2026 California ballot cheat sheet: All 14 propositions and every statewide race on one (printable) page
Every yes and no on California’s November 3 ballot in one table, with the Democratic and Republican parties, Newsom, Becerra and Hilton side by side. All 12 statewide races, the judicial retention vote, the Election Day deadlines and a free printable PDF.
The 2026 California ballot has 14 state propositions, 12 statewide offices and a yes-or-no question on every Supreme Court justice up for retention. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, and a mail ballot still counts if it is postmarked by Election Day and reaches the county by November 10, according to the Secretary of State's key dates page. This page is the fast read before you mark the ballot. The first table gives every measure's official yes and no meaning next to the positions of the California Democratic Party, the California Republican Party, Governor Gavin Newsom and the two candidates to replace him, Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton. The second table lists the 24 candidates in the 12 statewide races and which party endorses whom.
Our 2026 California propositions master guide has the full case for and against each measure, the money and the polling, and the candidates master guide does the same for the races. Our voting master guide covers where and how to vote in all 58 counties, and the House races master guide covers all 52 congressional districts.
California's 14 propositions on one page, with the parties' positions:
The yes and no wording in the table is the Secretary of State's own, from the Voter Information Guide. The Democratic column is the California Democratic Party's endorsement list, adopted August 2. The Republican column is the California Republican Party's endorsements page, read on November 3. Newsom's positions are the ones he made public on October 9, as reported by CalMatters. Becerra's are from his campaign's July 31 list, and Hilton's are from the completed ballot he posted on X on October 19. Scroll the table sideways on a phone to reach the yes and no columns.
The 14 California propositions, with party and candidate positions:
| Prop | Measure | Democratic Party | Republican Party | Newsom | Becerra | Hilton | A YES vote means | A NO vote means |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prop 1 | $11.25 billion housing bond | Support | Neutral | Yes | Yes | No | The state could borrow $11.25 billion to support veterans and affordable housing. | The state could not borrow $11.25 billion to support veterans and affordable housing. |
| Prop 2 | Rainy-day fund cap doubles to 20% | Support | Oppose | Yes | Yes | No | Rules for building state budget reserves and paying down extra state debts would change. As a result, state budget reserves would be higher. The state also would be required to make extra debt payments for longer. | Rules for building state budget reserves and paying down extra state debts would not change. |
| Prop 3 | “Millionaire tax” rates made permanent | Support | Oppose | Yes | Yes | No | An income tax increase on high-income earners in place since 2012 would become permanent instead of expiring in 2031. | An income tax increase on high-income earners in place since 2012 would expire in 2031. |
| Prop 4 | Public campaign financing allowed | Support | Oppose | Yes | Not listed | No | State and local governments could create public campaign financing programs for public office candidates, subject to limits on which public funds could be used, how the public funds could be used, and who could receive them. | State and most local governments would remain unable to create public campaign finance programs for public office candidates. |
| Prop 5 | Recall ballots lose the replacement question | Support | Oppose | Yes | Not listed | No | Recall elections would no longer include a question about who should fill the vacancy. Instead, vacancies typically would be filled through special elections or appointments, depending on the office and timing. | Voters would continue to be asked who should fill the vacancy as part of recall elections. |
| Prop 37 | $25 billion new-home loan program | Support | Neutral | Yes | Yes | No | The state would create a new homebuying assistance program. The state could sell up to $25 billion in revenue bonds to fund the program. Bonds would be paid back by homeowners’ payments on their home loans. | The state would not be required to create a new homebuying assistance program. |
| Prop 38 | $8.4 billion immunology research bond | Support | Support | Yes | Not listed | Yes | The state could borrow $8.4 billion to support medical research in immunology and immunotherapy conducted by California research institutes and universities. | The state could not borrow $8.4 billion to support medical research in immunology and immunotherapy conducted by California research institutes and universities. |
| Prop 39 | Voter ID | Oppose | Support | No | No | Yes | Voters would be required to present additional identifying information to elections officials each time they vote. | A voter’s identity would continue to be established with the voter’s signature. |
| Prop 40 | One-time 5% “billionaire tax” | Support | Oppose | No | No | No | The state would collect a one-time tax from billionaires equal to 5 percent of their wealth. | The state would not collect a one-time tax from billionaires equal to 5 percent of their wealth. |
