California Props and LA County Measures 2026, Explained Simply
Props (propositions) and measures are questions you answer Yes or No. Here is what each one would do, in plain words.
Statewide propositions
On every ballot in CaliforniaBorrow $11.25 billion for affordable housing, help for first-time buyers, and veterans’ housing.
Let the state save more money in its rainy day fund.
Make higher income tax rates on the richest Californians permanent.
Allow public money to help pay for election campaigns.
Change what happens after a state official is recalled.
Borrow up to $25 billion for loans to help middle-income families buy homes.
Borrow $8.4 billion for medical research on the immune system.
Require ID to vote in person and ID numbers on mail ballots.
A one-time tax on people with more than $1 billion, for health care, food help, and schools.
Block new state taxes that skip the state spending limit, and require audits of new special taxes.
Ban new state taxes on personal property, like business shares or savings.
Make it harder for voter-started local tax measures to pass (two-thirds instead of half).
Make some community clinics spend at least 90% of their money on patient services.
Put time limits on environmental reviews and lawsuits for some building projects.
LA County measures
On every ballot in LA CountyBan strikes by some county public safety workers and set up binding arbitration instead.
Give the county’s new ethics office more independence and power to investigate and fine.
City of Los Angeles measures
Only if you live in the City of LAExempt Palisades Fire home sellers from the city’s “mansion tax” for five years.
Change how the city budgets and plans and manages public works projects and contracts.
Replace seven area planning commissions with one citywide appeals commission.
More oversight of police and fire, bigger campaign finance penalties, fewer required council meetings.
Slowly double the city’s minimum funding for parks, without raising taxes.
Change how the airport, harbor, and water and power departments operate.
Simplify campaign money rules for LA school board elections.
Raise the city sales tax by half a cent to pay for the Fire Department.
Judges: Yes or No
You vote to keep each judge or notKelli M. Evans and Joshua Groban.
Michelle C. Kim, Gregory J. Weingart, Steve Goorvitch, Anne Richardson, Rashida A. Adams, Mark Hanasono, Helen Zukin, Audra M. Mori, Nicholas Daum, Armen Tamzarian, Brian M. Hoffstadt, Tari L. Cody, Kenneth R. Yegan, Gonzalo C. Martinez, Natalie Stone, John Wiley, Matthew A. Scherb and Victor G. Viramontes.
These are short summaries. Read the full wording in your official voter guide before you vote. Other cities and school districts may have their own measures too.
Read the State Voter Guide