California 2026 Ballot Measures: Voter ID & Local Tax-Threshold Initiatives Gain Momentum

As California prepares for the November 3, 2026 general election, the statewide ballot-measure landscape is beginning to take shape. Three statewide referrals are already locked in, while major citizen-initiatives—particularly the Voter ID & Citizenship Verification measure and the Local Tax Threshold amendment—are actively gathering signatures. These developments are especially relevant for stakeholders in tax policy, local government entitlements and development.

Measures Already Qualified for the November 2026 Ballot

The following three measures have been officially placed on the statewide ballot via legislative referral.

ACA 13 (Ward) – Voting Threshold Changes

This proposed constitutional amendment mandates that any citizen-initiated constitutional amendment seeking to raise the voter-approval threshold must itself be approved by that higher threshold.Significance: It reshapes the framework for future citizen initiatives—particularly those addressing taxes, land-use or regulatory reform.

SCA 1 (Newman) – Recall Process Reform for State Officers

This amendment revises the successor-election process when a statewide officer is recalled.Significance: The recall system has long been a point of debate; this reform could affect governance stability and accountability.

SB 42 – California Fair Elections Act of 2026

A statutory referral that proposes a public campaign-financing system under the Political Reform Act of 1974.Significance: Public financing would impact campaign-strategies statewide—including ballot-measure efforts.

Major Citizen Initiatives Circulating Now

These initiatives have cleared titles and summaries and are gathering signatures. None have yet submitted verified signature counts to qualify.

1. Voter ID & Citizenship Verification Initiative (No. 25-0007A1)

Summary: Constitutional amendment requiring government-issued photo ID for in-person voting, or last four digits of approved ID for mail ballots. Mandates statewide reporting on citizenship-verified voters.

Signatures required: ~874,641 valid signatures (8% of last gubernatorial vote)

Submission deadline: March 18 2026 (per SOS release)

Progress: Official certification of 25% threshold (~218,660 signatures) achieved Oct 21, 2025. Campaign claims 250,000–300,000 signatures in the first 2–3 weeks.

Funding: Led by Reform California (Carl DeMaio) and Tony Strickland. While major donor disclosure is limited, the signature-drive infrastructure suggests solid backing.

Outlook: High likelihood of qualification based on momentum and verified signature progress.

2. Local Tax Threshold Initiative (No. 25-0004A1)

Summary: Constitutional amendment raising voter-approval threshold to two-thirds for voter-initiated local special taxes; prohibits certain real-estate-transfer taxes in charter cities.Signatures required: ~874,641 valid signatures.Submission deadline: January 12, 2026.Progress: Circulating since July 16, 2025; no publicly certified 25% threshold yet.Funding: Backed by Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (Jon Coupal). No public evidence of large-scale deep-pocket donors at this time.Outlook: Moderate; meeting deadline and full quota may be more challenging than the Voter ID initiative.

Other Circulating Measures to Monitor

• Initiative No. 25-0009A1: Limits health-care executive compensation (~$450k cap) — Statute; requires ~546,651 signatures.

• Initiative No. 25-0008A1: Requires community health-clinics to spend 90% of revenue on patient-services — Statute; ~546,651 signatures.

• Initiative No. 25-0003: Expands ethnic-studies requirement for CSU graduates — Statute; ~546,651 signatures.

• Initiative No. 25-0010: Advisory question on California independence (2028 ballot) — ~546,651 signatures.

  
  

What’s Not on the Ballot Yet

As of the latest update, no citizen-initiated statewide measure has submitted verified signatures to qualify for the November 2026 ballot.Multiple additional initiatives remain pending title/summary before signature-gathering can begin—covering taxes, criminal-justice, and election-law reforms.

Strategic Implications

• The Voter ID initiative is likely to qualify; its implications for election-administration, campaign planning and rural/urban turnout dynamics are significant.

• The Local Tax Threshold initiative threatens to alter how local governments fund infrastructure and services—key for land-use, entitlements and development financing.

• With only three measures currently qualified statewide, the window remains open for additional referendum/referral measures—but signature-windows are narrowing.

• For your work in entitlements, local government consulting and policy advisement, early monitoring of these initiatives provides strategic advantage—especially in anticipating regulatory shifts or changes in local-governance finance models.

What We’ll Continue Monitoring

• Full signature-verification updates and certification from the Secretary of State.

• Major donor disclosures, campaign-finance filings and committee structure for key initiatives.

• Leading municipalities and counties (San Bernardino, Riverside, Inland Empire) for local ballot-measure spill-over effects.

• Timing and submission of any additional legislative referrals or citizen initiatives targeting November 2026 or beyond.