up to 17% of a qualifying new home’s price. Buyers must contribute at least 3%, meet residency and income rules and occupy the home. Borrower payments cover bonds and administration. An optional builder pathway combines labor standards with different construction-defect rules.
- Proposition 38 — Immunology research bonds
Would authorize $8.4 billion in bonds, split between a qualifying UC-affiliated nonprofit institute and competitive grants. At least half supports cancer, heart-disease and Alzheimer’s research. It requires reporting, state revenue sharing and generally a 20% California discount on resulting treatments.
- Proposition 39 — Voter identification and citizenship verification
Would require government-issued ID in person and the last four digits of a designated government ID number on mail-ballot envelopes. It also requires free voter-ID cards, citizenship-verification efforts and reports, and regular compliance audits. Legislative action would supply implementation details.
- Proposition 40 — One-time wealth tax
Would tax certain taxpayers with covered assets over $1 billion at up to 5%, based on California residency on January 1,2026. Real estate and some pensions and retirement accounts are excluded. Ninety percent of revenue supports health care; the remainder supports food assistance, education and administration, outside specified constitutional budget requirements.
- Proposition 41 — Special-tax audits and spending limits
Would prohibit new state taxes that exclude revenue from the spending limit. It requires pre-election audits after a citizen tax proposal reaches 25% of required signatures, plus four-year audits of programs receiving new or increased special taxes enacted after January 1,2026.
- Proposition 42 — Restrictions on personal-property and retroactive taxes
Would bar new state taxes on ownership of personal property, including financial assets, and certain taxes based on conduct or status predating their effective date. The restrictions apply to taxes enacted or taking effect from January 1,2026.
- Proposition 43 — Approval threshold for local special-tax initiatives
Would require two-thirds approval for local special taxes proposed through voter petitions, including new taxes, increases and extensions. It would apply to measures approved after January 1,2027.
- Proposition 44 — Community-clinic spending requirements
Would require covered nonprofit federally qualified health centers to spend 90% of revenue on program services advancing their charitable purpose. Shortfalls trigger monetary penalties, potentially refunded after compliance within five years. It allows exceptional waivers, state guidance and criminal charges for false reporting or artificial inflation of the ratio.
- Proposition 45 — Environmental review of designated projects
Would offer new review procedures for designated housing, infrastructure, health, education, clean-energy and other projects. It imposes tighter deadlines, changes alternative analysis and tribal consultation, limits comment periods and narrows court review and remedies. Applicants could choose the new or existing process.