California Allow Voting on Citizen Initiatives at Primary Elections Measure (2026)
| California Allow Voting on Citizen Initiatives at Primary Elections Measure | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 3, 2026 | |
| Topic Initiative and referendum process and Election administration and governance | |
| Status Cleared for signature gathering | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
The California Allow Voting on Citizen Initiatives at Primary Elections Measure (#25-0019) may appear on the ballot in California as an initiated state statute on November 3, 2026.
The initiative would allow citizen initiatives to appear on primary ballots if they qualify at least 131 days before the election.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title is as follows:
| “ | Repeals state law that prohibits ballot initiatives and referenda from being submitted to voters at primary elections. Initiative statute.[2] | ” |
Petition summary
The summary provided for inclusion on signature petition sheets is as follows:
| “ | Under current law, as amended by the Legislature in 2011, statewide ballot initiatives and referenda can only be submitted to voters at the statewide general election held in November of even-numbered years, or at a statewide special election. This measure repeals the 2011 law to allow statewide initiatives and referenda to be submitted to voters at any statewide election, including primary elections and general elections held in November of an odd-numbered year.[2] | ” |
Full text
The full text of the initiative can be read here.
Path to the ballot
An initiated state statute is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends state statute. There are 21 states that allow citizens to initiate state statutes, including 14 that provide for direct initiatives and nine (9) that provide for indirect initiatives (two provide for both). An indirect initiated state statute goes to the legislature after a successful signature drive. The legislatures in these states have the option of approving the initiative itself, rather than the initiative appearing on the ballot.
In California, the number of signatures required for an initiated state statute is equal to 5% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval. The requirements to get initiated state statutes certified for the 2026 ballot:
- Signatures: 546,651 valid signatures are required.
- Deadline: The deadline for signature verification is June 25, 2026. However, the secretary of state suggested deadlines for turning in signatures of January 12, 2026, for initiatives needing a full check of signatures and April 17, 2026, for initiatives needing a random sample of signatures verified.
Initiative #25-0019
- September 12, 2025: Gina Tse-Louie filed the initiative with the California Attorney General's Office.[1]
- November 19, 2025: The secretary of state cleared the initiative for signature gathering.[3]
See also
|
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Attorney General Information: Initiative and Referendum Proposals Pending Review By Attorney General, "25-0019 text," accessed September 16, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Initiative and Referendum Qualification Status," accessed November 20, 2025
