California General Election · November 3, 2026

Our vote.
Our voice.
Our future.

A civil-rights and racial-equity guide to every statewide proposition— with the official positions of the NAACP California Hawaii State Conference.

Explore all 14 measuresCheck voter status

Official recommendations

Your ballot, at a glance

This is a nonpartisan issue guide, but our positions are clear.

10Vote YES
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4Vote NO
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Know the issues

Explore the propositions

Start with the bottom line, then open any measure for the facts and our civil-rights reasoning.

Showing 14 of 14 propositions

PROP 1VOTE YES

Housing & wealth

Authorizes Bonds for Housing Affordability Programs

$11.25 billion for affordable housing and veterans’ home loans.

Understand our position

What the measure does

The state could borrow $11.25 billion: $10 billion for housing programs and $1.25 billion for veterans’ home loans. Investments include affordable rentals, homeownership assistance, and targeted housing and infrastructure programs.

Why the NAACP says YES

Discrimination in lending, appraisal, and land-use policy helped create today’s racial wealth gap. Targeted investments in affordable rentals and homeownership can expand stability and wealth-building for Black families and other communities of color.

Our expectation: Implementation should include fair-lending enforcement, anti-displacement protections, and transparent distribution to the communities with the greatest need.

Read the nonpartisan state analysis
PROP 2VOTE YES

Public services

Increases State’s Rainy Day Fund

Builds larger reserves to protect essential services during downturns.

Understand our position

What the measure does

The measure would change California’s reserve and debt-payment rules, increasing state budget reserves and extending required extra debt payments.

Why the NAACP says YES

When recessions come, cuts to schools, Medi-Cal, housing, child care, and human services often reach Black and Brown neighborhoods first and last longer. Stronger reserves can help prevent that unequal harm.

Our expectation: Saving for future downturns must not become an excuse to ignore urgent needs today.

Read the nonpartisan state analysis
PROP 3VOTE YES

Schools & health

Provides Permanent Funding for Schools and Health Care by Extending Existing Tax on High Incomes

Keeps existing higher income-tax rates on California’s top 2%.

Understand our position

What the measure does

Higher income-tax rates paid by the top 2% of taxpayers would become permanent rather than expire in 2031, maintaining an estimated $5 billion to $15 billion in annual state revenue.

Why the NAACP says YES

Stable, progressive revenue helps protect public schools, community colleges, health care, human services, and budget reserves. Students and families should not lose opportunity or care because temporary rates expire.

Read the nonpartisan state analysis
PROP 4VOTE YES

Democracy

Repeals Prohibition Against Public Funding of Election Campaigns

Allows future public campaign-financing programs with safeguards.

Understand our position

What the measure does

The measure removes California’s ban on public financing of campaigns. It does not itself create a program; state and local governments could design programs later under funding and candidate-eligibility limits.

Why the NAACP says YES

Public financing can reduce wealthy donors’ influence and make it more realistic for working-class candidates and candidates of color to run competitive campaigns.

Our expectation: Any future program should reward small-dollar participation, require strong disclosure, and be accessible across language and disability barriers.

Read the nonpartisan state analysis
PROP 5VOTE YES

Democracy

Changes Recall Election Process for Statewide Officers

Ends the separate replacement question on statewide recall ballots.

Understand our position

What the measure does

Recall elections would no longer include a second question asking who should replace the official. Vacancies would generally be filled through an appointment or later election, depending on the office and timing.

Why the NAACP says YES

The current system can allow a replacement to take office with a small plurality. A simpler process better respects majority rule and reduces the risk that crowded, low-turnout recalls dilute the voices of Black voters and other underrepresented communities.

Read the nonpartisan state analysis
PROP 37VOTE YES

Housing & wealth

Creates Loan Program for Middle-Income Buyers of Qualified New Homes

Creates homebuyer assistance backed by up to $25 billion in revenue bonds.

Understand our position

What the measure does

Eligible middle-income buyers could receive a loan covering up to 17% of a qualified newly built home’s price while contributing at least 3%. Homeowner payments would repay the revenue bonds.

Why the NAACP says YES

Families with stable incomes but limited inherited wealth are often locked out of homeownership. Responsible assistance can open a wealth-building path for Black, Latino, Native, and immigrant households.

Our expectation: The program needs fair-housing oversight, multilingual outreach, transparent fees, consumer protections, and safeguards against inflated prices.

Read the nonpartisan state analysis
PROP 38VOTE YES

Health equity

Authorizes Bonds for Immunology Medical Research

$8.4 billion for immune-system and immunotherapy research.

Understand our position

What the measure does

The state could borrow $8.4 billion for immunology and immunotherapy research. At least half would focus on cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease; certain California treatments developed through the program would receive a 20% discount.

Why the NAACP says YES

These diseases exact a heavy toll in Black communities and other communities of color. Publicly supported research should address communities historically underrepresented in research and underserved in care.

Our expectation: Implementation should include diverse clinical-trial participation, race and ethnicity reporting, safety-net partnerships, and meaningful access to resulting treatments.

Read the nonpartisan state analysis
PROP 39VOTE NO

Voting rights

Prohibits Citizens From Voting Unless They Present Government-Issued Identification

Adds identification requirements for in-person and vote-by-mail ballots.

