What You Need to Know About California’s Ballot Propositions

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The Santa Barbara Independent republishes stories from CalMatters.org on state and local issues impacting readers in Santa Barbara County.

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California voters only decided one proposition on the March primary ballot — Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mental health measure that barely passed — but will get their say on 10 in November.

With your choices, you’ll help steer state policy on crime, health care, rent control and more. You can change the state constitution on gay marriage and involuntary labor. You’ll also decide whether to add $20 billion to the state debt. (If you’re wondering why you’re being asked to decide some rather complicated issues, here’s our explainer on that.) 

You could have had many more propositions to figure out, but five were negotiated off the ballot in last-minute deals and Newsom scrapped an alternative anti-crime measure.  

You can start voting this week: Today is the deadline for county election offices to start mailing ballots. To be counted, they have to be postmarked by Nov. 5 and received by election offices by Nov. 12.  You can read all about the election in our full Voter Guide.

To help you decide on the propositions, here are the recommendations from the state Republican Party and the California Democratic Party.

So far, public polls suggest the high-profile crime measure will pass overwhelmingly, but measures to raise the minimum wage, allow cities to impose rent control and to make it easier for local governments to borrow could be much closer. One survey also indicates that voters will approve the constitutional amendment on same-sex marriage, but not the one on forced prison labor. And the bond issues for schools and climate action could be up in the air.

Below are links to information on all 10 propositions — including videos and quizzes; who’s for and against them (and their arguments); and how much is being spent on both sides to convince voters.

Proposition 2: School bond
Proposition 3: Same-sex marriage
Proposition 4: Climate bond
Proposition 5: Voting Threshold
Proposition 6: Involuntary servitude
Proposition 32: Raises minimum wage
Proposition 33: Rent control
Proposition 34: Patient spending
Proposition 35: Health care tax
Proposition 36: Criminal penalties