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California Propositions: Text & Analysis

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Full text of ballot measures (including affected statutory text), along with an official analysis and summary, and arguments for and against the proposition (once placed on a ballot), are available in different places depending on if the measure is currently pending, is past but qualified to appear on the ballot, or was initiated but failed to qualify or was withdrawn from the ballot. Summary information is available for most recall measures.

Currently pending measures

"Pending" initiatives and referenda: submitted for title and summary, being circulated in petition form, filed for petition signature verification, or qualified:

For Current Recall Efforts, information is limited to the calendar of actions needed to qualify for ballot, summary and monthly county reports of petition signatures collected, and funder information.

Past, qualified measures

Official title and summary, official analysis, pro/con arguments, and full text of initiatives and referenda appear in the voter information guide (ballot pamphlet); check supplemental pamphlet (if any) for late-breaking information. Most recall elections (limited to a state senatorial or assembly district) do not appear in the statewide ballot pamphlet; so far, only two gubernatorial recalls have qualified for a statewide ballot (see pamphlet for arguments and candidate statements).

Online
  • California Ballot Measures Database (1911-2000s): searchable full text, accompanying material contained in the ballot pamphlets, and related legal and legislative history. Includes 2003 statewide gubernatorial recall.
  • California Ballot Pamphlets (1911-2020): scanned PDFs for full text of older propositions. Includes 2003 statewide gubernatorial recall.
  • Lexis + > States > California > Statutes & Legislation > CA Ballot Measures (1995-): Bill text version, often with Legislative Analyst Office summary, but often without ballot proposition numbering; date may be the year before the election in which the proposition appeared.
  • Voter Information Guides archive (1996- ): full text (HTML and/or PDF) of title and summary, analyses, arguments, and text. Includes 2021 statewide gubernatorial recall.
Print/Microfiche (title varies)

Failed or withdrawn measures

For propositions and recalls that were initiated but which did not wind up on the ballot, either because the petition failed to gain enough signatures or because the proponent withdrew, try:

  • California Ballot Measures Database (1911-): search Initiatives only; include "failed to qualify" (with quotation marks) or withdrawn as search terms; results may include full text (PDFs) and/or filing and qualification materials.
  • History of California Initiatives (2002-): tabulation of proposed initiative measures that reached title and summary stage, including whether qualified for the ballot, and if so whether approved
  • Initiative: Inactive Measures (past 8 years): withdrawn, failed to qualify for ballot, or rejected by vote (short title, official title and summary if any, disposition and date; some full text)
  • Complete List of Recall Attempts (1913-): chronologically by year of filed intent to recall, lists name, proponent, date of election if qualified, and election result of all recall attempts (also as PDF)

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