The following is a list of California ballot propositions broken down by decade. Propositions can be placed on the ballot either through the exercise of the
initiative
In political science, an initiative (also known as a popular initiative or citizens' initiative) is a means by which a petition signed by a certain number of registered voters can force a government to choose either to enact a law or hold a ...
power by the voters or by a vote of the
state legislature
A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...
. The state initiative power was added to the California constitution in 1911 as part of the ethics reform instituted by Governor
Hiram Johnson
Hiram Warren Johnson (September 2, 1866August 6, 1945) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 23rd governor of California from 1911 to 1917. Johnson achieved national prominence in the early 20th century. He was elected in 191 ...
in the early 1910s.
By decade
*
1880–1889
*
1890–1899
*
1900–1909 The 1900s may refer to:
* 1900s (decade), the decade from 1900 to 1909
* The century from 1900 to 1999, almost synonymous with the 20th century
The 20th (twentieth) century began on
January 1, 1901 ( MCMI), and ended on December 31, 2000 ( MM ...
*
1910–1919
*
1920–1929
*
1930–1939
*
1940–1949
*
1950–1959
*
1960–1969
*
1970–1979
*
1980–1989
*
1990–1999
*
2000–2009
*
2010–2019
*
2020–2029
History
Ballot measures were not numbered prior to the general election of 1914.
Until the November 1982 general election, proposition numbers started with "1" for each election. After November 1982, subsequent propositions received sequentially increasing numbers until November 1998 when the count was reset to "1". Starting with November 1998, the count is reset in 10-year cycles.
Until 1960, citizen-led initiative measures appeared on general election ballots only. From 1960 to 2012, initiative measures appeared on primary, general, and special election ballots.
In October 2011, Governor
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected Secretary of S ...
signed into law a bill (Senate Bill No. 202) which requires all future ballot initiatives to be listed only in general elections (held in November in even-numbered years), rather than during any statewide election. Two propositions had already qualified for the next statewide election (which was the June 2012 presidential primaries) prior to the signing of the law, making the June 2012 primaries the last statewide non-general election in California to have statewide initiatives on the ballot. Propositions originating in the
State Legislature
A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...
can still appear on non-general election ballots, as was the case with Propositions 41 and 42 in
June 2014.
Notable propositions
Some notable propositions which have received a great deal of attention include:
See also
*
Elections in California
References
External links
California Ballot Measures Databasefrom University of California, Hastings College of the Law Library, a comprehensive, searchable source of information on California ballot propositions and initiatives from 1911 to the present
{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of California Ballot Propositions
**
Ballot propositions
California ballot propositions
In California, a ballot proposition is a referendum or an initiative measure that is submitted to the electorate for a direct decision or direct vote (or plebiscite). If passed, it can alter one or more of the articles of the Constitution of Ca ...
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...