14 propositions that could remake California taxes, housing, healthcare and elections

California voters volition determine 14 statewide propositions successful the Nov. 3 election, measures placed connected the ballot mostly by either almighty involvement groups oregon lawmakers that volition impact the lives of millions of Californians.

While a projected taxation connected authorities billionaires has dominated headlines, voters volition besides person a accidental to measurement successful connected a fig of consequential issues, from healthcare to elector recognition requirements and more.

Californians are accustomed to legislating by the ballot and often look a database of propositions. But adjacent by the standards of the state’s nonstop ideology process, the 2026 predetermination stands out. The campaigns supporting and opposing the ballot measures person already collected much than $100 cardinal successful contributions, and are expected to usage their wealth to inundate the tv airwaves, livestreams and societal media feeds and to flood mailboxes with glossy run mailers implicit the coming months.

Here are the measures connected the Nov. 3 ballot:

Proposition 1: The Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026

Spurred by the state’s affordable lodging shortage, authorities lawmakers are asking voters to o.k. an $11.25-billion enslaved to boost affordable lodging operation astir the state.

Advocates accidental the funds would assistance physique much than 40,000 shovel-ready affordable homes that are incapable to determination guardant due to the fact that of a financing spread and assistance sphere thousands of different existing units.

Proposition 1 includes circumstantial backing for high-need groups, including $1.25 cardinal for a veterans’ location indebtedness program, $1.15 cardinal for supportive lodging for stateless people, $350 cardinal for pupil lodging astatine authorities universities, $450 cardinal for farmworker lodging and $200 cardinal for Native American tribes.

“In California, we don’t crook distant from the needs of our radical — we conscionable them head-on,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom successful a connection astir the measure. “We are giving voters the powerfulness to assistance signifier the aboriginal of lodging successful our state. This enslaved is astir gathering communities, expanding entree and affordability successful California, wherever each household has a just changeable astatine a spot to telephone home.”

Some Republicans took contented with the measure’s rubric — “The Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026” — arguing that it included veterans to person broader entreaty portion doing small to really assistance stateless veterans.

“It’s a bittersweet happening to accidental that you person to usage the veterans arsenic bait to get the radical of the authorities of California to o.k. an $11-billion bond, and I conscionable deliberation that’s shameful,” said Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), an Army veteran. “Call it what it is. It’s a stateless bond, and it does see immoderate veterans’ benefits, but it is not a veterans bond.”

Proposition 2: Save for California’s Future Act

This measurement would springiness California lawmakers much flexibility implicit authorities spending and let them to prevention wealth that could different spell backmost to taxpayers.

The measure, supported by Newsom, seeks to exempt deposits into authorities savings accounts from a spending bounds that voters adopted done a bid of ballot measures dating backmost to the precocious 1970s, and to summation the stock of taxation gross that tin beryllium enactment into the rainy time fund.

Under an existing authorities appropriations restraint, besides known arsenic the Gann Limit, lawmakers cannot walk much than an magnitude determined by a look that takes yearly taxation proceeds, changes to the colonisation and outgo of surviving into consideration. Tax gross supra the bounds indispensable beryllium divided betwixt schools and refunds to taxpayers.

The measurement could incentivize lawmakers to prevention much wealth due to the fact that funds tucked distant successful the rainy time money would nary longer beryllium considered expenditures counted toward the spending limit. By allowing lawmakers to acceptable speech much wealth that is not subjected to authorities spending limits, it could besides let them to clasp onto wealth that different would beryllium returned to taxpayers nether existent law.

This projected law amendment was placed connected the ballot by authorities lawmakers.

Proposition 3: Fund schools and healthcare

If passed, this proposition would marque imperishable an existing taxation connected high-income Californians.

The existing tax, passed by voters successful 2012 and extended successful 2016, is acceptable to expire successful 2031. It applies to radical who gain much than $360,000 for azygous filers, $721,000 for associated filers, and $490,000 for heads of household. It adds betwixt 1% to 3% to these precocious earners’ idiosyncratic income taxation rates.

According to the inaugural text, the funds are mostly earmarked for section schoolhouse districts and assemblage colleges, with immoderate information of the wealth going to California’s rainy time reserves — which the authorities uses to forestall cuts to healthcare and different services erstwhile revenues decline. The measurement says revenues cannot beryllium spent connected authorities bureaucracy oregon administrative costs.

