California is unique in the US in that citizens who collect enough signatures can directly propose laws and amendments to the state constitution. That means that state elections typically include not just representatives and officials, but also a number of ballot initiatives that, if passed, become law.
In 2020, California voters will need to decide on eleven ballot measures. That can be a lot to wrap your head around, so we put together some resources to help you plan your vote on state-wide measures this November.
We’ve updated this post to reflect the results of the Nov. 2020 election.
Prop 14: Stem Cell Research Funding ✅
A “Yes” vote: Supports California borrowing up to $5.5 billion for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), which was created to fund stem cell research.
Support: Californians for Stem Cell Research, Treatments & Cures is leading the campaign in support of this ballot initiative and believe this funding is necessary for bringing the broad spectrum of stem cell therapy to patients. Supporters also argue that without this funding the CIRM will cease to exist.
Opposition: Marcy Darnovsky, executive director of the Center for Genetics and Society, opposes this bill arguing that it won’t address CIRM’s built-in conflicts of interest and that California already faces a huge budget deficit and proposals to slash high-priority social programs.
Prop 15: Business Property Taxes — ❌
A “Yes” vote: Supports taxing commercial properties on their market value rather than their purchase price.
Things you should know:
- Small business, farms, and homeowners would not see a difference in their property taxes.
- If this passes it’s estimated that it would net $6.5-$11.5 billion of which 60% would be distributed to cities, counties and special districts and the rest would go to schools and community colleges.
Support: Notable supporters of this proposition include Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, London Breed, Libby Schaff, Dolores Huerta, ACLU of Northern California, Chan Zuckerberg Advocacy and many more.
Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers: “Most important, Schools and Communities First is designed specifically to help address inequities that poorer school districts face, which has significant implications for communities of color. Every single student in California will benefit from this measure, but particular importance is paid to underserved communities — additional funding will go toward low-income students, English-learners and foster youth. This, on top of the increased investments that local governments can make in their communities, will go a long way toward supporting our communities most in need.” [Source]
Opposition: Notable opponents of this proposition include California NAACP, Antonio Villaraigosa, California Restaurants Association, California Black Chamber of Commerce and more.
It would be senseless to pass one of the biggest tax increases in California history in the middle of a cataclysmically bad recession. And while small businesses are technically exempt, large landlords may end up passing the costs to some of their tenants and customers. [Source]
Prop 16: Restoring Affirmative Action ❌
A “Yes” vote: Repeals the ban on affirmative action programs in public institutions in California.
Things you should know:
- This would allow universities and government offices to take into account an individuals race and gender when making hiring, spending and admissions decisions.
- This would not allow universities to create racial quotas in admissions.
- Affirmative action programs have been illegal in California since 1966 .
Support: Notable supporters of this proposition include Gavin Newsom, London Breed, Dolores Huerta, LA County Board of Education, California NAACP, Chinese for Affirmative Action and many more.
Varsha Sarveshwar, president of the University of California Student Association: “Today, colleges can consider whether you’re from the suburbs, a city or a rural area. They can consider what high school you went to. They can consider your family’s economic background. They can look at virtually everything about you — but not race. It makes no sense — and is unfair — that schools can’t consider something that is so core to our lived experience. Repealing Prop. 209 will not create quotas or caps. These are illegal under a Supreme Court decision and would remain so.” [Source]
Opposition: Opponents of this proposition include Students for Fair Admissions Inc, California Republican Party, and Chinese American Civic Action Alliance.
Prop 17: Allowing People on Parole to Vote ✅
A “Yes” vote: Supports allowing people on parole for felony convictions to vote.
Things you should know:
- California is one of 3 states that requires individuals to complete their prison and parole sentences before regaining their right to vote.
- There are about 50,000 people on parole in California who work and pay taxes but can’t vote on any level of government.
- YCore hosted a panel with Greg Fidell from Initiate Justice who shared more about Prop 17, you can hear what he had to say here.
Support: Notable supporters of this proposition include Kamala Harris, ACLU of California, Initiate Justice, Anti-Recidivism Coalition, and more.
Opposition: There are no major opponents of Prop 17.
Prop 18: Primary Voting For 17 Year Olds ❌
A “Yes” vote: Supports allowing 17 year olds who will be 18 at the time of the next general election to vote in primary and special elections.
Things you should know:
- 18 states and Washington D.C already allow this.
Support: Supporters include Gov. Newsom, Alex Padilla (Secretary of State), California League of Conservation Voters and more.
