Local ballot measures, California

Every year, voters in California decide local ballot measures on as many as a dozen different election dates. In even-numbered years, voters decide hundreds of measures; the number of local measures has ranged from about 530 to over 800 in the last three two-year cycles. In odd-numbered years, local voters generally decide between 100 and 200 measures.

Most measures concern parcel taxes, sales taxes, or school bond issues, or other local tax or public revenue issues. Other issues addressed by local measures include marijuana regulations and taxes, development and zoning issues, housing, fracking and the environment, and dozens of other policies that affect the everyday lives of residents.

2024 U.S. Local Ballot Measures
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You can see whether Ballotpedia is covering this county's local ballot measures based on the list of counties overlapping with the largest cities, which is available here.

In 2024, Ballotpedia is covering local ballot measures that appear on the ballot for voters within the 100 largest cities in the U.S., within state capitals, and throughout California. You can review the coverage scope of the local ballot measures project here.

Ballotpedia is also covering electoral system-related ballot measures, like ranked-choice voting, and policing-related ballot measures outside of the largest cities.

See also: Local ballot measure elections in 2024

Election dates[edit]

2024[edit]

See also: California 2024 local ballot measures

• March 5 • April 9 • May 7 • November 5

2023[edit]

See also: California 2023 local ballot measures

• March 7 • April 11 • May 2 • May 9 • May 23 • July 11 • August 29 • October 3 • November 7

2022[edit]

See also: California 2022 local ballot measures

• April 12 • May 3 • June 7 • August 30 • October 19 • November 8

2021[edit]

See also: California 2021 local ballot measures

• March 2 • May 4 • June 8 • June 29 • August 31 • August 31 • September 14 • November 2 • December 14 • December 21

2020[edit]

See also: Local ballot measure elections in 2020

• March 3 • April 14 • May 5 • June 2 • June 23 • August 25 • November 3

2019[edit]

See also: Local ballot measure elections in 2019

• February 26 • March 5 • March 19 • March 26 • April 9 • May 7 • June 4 • August 27 • November 5

2018[edit]

See also: Local ballot measure elections in 2018

• January 23 • January 30 • February 27 • March 6 • April 10 • May 8 • June 5 • July 24 • September 18 • November 6

2017[edit]

• January 10 • February 28 • March 7 • March 28 • April 4 • April 11 • April 25 • May 2 • May 9 • May 16 • June 6 • June 30 • July 11 • July 25 • August 22 • August 29 • October 17 • November 7

2016[edit]

• January 26 • February 23 • March 8 • April 12 • April 19 • May 3 • June 7 • August 30 • November 8

2015[edit]

• January 6 • February 24 • March 3 • March 10 • March 24 • April 14 • April 15 • May 5 • May 19 • June 2 • June 23 • August 25 • September 1 • October 6 • November 3 • November 17 • December 8 • December 15

2014[edit]

• February 4 • February 11 • March 4 • April 8 • May 6 • June 3 • July 8 • September 2 • November 4

2013[edit]

• March 5 • March 12 • April 2 • April 9 • May 7 • May 21 • June 4 • June 11 • June 18 • July 2 • July 16 • August 27 • November 5 • November 19

2012[edit]

• February 7 • March 6 • March 13 • April 6 • April 10 • April 17 • May 1 • May 8 • June 5 • July 10 • August 28 • September 18 • November 6

2011[edit]

• January 25 • March 1 • March 8 • April 5 • April 12 • May 3 • June 7 • June 21 • July 12 • July 21 • August 30 • November 8 • November 15 • November 22

2010[edit]

• January 12 • February 2 • February 23 • March 2 • March 9 • April 13 • May 4 • May 25 • June 8 • June 15 • June 22 • July 13 • August 24 • August 31 • September 21 • November 2

2009[edit]

• January 13 • February 24 • March 3 • March 10 • April 21 • May 5 • May 19 • June 2 • June 9 • June 16 • June 23 • June 30 • July 21 • August 4 • August 25 • August 28 • November 3 • November 17 • December 8 • December 15

2008[edit]

• February 5 • March 4 • April 8 • June 3 • June 24 • July 22 • August 26 • November 4

