California Allow Public Financing of Election Campaigns Measure (2026)

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
California Allow Public Financing of Election Campaigns Measure

Flag of California.png

Election date

November 3, 2026

Topic
Campaign finance and Election administration and governance
Status

On the ballot

Type
Legislatively referred state statute
Origin

State legislature



The California Allow Public Financing of Election Campaigns Measure is on the ballot in California as a legislatively referred state statute on November 3, 2026.[1]

A "yes" vote supports repealing the ban on public financing of campaigns, enacted in 1988, and allowing the state and local governments to create programs that provide candidates with public funds under spending limits and eligibility rules.

A "no" vote opposes repealing the ban on using public funds for election campaigns, keeping the prohibition in place with the existing exemption for charter cities.


Measure design

See also: Text of measure

The measure would amend provisions of the Political Reform Act, which were adopted by the approval of Proposition 73 in 1988. Proposition 73 was an initiated state statute. In California, legislative alteration of an initiated state statute requires voter approval.[1]

The measure would repeal the prohibition on public officers and candidates from expending or accepting public funds for campaign purposes, thereby allowing the state or local governments to establish programs for the public funding of election campaigns. SB 42 would require the state and local governments to develop expenditure limits and criteria for candidates to qualify for public funds for election campaigns. It would prohibit the public funds from being used for legal defense fees, fines, or to repay a personal loan to their campaign.[1]

The expenditure limits would be established by statute, ordinance, or charter of the governing entity providing public election funds. The law would require the strict criteria set by the state or local governments for candidates to be eligible for public funds to require candidates to demonstrate broad-based support in their district (e.g., a minimum small-dollar contribution requirement or vouchers from a specified number of voting-age residents). The law would prohibit the strict criteria from requiring candidates to collect a specific number of signatures or raise a specified total dollar amount greater than $10 per contributor. The public funding program would be prohibited from discriminating against a candidate based on party affiliation or whether the candidate is an incumbent or challenger.[1]

The measure would authorize the state legislature to amend the provisions of the law related to the public funding of campaigns without voter approval, but require voter approval on all other provisions of the law.[1]

The measure would also make changes to the ban on foreign entities making campaign contributions if Assembly Bill 953, which would enact identical changes, does not take effect. The measure would add foreign national to the list of entities prohibited from making campaign contributions in the state. Foreign national would be defined as "a person who is not a citizen of the United States and who is not a lawfully admitted permanent resident" and exempt persons granted deferred action under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program from this definition.[1][2]

The measure would also increase the fines by up to three times the existing amount for violating the law's ban on foreign entities making campaign contributions.[1]

Text of the measure

Full text

The full text of the measure is available here.

Support

Ballotpedia has not located a campaign in support of the ballot measure. You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, with us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Supporters

Officials

Political Parties

Organizations

  • ACLU of California
  • California Common Cause
  • Consumer Watchdog
  • End Citizens United
  • Represent.Us


Arguments

  • Sen. Ben Allen (D-24): "The California Fair Elections Act is all about trying to improve our Democracy and elections. Public financing programs serve as a tool to lessen the power of big money, expand opportunities for more people to run for office, and allow candidates to focus more on voter appeal instead of donor appeal."
  • Sean McMorris, Transparency, Ethics, and Accountability Program Manager for common Cause: "It’s essentially leveling the playing field. It’s also an attempt to diversify the candidate field, which gives voters more choice."


Opposition

Ballotpedia has not located a campaign in opposition to the ballot measure. You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, with us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Opponents

Organizations

  • California Taxpayers Association


Arguments

  • David Kline, Vice President of Communications and Research for California Taxpayers Association: "People when they pay taxes want to pay for schools, fire departments, libraries, roads, that sort of thing. The last thing they want to pay for is a negative political ad that is going to hit them on the radio or T.V. during election season."