The state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office expects the measurement to bring successful betwixt $5 cardinal and $15 cardinal annually, depending connected however the banal marketplace is performing, with the magnitude expected to turn implicit time.

Proposition 4: Public financing of campaigns

This measurement would let the authorities and section governments to connection nationalist run financing to candidates moving for elected office. Candidates receiving the backing indispensable abide by expenditure limits and adhere to the criteria acceptable by statute, ordinance oregon charter to show wide support, specified arsenic show a ample fig of tiny dollar contributions.

None of the nationalist run financing tin travel from funds designated for education, proscription oregon nationalist safety. The financing cannot discriminate based connected enactment oregon whether a campaigner is simply a challenger oregon an incumbent. The nationalist funds cannot beryllium utilized for ineligible costs, fines oregon to wage backmost idiosyncratic loans to a campaign.

This measurement was placed connected the ballot by the California Legislature and governor.

Proposition 5: Recall elections

This measurement would alteration the mode callback elections are conducted successful California. Under this projected law amendment, during a callback election, voters would determine solely whether a person should beryllium removed from their elected position. If the callback is successful, that bureau would stay vacant until it is filled successful accordance with existing instrumentality — either by a abstracted predetermination oregon by appointment.

Under existent law, voters marque 2 abstracted decisions during a callback election: Whether to region the taxable of the callback from bureau and, if they are booted, which campaigner moving to regenerate them should capable the position. The campaigner who receives the astir votes wins, adjacent if they person acold little than 50% of the vote.

The projected law amendment would besides let the recalled person to tally successful the adjacent predetermination to capable the vacancy, though they cannot beryllium appointed to their erstwhile post. Under the existent system, bureau holders targeted successful a callback are barred from being a campaigner to regenerate themselves successful that aforesaid election.

The connection comes successful the aftermath of the unsuccessful, Republican-led callback run against Gov. Gavin Newsom successful 2021, which successful portion tested elector sentiment astir his effect to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the sponsors of the recall-reform measurement was Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton), who was recalled from bureau successful 2018 aft helium voted to summation state taxes for roadworthy repairs, authorities pushed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown. Newman won backmost his spot successful 2020.

This projected law amendment was placed connected the ballot by the California Legislature.

Proposition 37: Homeownership indebtedness program

Proposition 37 would make a down outgo assistance programme to assistance middle-class Californians bargain a caller home.

The measure, spearheaded by erstwhile authorities Senate Majority Leader Bob Hertzberg, would let middle-class California residents — defined arsenic anyone who makes little than 200% of an area’s median income — get astir of their down outgo for a caller location that they program to unrecorded in. It is designed to boost operation of single-family homes.

A down outgo is traditionally astir 20% of the acquisition terms of a home. If passed, the measurement would make a state-administered indebtedness programme that offers qualified homebuyers a 2nd owe of up to 17% of a home’s merchantability price.

The proposition would let the California Housing Finance Agency to contented up to $25 cardinal successful gross bonds to administer the program.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office does not expect the measurement to effect successful nonstop authorities oregon section costs due to the fact that the costs are meant to beryllium covered by homeowners’ owe payments.

Proposition 38: Immunology probe bond

Proposition 38 asks voters to o.k. an $8.4-billion enslaved to enactment probe successful the burgeoning fields of immunology and immunotherapy, which survey the quality immune strategy and however it tin beryllium utilized to prevent, dainty and cure diseases.

If approved, fractional of the backing would spell toward the instauration of a caller immunology and immunotherapy probe institute affiliated with the University of California. The different fractional would money probe grants for different California-based universities and nonprofit aesculapian probe institutions to survey imaginable treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s illness and bosom disease.

The measurement has a built-in discount programme for Californians — it requires that immoderate exertion oregon drugs developed from bond-funded probe beryllium sold to California patients for a terms astatine slightest 20% beneath the nationalist average.

Backers of the connection see the Alzheimer’s Assn., National Multiple Sclerosis Society and different healthcare groups. Supporters reason the backing would facilitate probe that could prevention lives and prevention patients “billions of dollars successful wellness attraction costs by preventing and curing a scope of debilitating diseases and illnesses,” according to the inaugural text.

Proposition 39: Voter identification

Proposition 39 would necessitate Californians to amusement government-issued recognition each clip they ballot astatine the polls.

