Archive of Ballot Recommendations

Read our Recommendations

This archive contains recommendations for statewide measures. Our recommendations are based on extensive research by our nonpartisan staff and volunteers, who use our positions to guide their evaluation.

The LWVC is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization that empowers voters and promotes informed participation in government. We do not endorse candidates or political parties.

March 5, 2024 Primary Election

  • Recommendation on Prop 36 (2024)

    Recommendation on Prop 36 (2024)

    NO on Prop 36: Increase Penalties For Theft And Drug Trafficking. Prop 36 would erode criminal justice reform in California by reversing key advances aimed at reducing mass incarceration and […]

    Read More

November 8, 2022 General Election

  • Recommendation on Prop 1 (2022)

    Recommendation on Prop 1 (2022)

    Vote YES on Prop 1: Reproductive Freedom. A recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court held that the U.S. Constitution does not protect the right to abortion. While access to […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 26 (2022)

    Recommendation on Prop 26 (2022)

    NO POSITION on Prop 26: In-Person Sports Betting in Tribal Casinos. When the LWVC has no pre-existing position relevant to a ballot measure, we offer no analysis.

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 27 (2022)

    Recommendation on Prop 27 (2022)

    NO POSITION on Prop 27: Online Sports Betting. When the LWVC has no pre-existing position relevant to a ballot measure, we offer no analysis.

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 28 (2022)

    Recommendation on Prop 28 (2022)

    NEUTRAL on Prop 28: Funding Arts and Music Education. The League strongly supports a high-quality public education system in California. Because of a variety of voter-supported initiatives which limit and […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 29 (2022)

    Recommendation on Prop 29 (2022)

    NEUTRAL on Prop 29: Kidney Dialysis Clinics Requirements. This measure would require operators of chronic dialysis clinics to have a minimum of one licensed physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 30 (2022)

    Recommendation on Prop 30 (2022)

    NEUTRAL on Prop 30: Income Tax on Millionaires for Electric Cars. Prop 30 would increase the income tax for very wealthy Californians, and use the proceeds on programs to reduce […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 31 (2022)

    Recommendation on Prop 31 (2022)

    YES on Prop 31: Banning Flavored Tobacco Products. In 2020, California passed a law banning the in-person sale of flavored tobacco products, like candy-flavored e-cigarettes and menthol cigarettes, at stores […]

    Read More

March 3, 2020 Primary Election

  • Recommendation on Prop 13 (2020)

    Recommendation on Prop 13 (2020)

    YES on Prop 13: Bonds for Schools and Colleges Proposition 13 would authorize $15 billion for construction and modernization of school and college facilities in California. It includes $9 billion […]

    Read More

November 3, 2020 General Election

  • Recommendation on Prop 14 (2020)

    Recommendation on Prop 14 (2020)

    Neutral Position While the League of Women Voters of California supports ongoing stem cell research, we are neutral on Prop 14 (Stem Cell Research) because of the funding mechanism used […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 15 (2020)

    Recommendation on Prop 15 (2020)

    YES on Prop 15: Schools & Communities First. The Schools & Communities First initiative will raise $12 billion every year for California’s schools, essential workers, and local governments. This will […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 16 (2020)

    Recommendation on Prop 16 (2020)

    YES on Prop 16: Opportunity for All. Affirmative action in state hiring, contracting, and education was banned in California by Prop 209 in 1996. Prop 16 will reverse that ban […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 17 (2020)

    Recommendation on Prop 17 (2020)

    YES on Prop 17: Restore Voting Rights. Restoring voting rights to Californians who have completed their prison term is a matter of justice, equity, and fundamental fairness. Right now, nearly […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 18 (2020)

    Recommendation on Prop 18 (2020)

    YES on Prop 18: Voting Rights for 17-Year-Olds Seventeen-year-olds who will be 18 by the next general election should be able to vote in primary and special elections. Prop 18 […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 19 (2020)

    Recommendation on Prop 19 (2020)

    Vote NO on Prop 19 – The Home Protection for Seniors, Severely Disabled, Families, and Victims of Wildfire or Natural Disasters Act. Prop 19 exacerbates an already inequitable property tax […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 20 (2020)

    Recommendation on Prop 20 (2020)

    Vote NO on Prop 20: Rollback on Criminal Justice Reforms. Over the past decade, California has made progress in enacting laws that reduce the prison population and create a more […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 21 (2020)

    Recommendation on Prop 21 (2020)

    NEUTRAL on Prop 21: Local Governments and Rent Control. The League supports efforts to help resolve California’s housing crisis. We promote solutions aimed at increasing housing production in a sustainable, […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 22 (2020)

    Recommendation on Prop 22 (2020)

    NO POSITION on Prop 22: Rideshare and Delivery Drivers. When the LWVC has no pre-existing position relevant to a ballot measure, we offer no analysis.