Understand our position

What the measure does

In-person voters would have to present government-issued identification. Vote-by-mail voters would have to add identifying information to their ballot envelope, and the state would establish additional citizenship-verification procedures.

Why the NAACP says NO

California already verifies voters through registration and signature matching. Additional document, travel, record-matching, disability, and language barriers would fall hardest on Black voters, low-income voters, seniors, students, people with disabilities, and frequent movers.

Read the nonpartisan state analysis
PROP 40VOTE NO

Public services

Imposes One-Time Tax on Certain Taxpayers

Creates a one-time 5% wealth tax on California billionaires.

Understand our position

What the measure does

The state would collect a one-time tax equal to 5% of a billionaire resident’s net worth. Most proceeds would support public health care, with the remainder directed to education, food assistance, and administration.

Why the NAACP says NO

The needs are urgent, but a one-time payment could encourage wealth or residency to leave California and reduce ongoing revenue. Job losses, service cuts, and instability from lasting revenue effects would land hardest on Black and Brown workers and families.

Our expectation: The Conference supports progressive taxation but does not support this particular one-time structure and its potential long-term consequences.

Read the nonpartisan state analysis
PROP 41VOTE YES

Accountability

Prohibits New State Taxes That Exclude Revenues From State Spending Limit; Requires Audits for New State Special Taxes

Adds reviews and recurring audits for programs funded by new state special taxes.

Understand our position

What the measure does

The State Auditor would review programs funded by voter-proposed state special taxes before the initiative reaches the ballot and regularly audit programs funded by new state special taxes. The measure also changes how certain revenue is treated under state spending-limit rules.

Why the NAACP says YES

Money raised for housing, health care, education, and human services should reach the people and programs it was promised to serve. Public review gives communities a stronger tool to demand results.

Our expectation: Spending-limit changes must be implemented transparently and without undermining essential services.

Read the nonpartisan state analysis
PROP 42VOTE YES

Economic security

Prohibits New State Personal Property Taxes and Certain Retroactive State Taxes

Bars new state ownership taxes on financial assets and personal property.

Understand our position

What the measure does

California could not create new taxes on ownership of financial assets or other personal property and would face limits on retroactive state taxes. Existing taxes on income, earnings, sales, and retirement distributions would remain.

Why the NAACP says YES

Black families and other communities of color have had fewer opportunities to accumulate and pass down wealth. Protecting savings, investments, retirement security, and small-business interests from new ownership taxes provides needed certainty.

Our expectation: Supporting Proposition 42 does not eliminate existing income taxes or taxes on retirement distributions.

Read the nonpartisan state analysis
PROP 43VOTE NO

Local democracy

Limits Voters’ Ability to Raise Revenues for Local Government Services

Requires two-thirds voter approval for certain local special taxes.

Understand our position

What the measure does

Beginning in 2027, certain local special taxes proposed by local governments or citizens would require approval from two-thirds of voters instead of a simple majority.

Why the NAACP says NO

A one-third minority could block investments supported by a clear majority for housing, transit, emergency response, parks, libraries, schools, and health care. Communities should retain the democratic power to fund local solutions.

Read the nonpartisan state analysis
PROP 44VOTE NO

Health equity

Requires Community Health Clinics Spend 90% of Revenue on Program Services

Imposes a 90% annual spending rule on covered nonprofit safety-net clinics.

Understand our position

What the measure does

Certain private nonprofit health clinics would have to spend at least 90% of annual revenue on health-care services and could face penalties and enforcement costs for noncompliance.

Why the NAACP says NO

A rigid formula may fail to account for interpreters, billing, cybersecurity, compliance, outreach, facilities, and other infrastructure that keeps clinics open. Closures or service reductions would harm low-income patients, immigrants, rural residents, and communities of color.

Our expectation: Opposing Proposition 44 is not opposing clinic accountability. It is rejecting a one-size-fits-all rule that could weaken the health-care safety net.

Read the nonpartisan state analysis
PROP 45VOTE YES

Infrastructure & EJ

Modifies Environmental Review for Certain Projects

Creates faster review and court procedures for defined essential projects.

Understand our position

What the measure does

Certain housing, transportation, water, health, clean-energy, school, broadband, wildfire-mitigation, and other projects would qualify for tighter review timelines and narrower court procedures.

Why the NAACP says YES

Black Californians and other communities of color pay when affordable homes, clinics, transit, clean energy, and water projects stall. California needs a smarter process that delivers essential infrastructure sooner.

Our expectation: Support is not a blank check. Speed without justice is not progress. Implementation must protect civil rights and environmental health, prevent displacement, provide language access, consult affected tribal communities, monitor pollution burdens, and expand opportunity for local workers and diverse businesses.

Read the nonpartisan state analysis

Turn information into action

Make your voting plan

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Register to vote ↗Check registration & ballot ↗
  1. OCT 5
    Ballots begin mailing

    All active registered California voters receive a vote-by-mail ballot.

  2. OCT 19
    Registration deadline

    Miss it? Same Day Voter Registration remains a safety net.

  3. OCT 24
    Early vote centers begin

    The first centers open in Voter’s Choice Act counties.

  4. NOV 3
    Election Day

    Polls are open 7 a.m.–8 p.m. Return or postmark your ballot by 8 p.m.

Trust the source

Official information

California Secretary of StateQualified ballot measures↗Legislative Analyst’s OfficeIndependent proposition analyses↗