California Property Tax Exemption for Elderly Residents Initiative (2026)
| California Property Tax Exemption for Elderly Residents Initiative | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic Property taxes |
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| Status Cleared for signature gathering |
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| Type Initiated constitutional amendment |
Origin |
The California Property Tax Exemption for Elderly Residents Initiative (#25-0035) may appear on the ballot in California as an initiated constitutional amendment on November 3, 2026.
The initiative would amend the California Constitution to establish a property tax exemption on the homesteads of elderly residents 60 years of age or older for certain ad valorem taxes.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title is as follows:[2]
| “ | Exempts certain homeowners aged 60 or older from property taxes. Initiative constitutional amendment.[3] | ” |
Petition summary
The summary provided for inclusion on signature petition sheets is as follows:[2]
| “ | Reduces local property tax revenues by exempting a principal residence from property taxes if the homeowner, or the homeowner’s spouse: (1) is 60 years of age or older; and (2) has occupied the home as a principal residence for five consecutive years or has lived in California for at least 10 years. Exemption terminates if property no longer qualifies as a principal residence. After five years, homeowners must certify their continued eligibility to maintain exemption. Exemption does not apply to voter-approved special taxes, assessments, or bonds. [3] | ” |
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 #25-0035
The following is the timeline of the initiative:[2]
- December 1, 2025: Rishi Kumar filed the initiative with the California Attorney General's Office.[1]
- February 5, 2026: The initiative was cleared for signature gathering.
See also
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 California Secretary of State, "Initiative 25-0035 text," accessed December 3, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 California Secretary of State, "Initiative and Referendum Qualification Status," accessed December 3, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