2007[edit]

• March 6 • May 7 • November 6

2006[edit]

• March 7 • April 11 • May 2 • June 6 • November 7

2005[edit]

• March 8 • June 7 • November 8

2004[edit]

• March 2 • August 24 • November 2

2003[edit]

• February 4

2002[edit]

• November 5

1999[edit]

• November 2

Common measure types[edit]

School bond and tax votes[edit]

See also: School bond elections in California

California school bond elections are local ballot measures that ask voters to decide on whether the school district that is sponsoring the measure should be allowed to issue bonds, and incur the additional indebtedness that bonds bring with them. All public school district in California are entitled to bond issues on the local ballot. California also has a statewide school building program known as the School Facilities Grant Program which is supported by statewide bond measures such as Proposition 1D in 2006. Statewide bond measures require a simple majority to pass. Local school districts can also issue school construction bonds and levy property taxes to pay for them, as long as the voters in the district approve.

Parcel tax elections[edit]

See also: Parcel tax elections in California

Parcel tax elections are held when a taxing district in California wants to raise revenues through imposing an additional tax called a parcel tax. Parcel taxes are a form of special property tax, which must be paid by the owners of parcels, or units, of real estate. However, unlike standard property taxes, which are based on the value of the property, a parcel tax is an assessment based on the characteristics of the parcel. These assessments can include taxing a parcel based on square footage or by dwelling unit, or the tax may be a flat rate per parcel.

If approved by voters, parcel taxes can be imposed on public school districts and on other local units of government, including cities, counties, and special districts.

As of 2023, California was the only state to allow parcel taxes as a method for funding schools.^[1]

California counties[edit]

There are 58 counties in California:

Alameda • Alpine • Amador • Butte • Calaveras • Colusa • Contra Costa • Del Norte • El Dorado • Fresno • Glenn • Humboldt • Imperial • Inyo • Kern • Kings • Lake • Lassen • Los Angeles • Madera • Marin • Mariposa • Mendocino • Merced • Modoc • Mono • Monterey • Napa • Nevada • Orange • Placer • Plumas • Riverside • Sacramento • San Benito • San Bernardino • San Diego • San Francisco • San Joaquin • San Luis Obispo • San Mateo • Santa Barbara • Santa Clara • Santa Cruz • Shasta • Sierra • Siskiyou • Solano • Sonoma • Stanislaus • Sutter • Tehama • Trinity • Tulare • Tuolumne • Ventura • Yolo • Yuba

See also[edit]

• California elections

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v • e Local ballot measures in California Counties Alameda • Alpine • Amador • Butte • Calaveras • Colusa • Contra Costa • Del Norte • El Dorado • Fresno • Glenn • Humboldt • Imperial • Inyo • Kern • Kings • Lake • Lassen • Los Angeles • Madera • Marin • Mariposa • Mendocino • Merced • Modoc • Mono • Monterey • Napa • Nevada • Orange • Placer • Plumas • Riverside • Sacramento • San Benito • San Bernardino • San Diego • San Francisco • San Joaquin • San Luis Obispo • San Mateo • Santa Barbara • Santa Clara • Santa Cruz • Shasta • Sierra • Siskiyou • Solano • Sonoma • Stanislaus • Sutter • Tehama • Trinity • Tulare • Tuolumne • Ventura • Yolo • Yuba Analysis Laws governing local ballot measures in California • Ballot measure information on California county websites • Costs of administering local elections • Required approval rates for local California ballot measures Political topics Advisory votes • Binding arbitration • Business taxes • City charters • Election and voting laws • Gambling • Gann overrides • Hotel taxes • Incorporations • Immigration • Jurisdictional boundaries • Labor • Marijuana • Marijuana taxes • Mottos • Municipal bonds • Parcel taxes • Pensions • Project-Labor Agreements • Recall • Red light cameras • Rent control • Salaries of local officials • Sales taxes • School bonds • Term limits • Utility user taxes • Vehicle registration taxes • Zoning and land use Tax measures Business taxes • Hotel taxes • Marijuana taxes • Oil and gas • Parcel taxes • Real estate transfer taxes • Sales taxes • Utility user taxes • Vehicle registration taxes

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