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Guide · California

How California propositions get on the ballot

California propositions reach your ballot through two doors: citizens petition, or the Legislature refers. Here's how each works.

The citizen initiative

Any Californian can draft a proposed law, file it with the Attorney General (who writes the official title and summary), and then gather voter signatures within 180 days. For the 2026 cycle, qualifying required 546,651 valid signatures (5% of votes cast for governor) for a statute, or 874,641 (8%) for a constitutional amendment. County officials verify the signatures; the Secretary of State certifies qualifying measures at least 131 days before the election.

The legislative referral

The Legislature can place measures directly on the ballot — required for constitutional amendments it proposes, bond measures, and changes to laws voters previously passed. On the November 2026 ballot, Propositions 1, 2, 4, 5, and 43 reached voters this way.

How they pass

Every proposition is a straight yes-or-no vote — no amendments, no committee markup. A simple majority decides. If two conflicting measures both pass, the one with more yes votes prevails (watch Propositions 40, 41, and 42 this year — they were written to conflict).

Sources

• California Secretary of State — Statewide Initiative Guide (PDF)
• Hoover Institution — Why California has so many ballot initiatives