Allowing teens who would be first time voters in an election cycle to participate from the beginning could increase interest and voter participation among youth. It’s a simple way to raise the voices of young voters. Many of them already work and pay taxes and they are allowed to join the military so voting if they are eligible makes sense. [source]
Opposition: There are no major opponents of Prop 18.
Prop 19: Property Tax Breaks For Older Californians ✅
A “Yes” vote: Supports giving Californians 55 and over a big property tax break when buying a new home.
Things you should know:
- This tax break would change inheritance tax laws. If an individual inherits a property from a grandparent/parent but doesn’t use it as their primary residence they would have to pay taxes based on the market value of the home.
- Any additional revenue generated from this proposition would fund the California Fire Response Fund (CFRF) and County Revenue Protection Fund (CRPF), 75% and 15% respectively.
Support: Supporters include California Association of Realtors, California Professional Firefighters, Gov. Newsom and the California Democratic Party.
Opposition: Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
Prop 20: Changes to Criminal Sentencing ❌
A “Yes” vote: Supports adding crimes to the list of violent felonies for which early parole is restricted.
Things you should know:
- This proposition would amend AB109, Prop 47, and Prop 57, measures which were designed to reduce the state’s inmate prison population.
- This proposition would require law enforcement to collect DNA samples from people convicted of certain misdemeanors — including shoplifting, forgery and illegal drug possession — to be stored in a state database.
- This proposition would double the number of felonies that disqualify prison inmates from being able to apply for early parole consideration.
Support: Notable supporters include Devin Nunes Campaign Committee, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Employee’s Benefit Association, Los Angeles Police Protective League, and more.
Opposition: Notable opponents include ACLU of Northern California, California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and more.
Maureen Washburn, a policy analyst for the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice: “When we’re considering … a proposal that would increase penalties for low-level offenses, in a system that’s already profoundly biased against Black, indigenous and Latino Californians, I think it’s clear that it would only extend the harm of our criminal justice system.” [Source]
Prop 21: Rent Control ❌
A “Yes” vote: Supports allowing local governments to enact rent control on housing that’s more than 15 years old.
Things you should know:
- There is a lot of opposition funding from real estate development companies.
- Prior to 1995 cities and counties could enact their own rent control laws but state lawmakers passed the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act which put a stop to that.
- Californians voted on a similar measure (Prop 10) in 2018 but it didn’t pass.
Support: Notable supporters include Bernie Sanders, Eviction Defense Network, California Democratic Party, ACLU of Southern California, Los Angeles Tenants Union and more.
David Huerta, president of the SEIU United Service Workers West: “Profound housing insecurity in our state is one significant reason the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in such disproportionate suffering and tragedy for workers in low-wage jobs, workers of color and immigrant workers. Because of systematic exclusion and racism, these families lived in crowded conditions or the constant fear of eviction even before this pandemic; now their living conditions are truly a matter of life and death.” [Source]
Opposition: Notable opponents include Gov. Newsom, California Apartment Association, Essex Property Trust and Prometheus Real Estate Group, California Seniors Advocates Group and more.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D): “In the past year, California has passed a historic version of statewide rent control — the nation’s strongest rent caps and renter protections in the nation — as well as short-term eviction relief. But Proposition 21, like Proposition 10 before it, runs the all-too-real risk of discouraging availability of affordable housing in our state.” [Source]
Prop 22: App-Based Employee Classifications ✅
A “Yes” vote: Supports defining app-based transportation and delivery drivers as independent contractors rather than employees.
Things you should know:
- This would override AB5 which was passed last year and under it app-based transportation and delivery drivers are considered employees.
- This proposition was written by Uber, Lyft, Instacart and Doordash.
Support: Notable supporters include California Police Chiefs Association, California Chamber of Commerce, California NAACP, and more.
Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber: “Why not just treat drivers as employees? Some of our critics argue that doing so would make drivers’ problems vanish overnight. It may seem like a reasonable assumption, but it’s one that I think ignores a stark reality: Uber would only have full-time jobs for a small fraction of our current drivers and only be able to operate in many fewer cities than today. Rides would be more expensive, which would significantly reduce the number of rides people could take and, in turn, the number of drivers needed to provide those trips. Uber would not be as widely available to riders, and drivers would lose the flexibility they have today if they became employees.” [Source]
Opposition: Notable opponents include Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Color of Change, Equal Rights Advocates, California Democratic Party and many more.
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D): “Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash have stockpiled $110 million to pass a misguided measure to avoid prosecution and protect their profits. Gig workers are struggling on the frontlines of this pandemic–it’s time for us to show them whose side we’re on. I urge Californians to vote no.” [source]
Prop 23: Kidney Dialysis Clinic Rules ❌
A “Yes” vote: Supports requiring chronic dialysis clinics to have an on-site physician while patients are being treated.