Background

California Proposition 73, Funds for Election Campaigns Initiative (June 1988)

See also: California Proposition 73, Funds for Election Campaigns Initiative (June 1988)

In June 1988, California voters approved Proposition 73 by a margin of 58% to 42%. The initiated state statute placed limits on campaign contributions, prohibited the use of public funds for election campaigns, and prohibited elected officials from using public funds to send mass mailings.[3]

Public financing of campaigns

See also: Public financing of campaigns

As of September 2025, 15 states and Washington, D.C., provided for some method of public campaign financing for state offices. Public financing of campaigns is when the government provides funds to candidates running for political office. Three models of public financing are popular: 1) matching funds, where the "government 'matches' certain small-dollar donations earned by a candidate with public funds at a set rate;" 2) vouchers, where the "government distributes 'vouchers' representing a small amount of public funds to each eligible resident, who may donate the funds to a participating candidate of their choice;" and 3) grants, where "participating candidates receive lump-sum grants of public funds."[4][5]

Legislative alteration in California

See also: Legislative alterations of ballot initiatives

California requires voter approval for legislative changes to approved citizen initiatives. From 2010 to 2025, the California State Legislature has amended two initiated state statutes—Proposition 35 and Proposition 64. Proposition 35 increased the maximum sentence for human trafficking and was approved in 2012. It was amended by the state legislature in 2016. Proposition 64 legalized marijuana in 2016 and was amended in 2017. Both alterations were passed as measures to further the purpose of the initiatives and were, therefore, not referred to the voters.

Path to the ballot

See also: Legislatively referred state statute in California

A simple majority vote is required during one legislative session for the California State Legislature to place a legislatively referred state statute on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 41 votes in the California State Assembly and 21 votes in the California State Senate, assuming no vacancies. State statutes do require the governor's signature.

Senate Bill 42 (2025)

The following is the timeline of the bill in the state legislature:[6]

  • January 6, 2025: Senate Bill 42 was read for the first time.
  • June 2, 2025: The state Senate passed SB 42 by a vote of 28-10.
  • September 12, 2025: The state Assembly passed an amended version by a vote of 59-20.
  • September 13, 2025: The state Senate concurred with the amendments by a vote of 29-8.
  • October 2, 2025: Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed the bill, sending it to the ballot.[7]


Partisan Direction Index = -100.0% (Democratic)
Democratic Support
100.0%
Republican Support
0.0%
California State Senate
Voted on September 13, 2025
Votes Required to Pass: 21
YesNoNV
Total2983
Total %72.5%20.0%7.5%
Democratic (D)2901
Republican (R)082
California State Assembly
Voted on September 12, 2025
Votes Required to Pass: 41
YesNoNV
Total59201
Total %73.8%25.0%1.2%
Democratic (D)5901
Republican (R)0200

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in California

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in California.

How to vote in California


See also

  • Ballot measure lawsuits
  • Ballot measure readability
  • Ballot measure polls

External links


Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 California Legislative Information, "SB-42 Political Reform Act of 1974: public campaign financing: California Fair Elections Act of 2026." accessed June 16, 2025
  2. California State Legislature, "Assembly Bill 953 text," accessed October 1, 2025
  3. UC Hastings, "Voter Pamphlet," accessed October 1, 2025
  4. U.S. Government Accountability Office, "Campaign Finance: Observations on Public Financing Programs in Selected States and Localities," December 19, 2024
  5. NCSL, "Public financing for candidates," accessed October 1, 2025
  6. California Legislative Information, "SB-42 History," accessed June 13, 2025
  7. Governor Gavin Newsom, "Governor Newsom signs bills curbing billionaire influence on elections and protecting elections from interference," October 2, 2025
  8. California Secretary of State, "Section 3: Polling Place Hours," accessed August 12, 2024
  9. California Secretary of State, "Voter Registration," accessed August 13, 2024
  10. 10.0 10.1 California Secretary of State, "Registering to Vote," accessed August 13, 2024
  11. California Secretary of State, "Same Day Voter Registration (Conditional Voter Registration)," accessed August 13, 2024
  12. SF.gov, "Non-citizen voting rights in local Board of Education elections," accessed November 14, 2024
  13. Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
  14. California Secretary of State, "What to Bring to Your Polling Place," accessed August 12, 2024
  15. BARCLAYS OFFICIAL CALIFORNIA CODE OF REGULATIONS, "Section 20107," accessed August 12, 2024
  16. Democracy Docket, "California Governor Signs Law to Ban Local Voter ID Requirements," September 30, 2024
  17. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.