| Prop 41 | Audits of special taxes; no taxes outside the spending limit | Oppose | Support | No position | Not listed | Yes | When special taxes are proposed by voter initiatives, the California State Auditor would review programs funded by the tax before the initiative appears on the ballot. The California State Auditor also would regularly review programs funded by special taxes approved by voters or the Legislature. In addition, the state might not be able to exclude any new special tax spending from its spending limit. | The California State Auditor’s responsibility to review government programs would not change. The state spending limit requirements would not change. |
| Prop 42 | Ban on new personal-property and retroactive taxes | Oppose | Support | Yes | Not listed | Yes | The state could not establish new taxes on the ownership of financial assets or other personal property. | The state would continue to have the option to establish new taxes on the ownership of financial assets or other personal property. |
| Prop 43 | Two-thirds vote for voter-initiated local special taxes | Oppose | Support | No | Not listed | Yes | Certain local government taxes would require two-thirds approval by voters. | Certain local government taxes could continue to be approved by voters with a majority vote. |
| Prop 44 | Clinics must spend 90% of revenue on services | Oppose | Oppose | No | Not listed | No | Certain private nonprofit health care clinics would have to spend at least 90 percent of their revenue each year on providing health care services. | The new requirement on health care clinic spending would not go into effect. |
| Prop 45 | CEQA fast track for nine project types | Oppose | Support | No position | Not listed | Not listed | Certain public and private projects would be eligible for new project review and court challenge procedures. For example, new procedures would tighten time limits for environmental review and reduce the scope of what courts can consider when reviewing legal challenges. | Public and private projects would continue to use existing project review and court challenge procedures. |
Yes and no wording is the Secretary of State’s official Voter Information Guide text. Party positions: California Democratic Party endorsements (August 2, 2026) and California Republican Party endorsements page (read November 3, 2026). Newsom: positions reported October 9, 2026. Becerra: campaign list of July 31, 2026 (“Not listed” means the list does not mention the measure). Hilton: ballot posted on X October 19, 2026 (“Not listed” means the post skips the measure). Each Prop link opens our full explainer.
Three things stand out in the table. The two parties take opposite sides on 10 of the 14 measures. They agree on two, both supporting Proposition 38, the $8.4 billion immunology research bond, and both opposing Proposition 44, the clinic spending rule. The Republican Party is neutral on the other two, Proposition 1 and Proposition 37, the two housing measures.
Newsom breaks with his own party twice. The Democratic Party supports Proposition 40, the one-time billionaire tax, and opposes Proposition 42, the ban on new personal-property taxes. Newsom is a no on 40 and a yes on 42. That makes the Democratic Party the only one of the five voices in the table that supports Proposition 40: Newsom, Becerra, Hilton and the Republican Party all say no.
The two candidates' lists are different sizes. Becerra's campaign list covers six measures, and the table says "Not listed" for the other eight rather than "no position," because the campaign has not published one either way. Hilton's post marks 13 of the 14 and skips Proposition 45, the CEQA fast track. Where he and his party both take a side, his ballot matches the party list on every measure. On the two measures where the party is neutral, Props 1 and 37, he votes no.
The 12 statewide races and the 24 candidates:
Every California voter gets the same 12 statewide contests, except that the Board of Equalization is elected by district, so each voter sees one of its four races. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is a nonpartisan office, so the ballot shows no party for Richard Barrera or Sonja Shaw. The candidates and party labels come from the Secretary of State's certified list.
California’s 12 statewide races, November 3, 2026, with party endorsements:
| Office | Candidate | Candidate | Democratic Party endorses | Republican Party endorses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | Xavier Becerra (D) | Steve Hilton (R) | Becerra | Hilton |
| Lieutenant Governor | Fiona Ma (D) | Gloria Romero (R) | Ma | Romero |
| Secretary of State | Shirley N. Weber (D, incumbent) | Don Wagner (R) | Weber | Wagner |
| Controller | Malia M. Cohen (D, incumbent) | Herb W Morgan (R) | Cohen | Morgan |
| Treasurer | Eleni Kounalakis (D) | Jennifer Hawks (R) | Kounalakis | Hawks |
| Attorney General | Rob Bonta (D, incumbent) | Michael E. Gates (R) | Bonta | Gates |
| Insurance Commissioner | Ben Allen (D) | Jane Kim (D) | Allen | No endorsement |
| Superintendent of Public Instruction (nonpartisan) | Richard Barrera | Sonja Shaw | Barrera | Shaw |
| Board of Equalization, District 1 | Nelson Esparza (D) | Shannon Grove (R) | Esparza | Grove |
| Board of Equalization, District 2 | Sally J. Lieber (D, incumbent) | John Pimentel (D) | Lieber | No endorsement |
| Board of Equalization, District 3 | Mike Gipson (D) | Samuel P. Sukaton (D) | Gipson | No endorsement |
| Board of Equalization, District 4 | Tom Umberg (D) | Denis Bilodeau (R) | Umberg | Bilodeau |
Candidates and party labels are from the Secretary of State’s Certified List of Candidates (August 27, 2026), in ballot order. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is a nonpartisan office. Endorsements: California Democratic Party (August 2, 2026) and California Republican Party endorsements page (read November 3, 2026). Board of Equalization voters see only their own district.