Things you should know:
- The ballot measure would also restrict dialysis clinics from discriminating against patients based on their insurance type.
- About 80,000 Californians depend on dialysis treatment.
Support: Supporters include Service Employees International Union United Health Care Workers, California Democratic Party, California Labor Federation and more.
Kidney patients deserve better treatment than what they receive from many dialysis clinics, and these high profit companies haven’t invested enough in patient safety. The removal of people’s blood during dialysis treatment puts enormous strain on people’s bodies and leaves them vulnerable to medical crises. So having a licensed physician on site at all times — not just sometimes — means that during emergencies, a physician can respond immediately. [source]
Opposition: Opponents include DaVita, Fresenius Medical Care, California Medical Association, California NAACP.
Prop 24: California Data Privacy Laws ✅
A “Yes” vote: Supports expanding the state’s consumer data privacy laws.
Things you should know:
- This proposition would reduce the number of businesses that have to comply, making it apply only to companies that buy or sell data of at least 100,000 households a year.
- Alastair Mactaggart, a real estate developer and investor based in San Francisco, is the chairperson of the campaign supporting this proposition.
Support: Supporters include Andrew Yang, Common Sense Media, Consumer Watchdog and more.
The existing privacy law doesn’t have enough teeth. Updates in Prop. 24 would create a system to enforce the privacy law and triple fines on companies that violate kids’ privacy. They would give consumers more control over their most personal data, allow you to shield your precise location from tracking, and give you more ability to sue companies if your email and password are stolen or hacked. Passing this proposition will make it harder for lobbyists to change privacy laws in the Legislature. [source]
Opposition: Opponents include Dolores Huerta, Color of Change, ACLU of Northern California, Council on Islamic-American Relations — California and more.
California’s data privacy law is very new — it just went into effect this year — so we should see how it plays out before changing it. Some of the updates in Prop. 24 would hurt consumers — delaying a rule that allows workers to find out what information employers collect about them, making it easier for businesses to charge you more if you don’t let them sell your data, and allowing tech companies to grab your data when you leave California. This proposition is the pet project of one man, and lacks backing from a broad coalition of privacy advocates. In fact, some of them oppose it. (Tech companies are surprisingly quiet about this measure; the Internet Association and California Chamber of Commerce criticized it in a legislative hearing but have no formal position on it.) [source]
Prop 25: Abolishing Cash Bail in California ❌
A “Yes” vote: Supports replacing cash bail with a risk assessment system for detained individuals who are awaiting trial.
Things you should know:
- This proposition would uphold a law that former Gov. Jerry Brown signed in 2018 that was challenged by bail bond industry.
- The legislation would replace the state’s cash bail system with risk assessments to determine whether a detained individual should be granted pretrial release and under what conditions.
- Opponents of this proposition also acknowledge that this isn’t the best solution and that there is opportunity for racial bias in the proposed system.
Support: Supporters include Governor Newsom, Action Now Initiative, League of Women Voters of California, California Teachers Association and more.
Sam Lewis, executive director of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition: “There are countless examples of how unfair, and unsafe, this system is. Take Kenneth Humphrey, a Black senior citizen from San Francisco. He was accused of stealing $5 and a bottle of cologne, burglary and elder abuse. Unable to pay his way out, he was forced to wait in jail for almost an entire year before his court date. On any given day in California there are nearly 50,000 people just like Kenneth Humphrey — at risk of losing their jobs or their homes as they languish in jail. Meanwhile, Brock Turner was charged and convicted on multiple counts of sexual assault — a violent felony. Despite the severity of his charges, his bail was set at just $150,000. Turner, now a registered sex offender, paid his bail and was immediately released back into the community as he awaited trial.” [Source]
Opposition: Human Rights Watch, AIA Holdings (bail bonds company), American Bail Agents Association, Orange County Board of Supervisors, and more. Additional resource: article from Human Rights Watch opposing this proposition.
Former Asm. Joe Coto (D): “The biggest flaw in SB 10 is the use of computer programs to make important justice decisions. These are the same type of algorithms that Big Data companies use to bombard us with ads every day. While I might appreciate an algorithm recommending books or television shows, I have long been against their use in making determinations over insurance rates, and whether or not someone gets a home loan or credit card. The use of algorithms has been proven to discriminate against the poor, minorities and people who live in certain neighborhoods. Relying on algorithms to make important criminal justice decisions is even more appalling.” [Source]
Additional Resources for Learning More
- CalMatters — non-partisan journalism.
- Ballotpedia — check out their what’s on your ballot tool!