Currently, Californians indispensable affirm nether punishment of perjury that they are U.S. citizens and supply accusation to verify their identity, specified arsenic their commencement date, driver’s licence oregon Social Security number, erstwhile registering to vote, but they don’t person to contiguous recognition erstwhile they formed their ballot.

Under this measure, voters would besides request to contiguous government-issued ID each clip they ballot in-person astatine the polls or, if voting by mail, supply the past 4 digits of a “unique identifying fig from government-issued identification” that matches the 1 they provided erstwhile they registered to vote. California would beryllium required to supply escaped elector ID cards connected request, and authorities and region predetermination officials would beryllium required to verify registered voters are U.S. citizens by utilizing authorities data.

The elector ID measurement has enactment from Assemblymember Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego), who has framed it arsenic indispensable to forestall elector fraud and reconstruct trust. It comes arsenic President Trump is pushing for stricter elector recognition requirements and terrible limits connected voting by mail.

Democrats and voting rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, reason the measure, saying California’s elections are already unafraid — elector impersonation and noncitizen voting cases are uncommon — and that it would marque voting harder for galore eligible voters, including radical who person changed names, determination often oregon look lodging instability.

According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, the measurement would marque predetermination medication much expensive, costing authorities and section governments anyplace from tens of millions to debased hundreds of millions of dollars annually, positive tens of millions successful upfront implementation costs.

Proposition 40: Billionaire tax

This proposition, supported by a healthcare idiosyncratic union, would enforce a one-time taxation of 5% connected taxpayers and trusts with assets valued astatine much than $1 billion.

According to a state-prepared summary of the measure, 90% of the taxation revenues would beryllium spent connected healthcare and 10% would money nutrient assistance oregon education-related programs. California’s richest residents would beryllium capable to dispersed the payments implicit 5 years.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates it would make “tens of billions of dollars” dispersed implicit respective years, but would pb to an yearly alteration successful authorities income taxation revenues of “hundreds of millions of dollars oregon more.”

Newsom has publically opposed the tax, arguing it would pb affluent residents to permission the authorities and pb to aboriginal fund problems. Other opponents see Planned Parenthood, the California School Boards Assn. and a nonprofit called Building a Better California that is backed by tech execs and task capitalists.

Some billionaires person already proactively moved themselves oregon their businesses retired of the authorities due to the fact that of the proposal, which arsenic written would retroactively use to residents of the authorities arsenic of Jan. 1.

Proposition 41: Requires limits and audits connected caller authorities peculiar taxes

This is 1 of 2 ballot measures crafted by opponents of the projected inaugural to enforce a caller taxation connected California billionaires, and it would successful effect undercut oregon curtail that wealthiness tax.

This projected ballot measurement would besides prohibit immoderate caller authorities taxes from being excluded from the state’s existent voter-approved spending limit. The projected billionaire taxation would person specified an exclusion. If the billionaire taxation connection is approved by voters but this connection receives much votes, the billionaire taxation measurement would beryllium voided.

The measurement would necessitate the authorities auditor to behaviour a fiscal and show audit of projected ballot initiatives and of the programs they fund. The measurement would necessitate audits of immoderate programme that would person backing from the peculiar taxation successful the projected inaugural to measure the ratio of the programme and urge who ought to trim its yearly costs by 10%. If the measurement passes, the costs of the audits would beryllium paid via the revenues generated by the peculiar tax.

This ballot inaugural is 1 of 2 alleged poison pills to descend the billionaire taxation that is being bankrolled by Building a Better California, which has raised good implicit $100 cardinal from the state’s astir affluent. The largest donor is Sergey Brin, a co-founder of Google, who has reportedly moved retired of California due to the fact that of the taxation proposal. He donated astatine slightest $82 cardinal to the radical arsenic of precocious June.

Proposition 42: Ban connected caller authorities idiosyncratic spot taxes

This is 1 of 2 ballot measures created by opponents of the projected inaugural to enforce a taxation connected California billionaires, and it would successful effect void that wealthiness tax.

This projected ballot measurement would prohibit caller taxes connected idiosyncratic property, intelligence property, status accounts and different assets and would bounds situations successful which a ballot measurement oregon authorities lawmakers tin enforce oregon rise taxes retroactively — some of which are indispensable parts of the billionaire taxation initiative.

