Major Races, Campaigns and Ballot Propositions

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President Donald J. Trump vs. Former Vice-President Joe Biden

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President Donald J. Trump

Former Vice President Joe Biden

California Statewide Elections

California doesn't have any Senators up for election this year, but all House representative will be on the ballot.

You can find out who represents you in Congress here.

California Statewide Ballot Measures

PROPOSITION 14 - The California Stem Cell Research, TreatmeMs, and Cures Initiative of 2020

Summary: Authorizes $5.5 billion in state general obligation bonds to fund grants from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine to educational, non-profit, and private entities for: (1) stem cell and other medical research, therapy development, and therapy delivery; (2) medical training; and (3) construction of research facilities. Dedicates $1.5 billion to fund research and therapy for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, stroke, epilepsy, and other brain and central nervous system diseases and conditions. Limits bond issuance to $540 million annually. Appropriates money from General Fund to repay bond debt, but postpones repayment for first five years.

Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: State costs of $7.8 billion to pay off principal ($5.5 billion) and interest ($2.3 billion) on the bonds. Associated average annual debt payments of about $310 million for 25 years. The costs could be higher or lower than these estimates depending on factors such as the interest rate and the period of time over which the bonds are repaid. The state General Fund would pay most of the costs, with a relatively small amount of interest repaid by bond proceeds.

What it means: In 2004, voters passed Proposition 71, which created the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and establish a state consitutional right to conduct stem cell research. What Prop. 14 does is continue the funding for CIRM by authorizing another $5.5 billion in general obligation bonds for research into various treatment and therapies. Some of the money ($1.5 billion) will be spent on research into nervous system diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and dementia. Another 1.5% of the funds would be spent on sites dedicated to conducting human clinical trials, treatments and cures, while about 0.5% would be spent on the 'Shared Labs Program,' which are dedicated research facilities conducting research on human embryonic stem cells.

PROPOSITION 15 - The California School and Local Communities Funding Act of 2020

Summary: Increases funding for K-12 public schools, community colleges, and local governments by requiring that commercial and industrial real property be taxed based on current market value. Exempts from this change: residential properties; agricultural properties; and owners of commercial and industrial properties with combined value of $3 million or less. Increased education funding will supplement existing school funding guarantees. Exempts small businesses from personal property tax; for other businesses, exempts $500,000 worth of personal property.

Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Net increase in annual property tax revenues of $7.5 billion to $12 billion in most years, depending on the strength of real estate markets. After backfilling state income tax losses related to the measure and paying for county administrative costs, the remaining $6.5 billion to $11.5 billion would be allocated to schools (40 percent) and other local governments (60 percent).

What it means: Proposition 15 is being pitched as a way to increase funding for schools and local community project by changing the way certain commercial and industrial properties are taxed. Currently, commercial and industrial properties are taxed based on the purchase price. Prop. 15 would change that to a tax on current market value beginning in 2022.

If Prop. 15 is approved, the "split roll" property tax would be created, with commercial and industrial properties taxed differently than residential properties. Exemptions to the new law would are included for commercial agricultural operations and for properties whose business owners have $3 million or less in holdings in California. Those properties will continue to be taxed based on their purchase price.

The legislature is also charged with passing laws to phase-in the new market value-based tax and how often tax reassessments would occur (no less than three years between reassessments).

PROPOSITION 16 - Repeal Proposition 209 Affirmative Action Amendment

Summary: Permits government decision-making policies to consider race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin to address diversity by repealing article I, section 31, of the California Constitution, which was added by Proposition 209 in 1996.

Proposition 209 generally prohibits state and local governments from discriminating against, or granting preferential treatment to, individuals or groups on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, education, or contracting.

Does not alter other state and federal laws guaranteeing equal protection and prohibiting unlawful discrimination.

Fiscal impact: No direct fiscal effect on state and local entities because the measure does not require any change to current policies or programs.

Possible fiscal effects would depend on future choices by state and local entities to implement policies or programs that consider race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public education, public employment, and public contracting. These fiscal effects are high uncertain.

What it means: In 1996, voters passed Proposition 209 which essentially ended affirmative action involving race-based or sex-based preferences in California. If Prop. 16 passes, the state constitution would be changed to once again allow state, local and other public departments to (within the bounds of federal law) use affirmative action programs for hiring that grant preferences based on race, sex, color, ethnicity and national origin in public employment, public education, and public contracting.

PROPOSITION 17 - Voting Rights Restoration for Persons on Parole Amendment

Summary: Amends state constitution to restore voting rights to persons who have been disqualified from voting while serving a prison term as soon as they complete their prison term.