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 23 (2020)

    Recommendation on Prop 23 (2020)

    NEUTRAL on Prop 23: Kidney Dialysis Clinics. This measure will require operators of chronic dialysis clinics to have a minimum of one licensed physician at the clinic whenever patients are […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 24 (2020)

    Recommendation on Prop 24 (2020)

    Vote NO on Prop 24: Amends Consumer Data Privacy. The League of Women Voters supports the protection of consumers’ private data. Prop 24 includes some beneficial elements, but we oppose […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 25 (2020)

    Recommendation on Prop 25 (2020)

    A YES vote on Prop 25 is a vote to replace the money bail system with the use of pretrial risk assessment tools that focus on safety and flight risk. It is estimated that almost 46,000 Californians, a disproportionate number of whom are Black and Latinx, are being held in jail because of their inability…

    Read More

June 5, 2018 Primary Election

  • Recommendation on Prop 68 (2018)

    Recommendation on Prop 68 (2018)

    YES on Prop 68: Californians for Clean Water and Safe Parks.   This measure would authorize California to issue general obligation bonds, with the money used to finance state and […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 69 (2018)

    Recommendation on Prop 69 (2018)

    YES on Prop 69: Motor Vehicle Fees and Taxes. If passed, this constitutional amendment would ensure that the existing transportation revenues we pay at the pump and when we register […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 70 (2018)

    Recommendation on Prop 70 (2018)

    NO on Prop 70: Greenhouse Gas Reduction Reserve Fund. This measure would add a requirement that two-thirds of legislators approve the first appropriation of any money collected from the sale […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 71 (2018)

    Recommendation on Prop 71 (2018)

    YES on Prop 71: Effective Date of Initiatives. Currently, an initiative that is approved takes effect the day after the election unless the measure provides otherwise. Election results are not […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 72 (2018)

    Recommendation on Prop 72 (2018)

    YES on Prop 72: Property taxation. New construction of Rainwater Capture System. This measure would allow an exclusion from additional property taxes for construction or installation of rainwater capture systems.  […]

    Read More

November 6, 2018 General Election

  • Recommendation on Prop 1 (2018)

    Recommendation on Prop 1 (2018)

    YES on Prop 1: Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond. California is experiencing a housing crisis. The state’s extreme shortage of affordable housing has life and death consequences, especially for people […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 2 (2018)

    Recommendation on Prop 2 (2018)

    YES on Prop 2: Homeless Housing Bond. A quarter of the nation’s homeless reside in California–over 130,000 people. A significant percentage of our homeless population suffers from mental illness. Prop […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 3 (2018)

    Recommendation on Prop 3 (2018)

    NO on Prop 3: Water Bond. It is essential that California manage and develop water resources in ways that benefit the environment, and that the environmental focus emphasizes both conservation […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 4 (2018)

    Recommendation on Prop 4 (2018)

    NO on Prop 4: Children’s Hospital Bond. While the League supports quality healthcare for all Californians, Prop 4 would use $1.5 billion in public, general obligation bond money to support […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 5 (2018)

    Recommendation on Prop 5 (2018)

    NO on Prop 5: Property Tax. Property taxes are the major source of funding for schools and local services. Prop 5 is a costly constitutional amendment that would reduce funds […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 6 (2018)

    Recommendation on Prop 6 (2018)

    NO on Prop 6: Gas Tax Repeal. California is in critical need of highway and local street repairs and maintenance, and improvements to mass transit and transportation. Prop 6 would […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 7 (2018)

    Recommendation on Prop 7 (2018)

    NO POSITION on Prop 7: Daylight Saving Time. When the LWVC has no pre-existing position relevant to a ballot measure, we offer no analysis.

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 8 (2018)

    Recommendation on Prop 8 (2018)

    NO POSITION on Prop 8: Kidney Dialysis Clinics. When the LWVC has no pre-existing position relevant to a ballot measure, we offer no analysis.

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 10 (2018)

    Recommendation on Prop 10 (2018)

    YES on Prop 10: Repeal Costa Hawkins. Multiple strategies are needed to address the significant housing shortages and inequities that exist across California. While this rent control measure offers little […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 11 (2018)

    Recommendation on Prop 11 (2018)

    NO POSITION on Prop 11: Ambulance Employee Breaks. When the LWVC has no pre-existing position relevant to a ballot measure, we offer no analysis.

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 12 (2018)

    Recommendation on Prop 12 (2018)

    NO POSITION on Prop 12: Farm Animal Cages. When the LWVC has no pre-existing position relevant to a ballot measure, we offer no analysis.

