2026 Midterms State GuideCalifornia

California has a constitutionally required rainy day fund, plus a decades-old cap on how much the state can spend (the "Gann Limit"). This amendment adjusts both. It would let the rainy day fund grow twice as large before it's considered full, funnel more of the state's volatile capital gains revenue into it, keep the requirement that half of those savings go toward paying down debt through 2040, and exempt money going into savings from counting against the spending cap. It would also let the governor declare a budget emergency through the normal May budget update rather than as a separate step.

California's top income tax rates on high earners are set to expire in 2031. This amendment makes them permanent, keeping the higher rates on single filers earning above $361,000 and joint filers above $721,000. Of the money raised, 89% goes to K-12 schools and 11% to community colleges.

Right now, only charter cities in California can use taxpayer money to fund political campaigns; the state, counties, districts, and other cities are barred from it. This measure lifts that ban, letting any level of government set up a public campaign financing program if it chooses to.

When Californians vote on recalling a statewide officer (think: governor), the ballot asks two things at once: should this person go, and who replaces them? This amendment drops the second question. A recalled office would sit empty until the lieutenant governor stepped in or a special election was held. Supporters say the current setup can hand the job to a replacement who won far fewer votes than the person being removed. Critics say it leaves the office in limbo.

This creates a state program offering second mortgages to qualified homebuyers through the California Housing Finance Agency, and lets that agency borrow $25 billion to pay for it.

California would borrow $8.4 billion to fund research into the immune system and how to use it to fight diseases like cancer. The money would create a new research institute connected to the University of California and fund grants to public and nonprofit medical research institutions across the state.

This initiative would require in-person voters to show a government-issued ID, and mail-in voters to provide the last four digits of one when they register. It also requires election officials to keep voter rolls current, make a good-faith effort to verify each voter's citizenship, and report how much of each county's list has been checked. The State Auditor would review compliance every other year.

This initiative charges California's billionaires a one-time 5% tax on their total accumulated wealth (stocks, bonds, and other holdings, not just income). The money would fund state health care programs (think: Medi-Cal), food assistance, and public education.

A "special tax" is one set aside for a specific purpose, like a tax earmarked for transportation. This initiative would require an independent audit of any new special tax before voters approve it, and another every four years after. It would also close a workaround that currently lets some new state taxes escape California's cap on government spending.

This amendment would block California from creating new taxes on what people own (retirement accounts, personal property, savings) as opposed to what they earn. It would also bar retroactive taxes, meaning the state couldn't pass a tax and then apply it to something you did before the law existed. Both rules would apply to taxes enacted after January 1, 2026.

Local special taxes put on the ballot by citizens, a measure to fund parks or housing, say, currently pass with a simple majority. This initiative raises that to two-thirds. It would also retroactively cancel property-related taxes that passed under the old, lower threshold, and stop charter cities from setting their own real estate transfer taxes above the state rate.

Federally qualified nonprofit health centers (and similar "look-alike" clinics) would be required to spend at least 90% of their yearly revenue on things that directly serve their mission.

California's environmental law requires review before major projects can move forward. This initiative speeds that up for projects the law deems essential: it sets deadlines for agencies to finish their review, narrows how many alternative versions of a project they must consider, and puts time limits on lawsuits challenging approvals, while restricting what evidence courts can weigh and what remedies they can order.