California 2026 ballot propositions
| 2026 California Ballot Propositions | |
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As of March 16, 2025, two statewide ballot propositions have qualified for the ballot in California for elections in 2026.
On the ballot
| Type | Title | Subject | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eliminate Successor Election at a State Officer Recall Election Amendment | Recall; Elections | Eliminate the successor election when a state officer is recalled, thereby leaving the office vacant until it is filled according to state law | |
| Vote Requirements for Initiatives Requiring Supermajority Votes Amendment | Direct democracy; Supermajority | Require initiatives that change vote thresholds to supermajority votes to pass by the same vote requirement as is being proposed |
Potential citizen-initiated measures
In California, citizens have the right to initiate legislation through the ballot initiative or repeal legislation through the veto referendum. Getting an initiative or referendum placed on the ballot requires a measure's proponents to complete four steps:
- Step 1—Proposal filed for ballot title: Proponents file their proposed ballot initiative with the attorney general to receive circulating language.
- Step 2—Cleared for signature gathering: Proponents receive the circulating language for their ballot initiative, which allows them to begin collecting signatures.
- Step 3—25-percent threshold for signatures: Campaign reports that 25 percent of the required signatures for the ballot initiative have been collected, which requires legislative hearings on the proposal.
- Step 4—Submission of signatures: Proponents of an initiative file signatures with local election officials.
Signatures submitted for verification
Proponents of a ballot initiative file signatures with local elections officials, who then have eight days to determine a raw count of unverified signatures and communicate the count to the secretary of state. If the raw count is more than the required number of signatures, the secretary of state instructs local officials to conduct a random sampling of the submitted signatures. If the random sample indicates more than 110 percent of the required number of signatures, the initiative qualifies for the ballot. If the sample indicates fewer than 95 percent of the required number of signatures, the initiative fails to make the ballot. If the random sample indicates more than 95 percent but fewer than 110 percent, a full check of each signature must be conducted.
As of March 16, 2025, there were no initiatives submitted for signature verification.
25 percent of signatures reached
Proponents of initiatives are required to report when 25 percent of the number of signatures required had been gathered. The secretary of state notifies each chamber of the California State Legislature to hold joint public hearings on the initiative proposals. Legislators could decide to consider the initiative as legislation, although this has no direct effect on whether an initiative appears on the ballot. Proponents of an initiative could consider withdrawing their proposal if the legislature approved their initiative as legislation.
There are no initiatives that have reached the 25% signature threshold that have not submitted signatures for verification.
Cleared for signature gathering
Once the attorney general's office assigns a ballot title and a summary to an initiative, proponents are allowed to begin collecting signatures. Proponents of an initiative are given 180 days from the date the title and summary were assigned to collect the required signatures. Proponents of a veto referendum are given 90 days from the date the governor signed the targeted legislation.
As of March 16, 2025, there was one initiative cleared for signature gathering.
| Type | ID | Description | Proponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| CISS | (#24-0001) | Independence Plebiscite Initiative | Marcus Evans |
Filed with attorney general
The first step to getting an initiative prepared for signature gathering is submitting the proposal to the attorney general's office, which prepares a ballot title and summary of the proposal. When a proposal arrives at the office, the measure receives an expected date for when the attorney general will issue a ballot title and summary.
| Type | ID | Description | Proponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| CISS | (#25-0001) | Environmental Education in Public Schools Initiative | Dale McClure |
Potential legislative referrals
The California State Legislature can refer statewide measures to the ballot. There are several forms of legislative referrals in California, including constitutional amendments, state statutes, and bond issues. Referrals can appear on statewide election ballots, including primary elections and general elections.
California is one of 16 states that requires a two-thirds vote in each legislative chamber during one legislative session to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 54 (of 80) votes in the California State Assembly and 27 (of 40) votes in the California State Senate, assuming no vacancies. The governor's signature is not required to refer a constitutional amendment.
The legislature can refer statutes with a simple majority vote and bond issues with a two-thirds vote, and the governor's signature is also required. In California, changes to voter-approved ballot initiatives need to be referred to voters for approval or rejection unless the changes further the initiative's purpose.
There are no outstanding legislative referrals for the 2026 ballot.
Comparison to prior election cycles
In California, a total of 402 ballot measures appeared on statewide ballots between 1985 and 2022. Two hundred thirty-one ballot measures were approved, and 171 ballot measures were defeated.
| California statewide ballot measures, 1985-2022 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number | Annual average | Annual minimum | Annual maximum | Approved | Defeated | ||
| # | % | # | % | ||||
Ballot initiative certification rates
The following table shows the rate of certification for ballot initiatives in California between 2010 and 2024:
| California statewide ballot initiatives filed and certified, 2010-2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Ballot initiatives filed | Certified | |
| # | % | ||
| Averages | |||
Not on the ballot
| Type | ID | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| CISS | #23-0035 | Social Media Company Penalties for Child Harm Initiative | 
|
See also
- 2026 ballot measures
- List of California ballot propositions
- Laws governing ballot measures in California
- Campaign finance requirements for California ballot measures