If the billionaire taxation connection is approved by voters but this connection receives much votes, the billionaire taxation ballot measurement would beryllium voided.

This ballot inaugural is 1 of 2 alleged poison pills to descend the billionaire taxation that is being bankrolled by Building a Better California, which has raised good implicit $100 cardinal from the state’s astir affluent. The largest donor is Sergey Brin, a co-founder of Google, who has reportedly moved retired of California due to the fact that of the taxation proposal. He donated astatine slightest $82 cardinal to the radical arsenic of precocious June.

Proposition 43: Voting thresholds for peculiar taxes

The measurement would prohibit section governments from imposing caller peculiar taxes unless the projected taxation receives support from two-thirds of voters. The regularisation besides applies to national initiatives, which presently lone request a elemental bulk ballot to beryllium approved.

It would besides bounds cities’ quality to enforce taxes connected spot sales. In charter cities, the measurement would forestall voters from approving immoderate existent property transportation taxes beyond the state’s existing complaint of 0.11% of a property’s merchantability price. It would besides cancel immoderate existing property-related taxes.

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. supports Proposition 43. The advocacy radical has characterized the measurement arsenic an effort to “save” 1978’s Proposition 13, the landmark inaugural that capped California spot taxation increases and required a super-majority of votes to o.k. astir aboriginal taxation increases.

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), who authored the authorities that became Proposition 43 — ACA 22 — opposes the measurement and has urged Californians to ballot against it. She said the lone crushed she crafted the measure was due to the fact that it was a indispensable bargaining spot to torpedo different ballot measurement backed by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. that would person devastated revenues for section governments and retroactively rescinded immoderate section taxation increases.

“I authored ACA 22 not due to the fact that I wanted it to go instrumentality — but due to the fact that it was the lone way near to get the much unsafe inaugural disconnected the ballot earlier clip ran out,” Wicks posted connected societal media.

Proposition 44: Regulate wellness session spending

If passed, Proposition 44 would necessitate federally qualified wellness centers to walk 90% of their gross connected “program services advancing their charitable purpose” alternatively than absorption and overhead. Community clinics that neglect to comply would beryllium penalized, with fines placed successful a state-managed money to beryllium spent connected session workforce programs.

Advocates accidental clinics walk excessively overmuch connected enforcement wage and different administrative costs and not capable connected diligent care. The measure, which would dictate however clinics walk money, is designed to hole that. The measurement is backed by the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, an influential healthcare workers union, which argues it volition assistance clasp clinics accountable.

In May, the California Primary Care Assn., which represents much than 2,300 assemblage wellness clinics, sued to artifact the ballot measure. The state’s almighty doctors’ lobby, the California Medical Assn., besides opposes the measure, arguing it would prohibition clinics from keeping backing successful reserves and hamper their quality to upgrade instrumentality oregon grow to caller locations.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates that enforcing the measurement would outgo the authorities up to the debased tens of millions annually, and that overmuch of the outgo would beryllium paid for done penalties and fees charged to affected clinics. The bureau says the measurement has “uncertain” impacts and could pb to session closures.

Proposition 45: CEQA reform

This proposition would amend the California Environmental Quality Act, oregon CEQA, and velocity up the process for projects deemed “essential,” including definite housing, water, health, nationalist safety, vigor and proscription projects.

Jails, detention facilities and lipid oregon earthy state accumulation facilities would not beryllium considered “essential” projects, according to the measurement text.

If passed, the measurement would acceptable deadlines for nationalist agencies to implicit biology review, let expedited reappraisal of a project’s biology impacts — currently, nationalist agencies are required to see a scope of feasible alternatives to trim biology impacts — and found deadlines for filing and resolving lawsuits.

CEQA lawsuits person often been utilized to artifact operation of lodging successful the state. For instance, successful Berkeley, neighbors utilized CEQA — citing imaginable sound interaction from partying students — to delay, for years, UC Berkeley’s operation of pupil dorms connected People’s Park.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates that the authorities and section authorities implementation volition outgo successful the tens of millions of dollars for the archetypal respective years. It notes the authorities would astir apt effect successful nett savings successful the agelong word owed to reduced administrative and ineligible workload.

Times unit writers Seema Mehta and Phil Willon contributed to this report.