California Right to Counsel of Choice Initiative (2026)
| California Right to Counsel of Choice Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 3, 2026 | |
| Topic Constitutional rights and Tort law | |
| Status Pending official review | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin Citizens |
The California Right to Counsel of Choice Initiative (#25-0027) 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 right to counsel of choice. The initiative also contains a provision stating that if another measure conflicts with this measure the other measure would be null if both are approved.[1][2]
Text of measure
Full text
The full text of the measure is available here.
Path to the ballot
Process in California
An initiated constitutional amendment is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends a state's constitution. Eighteen (18) states allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments.
In California, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 8% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval.
The requirements to get initiated constitutional amendments certified for the 2026 ballot:
- Signatures: 874,641 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.
Stages of this ballot initiative
The following is the timeline of the initiative:[2]
- October 28, 2025: The initiative was filed by James C. Harrison.
See also
View other measures certified for the 2026 ballot across the U.S. and in California.
Explore California's ballot measure history, including citizen-initiated ballot measures.
Understand how measures are placed on the ballot and the rules that apply.
External links
Footnotes
