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California General Election
Plain-language summaries of local measures and all 14 statewide propositions, based on official county, city, and Secretary of State sources. Campaign claims are labeled as such. SimpleCity does not recommend how to vote.
Local races
Charter amendment that updates Charter language to match how some departments operate, changes some processes (for example, approving legal settlements by resolution instead of ordinance), and eliminates, combines or moves some commissions and advisory bodies from the Charter into the Municipal Code.
Charter amendment that authorizes, but does not require, the City to create a municipal finance corporation that makes loans (but takes no deposits) if the City has sufficient funding.
Charter amendment that changes how the City's yearly contribution to the Housing Trust Fund is set: starting in 2028 it would grow until it reaches at least $125 million a year, then rise up to 3% a year.
Charter amendment that raises the signatures needed for a citizen initiative from 2% to 8% of registered voters (about 10,600 to about 42,500 today) and for calling a special election on an ordinance from 10% of votes cast for Mayor (about 39,000) to 10% of registered voters (about 53,100).
Charter amendment that gives the City Administrator exclusive authority to propose purchasing and contracting ordinances (the Board and Mayor could approve or reject them within 60 days, but not amend them; ordinances not acted on in 60 days take effect) and to set citywide purchasing and technology rules; the Board keeps its authority over purchasing rules mainly about wages, workplace safety, local business and labor agreements.
Charter amendment that lets the Mayor transfer responsibilities between most departments or combine them under one head unless the Board objects, hire deputy mayors to supervise most Charter departments, and hire some and fire most department heads without commission involvement.
Initiative ordinance that would close Sunset Dunes Park from Monday 4:00 a.m. to Friday 6:00 p.m. (except weekday holidays) and reopen the Upper Great Highway between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard to private vehicles during those hours.
Creates an annual parcel tax from July 1, 2027 to June 30, 2042, used only for Muni service, estimated at $177 million a year.
Splits the transfer tax on real estate sales of $10 million or more in half: the general tax drops (5.5% to 2.75% for $10-25 million; 6% to 3% for $25 million+) and an equal new tax is dedicated only to affordable housing, so total rates stay at 5.5%-6%.
Starting March 1, 2027, properties such as commercial, industrial and large residential buildings that are transferred to a lender through foreclosure (or to avoid it) would pay the transfer tax (0.5% to 6%) on their full market value, instead of the current partial exemption.
Bay Area sales tax for 14 years: 1% in San Francisco and 0.5% in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, raising about $980 million a year.
The measures and races on your ballot depend on your address. See your sample ballot at San Francisco Department of Elections
The state would borrow $11.25 billion for affordable housing: multifamily rental housing, mortgages for veterans, supportive housing, preserving existing affordable homes, and down-payment help.
Creates a state program, funded by up to $25 billion in bonds, that lends buyers up to 17% of the price of a newly built home priced below about $1.5 million.
Changes the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for many housing, transportation, water, and health projects.
Props 40, 41, and 42 are connected. Prop 40 is a tax on wealth whose revenue is exempt from the state spending limit. Props 41 and 42 each cancel taxes passed after January 1, 2026 that have those features, so the Yes on 40 campaign opposes them as attempts to undo Prop 40. Supporters of 41 and 42 describe them as accountability and protection for savings.
Changes the rules so the state builds bigger budget reserves for downturns and keeps making extra debt payments for longer.
Higher income tax rates on people earning over about $371,000 (adjusted for inflation) have been in place since 2012 and are set to expire in 2031.
A one-time tax of 5% of wealth on certain taxpayers with assets over $1 billion, with the money going mainly to health care.
The State Auditor would review programs funded by proposed special taxes before they reach the ballot, and keep reviewing programs funded by new special taxes.
Bans any new state tax on owning personal property (anything other than real estate, including financial assets) and any new state tax that applies retroactively.
Starting January 1, 2027, local special taxes that voters put on the ballot by petition would need two-thirds approval instead of a simple majority.
Lifts California's ban on state and local governments offering public money to candidates' campaigns.
Recall ballots would no longer ask voters who should replace the official.
In-person voters would have to show government-issued ID.
The state would borrow $8.4 billion for immunology and immunotherapy research: half to a single University of California-affiliated nonprofit research institute, and half to research grants.
Penalizes nonprofit community health centers (clinics serving medically underserved areas) that spend less than 90% of their revenue on "program services," including but not limited to patient care.
Read the full text, analysis, and arguments in the Official Voter Information Guide