What it means: Current California law requires that anyone who has been convicted of a felony must complete their prison and parole sentences before can regain their right to vote. However, if Prop. 17 passes, that would be limited to only those serving in prison and those on parole would regain the ability to vote.

PROPOSITION 18 - Primary Voting for 17-Year-Olds Amendment

Summary: If passed, Proposition 18 would allow 17-year-olds who will be 18 at the time of the next general election to vote in primary elections and special elections.

What it means: If you're a 17-year-old who has a birthday in August, you aren't allowed to vote in California's primary, even though you'll be eligible to vote by the November election. Prop. 18 would change that and grant those 17-year-olds the right to vote in California's primary elections (currently held in March).

PROPOSITION 19 - Property Tax Transfers, Exemptions, and Revenue for Wildfire Agencies and Counties Amendment

Summary: If passed, the bill would allow homeowners who are 55, severely disabled, or whose homes were destroyed by wildfire or disaster, to transfer their primary residence’s property tax base value to a replacement residence of any value, anywhere in the state. The bill would also limit tax benefits for certain transfers of real property between family members and expands tax benefits for transfers of family farms.

Fiscal impact: Any state revenues or savings would be allocated to fire protection services and reimbursing local governments for taxation-related charges.

What it means: As wildfire season continues to lengthen and ravage California, some homeowners have found themselves on the receiving an unexpectedly large tax bill, something that Prop 19 hopes to fix. If passed, this bill would allow eligible homeowners to transfer their previous tax assessments of their properties to a different home of the same or lesser market value. That would help people who have lost their homes to wildfires or other types of natural disasters.

For example, if a homeowner who owned a cheaper home that was destroyed by wildfire, they would be allowed to transfer that tax assessment to anywhere else in California - even if that new residence's tax assessment was higher than their previous home.

Eligible homeowners would include those who've lost their residences to a wildfire or disaster, and for those persons over 55 years old or persons with severe disabilities.

PROPOSITION 20 - Criminal Sentencing, Parole, and DNA Collection Initiative

Summary: If passed, this would limit access to parole programs that have been established for non-violent offenders who have completed the full term of their primary offense by eliminating eligibility for certain offenses. It would also change the standards and requirements governing parole decisions under this program. The bill also authorizes felony charges for specified theft crimes currently chargeable only as misdemeanors, including some theft crimes where the value is between $250 and $950.

Finally, this would also require any persons convicted of specified misdemeanors to submit to collection of DNA samples for state database.

What it means: Between 2011 and 2016, several criminal sentencing and supervision laws were passed as legislatures worked to get tough on crime while at the same time, alleviating California's severely overcrowded penal system. Prop. 20 is an effort to amend several of those laws, changing the sentencing guidelines on specific types of theft and fraud crimes.

For example, Prop. 20 would change things like firearm theft, vehicle theft, and the unlawful use of a credit card to be chargeable as misdemeanors or felonies, depending on the offense. Prop. 20 would also establish two new types of crime in the state code - serial crime and organized retail crime.

Those convicted of certain misdemeanors would also be required to submit to the collection of DNA samples for state and federal databases.

Prop. 20 also changes how the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's parole review program would look at felon's records while deciding if they should be released or not. Those additional factors include: the felon's age, marketable skills, attitude about the crime, and mental condition, as well as the circumstances of the crimes committed.

The ballot initiative would also define 51 crimes and sentence enhancements as violent to exclude them from the parole review program.

PROPOSITION 21 - Local Rent Control Initiative

Summary: If passed, this would amend state law to allow local governments to establish rent control on any residential properties that are over 15 years old and allow localities to pass limits on annual rent increases that are different than the current statewide limit. It would also allow for rent increases in rent-controlled properties of up to 15 percent over three years at start of new tenancy (above any increase allowed by local ordinance).

Any individuals who own no more than two homes would be exempt from the new rent-control policies.

In accordance with California law, prohibits rent control from violating landlords’ right to fair financial return.

What it means: As the housing crunch in California sends housing prices sky high, one ballot proposition would try to give local governments more control on how rapidly rents can rise in any given neighborhood. In 1995, the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act limited what local governments could do with rent control. Prop. 21 would change that to allow local governments to adopt rent control on housing units and require those governments to adopt rent control that allows landlords to increase rental rates by 15 percent during the first three years following a vacancy.

Other exemptions include:

Housing first occupied within the last 15 years
united owned by people who own no more than two housing units with separate titles (single-family homes, condos, duplexes, or subdivided interests).

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