Three races put two Democrats against each other, so the Republican Party's page endorses nobody in them: Insurance Commissioner (Ben Allen against Jane Kim), Board of Equalization District 2 (Sally Lieber against John Pimentel) and District 3 (Mike Gipson against Samuel Sukaton). The Democratic Party endorses Allen, Lieber and Gipson. Hilton's X post also names his picks in two of the races outside his own: Ben Allen for Insurance Commissioner and Sonja Shaw for superintendent. Our governor head-to-head compares Becerra and Hilton issue by issue.
Judicial retention is a yes-or-no vote on Justices Evans and Groban and 62 appellate justices:
Below the statewide races, every ballot asks whether to keep Supreme Court Justices Kelli M. Evans and Joshua P. Groban for new 12-year terms, and then lists the Court of Appeal justices for the voter's own appellate district, 62 questions statewide. A yes keeps the justice and a no removes them at the end of the term, as the voter guide explains. Neither party's list takes a position on any justice. Our 2026 California judges guide covers both justices, the police union campaign against Evans and every Supreme Court retention result since 1986.
Props 40, 41 and 42 conflict, and the one with the most yes votes wins:
Three of the 14 measures are written to cancel each other. Proposition 41 and Proposition 42 each say that any measure on the same ballot that conflicts with them is void if they receive more yes votes, and Proposition 40 carries its own conflict clause. Article II, Section 10(b) of the California Constitution sets the tiebreak: when approved measures conflict, "the provisions of the measure receiving the highest number of affirmative votes shall prevail." So a yes on 40 does more if it comes with a no on 41 and 42, and the reverse. The billionaire tax explainer walks through the three outcomes.
The 2026 California ballot cheat sheet and the deadlines that still apply:
- Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3. Anyone in line at 8 p.m. can still vote. Find your polling place or vote center through the Secretary of State's lookup.
- Mail ballots must be postmarked by November 3 and received by November 10. Dropping one at any drop box, vote center or polling place in the state by 8 p.m. avoids the postmark question.
- Same-day registration runs through Election Day at county election offices and every polling place and vote center; the ballot is provisional until the registration is confirmed.
- Results start after 8 p.m. The Secretary of State certifies the election on December 11.
The voting master guide has every county's drop-off sites and the rules behind each line above, and the propositions master guide and candidates master guide carry the full detail behind both tables.
Sources & References
- California Secretary of State, Official Voter Information Guide, November 3, 2026, Quick Reference Guide ("What your vote means" for each measure): https://vig.cdn.sos.ca.gov/2026/general/pdf/quick-reference-guide.pdf
- California Secretary of State, Voter Information Guide, per-measure title, summary and analysis PDFs: https://vig.cdn.sos.ca.gov/2026/general/pdf/prop1.pdf (and prop2, prop3, prop4, prop5, prop37 through prop45)
- California Democratic Party, 2026 General Election Endorsements and Ballot Measure Positions, August 2, 2026: https://cadem.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/FINAL-2026-General-Election-Endorsements.pdf
- California Republican Party, 2026 CRP Endorsements: https://cagop.org/endorsements/
- CalMatters, "Gavin Newsom backs measure to kill the billionaire tax and ban future wealth taxes," October 9, 2026: https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/newsom-tax-propositions-november-election/
- CalMatters, "Newsom decries 'weaponization' of environmental law, but stays silent on Prop. 45," October 15, 2026: https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/newsom-decries-weaponization-environmental-law-002821012.html
- Xavier Becerra for Governor, "Becerra announces positions on key November ballot measures," July 31, 2026: https://www.xavierbecerra2026.com/?p=551
- Steve Hilton, ballot post on X, October 19, 2026: https://x.com/SteveHiltonx/status/2112392608278298694
- California Secretary of State, Certified List of Candidates, General Election, November 3, 2026 (August 27, 2026): https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/statewide-elections/2026-general/cert-list-candidates.pdf
- California Secretary of State, Voter Information Guide, Supreme Court Justices: https://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/justices/supreme-court-justices/index.htm
- California Constitution, Article II, Section 10: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CONS§ionNum=SEC.%2010.&article=II
- California Secretary of State, General Election November 3, 2026, Key Dates and Deadlines: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026/key-dates-deadlines
- California Secretary of State, Find Your Polling Place: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/polling-place
- California Elections Code §§2170, 3020, 14212 and 14401 (same-day registration, mail-ballot receipt, polling hours, voters in line at closing): https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes.xhtml
