Your monthly support provides voters the knowledge they need to make confident decisions at the polls. Donate today.
California Proposition 8, Voting Prohibition for Those Serving a Sentence Amendment (1960)
| California Proposition 8 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 8, 1960 | |
| Topic Elections and campaigns | |
Status Defeated | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin State legislature |
California Proposition 8 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in California on November 8, 1960. It was defeated.
A “yes” vote supported changing prohibitions for voters to prohibiting voters who are serving a sentence for an infamous crime and those convicted of treason from voting. |
A “no” vote opposed changing prohibitions for voters to prohibiting voters who are serving a sentence for an infamous crime and those convicted of treason from voting, thus keeping the current law that prohibits those convicted of an infamous crime from voting. |
Election results
|
California Proposition 8 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 2,353,761 | 44.79% | ||
|
|
2,901,080 | 55.21% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Proposition 8 was as follows:
| “ | Eligibility to Vote | ” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary for this measure was:
| “ | Assembly Constitutional Amendment No.5. Changes prohibitions of eligibility to vote from those convicted of infamous crime to those convicted of felony during, punishment therefor and those convicted of treason. | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the California Constitution
A two-thirds vote was needed in each chamber of the California State Legislature to refer the constitutional amendment to the ballot for voter consideration.
See also
External links
Footnotes
 |
State of California Sacramento (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