    Read More

June 7, 2016 Primary Election

  • Recommendation on Prop 50 (2016)

    Recommendation on Prop 50 (2016)

    Proposition 50 would give the Legislature clear authority to discipline Senators or Assembly Members by suspending them without pay. Lawmakers should be able to hold their own colleagues accountable if they breach the public’s trust. This commonsense measure was placed on the ballot with strong bipartisan support.

    Read More

November 8, 2016 General Election

  • Recommendation on Prop 51 (2016)

    Recommendation on Prop 51 (2016)

    All California’s schoolchildren deserve school facilities in good repair and equipped to provide all students a 21st century education. In a perfect world with adequate funding, we wouldn’t need to borrow to build. However, this is not a perfect world, and our facilities needs are massive and require a large infusion of funding. It has…

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 52 (2016)

    Recommendation on Prop 52 (2016)

    NO POSITION on Prop 52: State Fees on Hospitals. Federal Medi-Cal Matching Funds. When the LWVC has no pre-existing position relevant to a ballot measure, we offer no analysis.

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 53 (2016)

    Recommendation on Prop 53 (2016)

    NO POSITION on Prop 53: Revenue Bonds. Statewide Voter Approval. When the LWVC has no pre-existing position relevant to a ballot measure, we offer no analysis.

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 54 (2016)

    Recommendation on Prop 54 (2016)

    YES on Prop 54: California Legislature Transparency Act. League Analysis Proposition 54 gives voters a stronger voice at the state Capitol through greater transparency. Its three common-sense changes to the […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 55 (2016)

    Recommendation on Prop 55 (2016)

    Proposition 55 is key in maintaining economic recovery and growth in California by continuing the current income tax rates on the wealthiest two percent of Californians established by the voters in 2012. That measure, Prop 30, has moved California toward financial stability and adequate funding for education and other services we depend on like health…

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 56 (2016)

    Recommendation on Prop 56 (2016)

    NEUTRAL on Prop 56: Cigarette Tax. For background information on this measure, refer to the Legislative Analyst’s Office analysis included in the Official Voter Information Guide. League Analysis: The LWVC […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 57 (2016)

    Recommendation on Prop 57 (2016)

    This measure restores the authority of judges, not prosecutors, to decide if juveniles as young as 14 should be tried in adult court, a right judges had until 2000. The prosecution may file a motion, but the court decides. Proposition 57 will also reduce the state prison population and costs by allowing earlier parole of…

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 58 (2016)

    Recommendation on Prop 58 (2016)

    Proposition 58 repeals the most restrictive parts of Proposition 227, a 1998 initiative that limited the methods California schools can use to teach English to students who are not native English speakers. This measure addresses the inequity of Prop 227 and frees parents and their schools to provide the best educational opportunities for all California…

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 59 (2016)

    Recommendation on Prop 59 (2016)

    Eliminating the corrupting influence of money in our democracy is a vital concern. Unfortunately, this vague, poorly drafted ballot measure is not the solution. A constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United may have appeal as a quick fix, but in reality it is a slow, laborious, costly, and potentially unsuccessful strategy. A poorly written amendment…

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 60 (2016)

    Recommendation on Prop 60 (2016)

    NO POSITION on Prop 60: Adult Films. Condoms. Health Requirements. Initiative Statute. When the LWVC has no pre-existing position relevant to a ballot measure, we offer no analysis.

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 61 (2016)

    Recommendation on Prop 61 (2016)

    NO POSITION on Prop 61: State Prescription Drug Purchases. Pricing Standards. Initiative Statute. When the LWVC has no pre-existing position relevant to a ballot measure, we offer no analysis.

    Read More

  • Recommendation Prop 62 (2016)

    Recommendation Prop 62 (2016)

    Proposition 62 will abolish the death penalty, replacing it with life without possibility of parole. It will ensure time in prison is spent in work, with an increased portion of wages going to restitution to victims’ families. Families deserve restitution, not endless legal appeals, and closure through knowing these worst criminals will never be released.…

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 63 (2016)

    Recommendation on Prop 63 (2016)

    The facts are sobering. From 2002 to 2013, 38,576 Californians died from gun violence, including 2,258 children. In the U.S., more than 300 Americans are shot each day, more than 80 of them fatally. Prop 63 helps counter those statistics by strengthening background check systems and ensuring that California law enforcement shares data about dangerous…

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 64 (2016)

    Recommendation on Prop 64 (2016)

    NO POSITION on Prop 64: Marijuana Legalization. When the LWVC has no pre-existing position relevant to a ballot measure, we offer no analysis.

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 65 (2016)

    Recommendation on Prop 65 (2016)

    Don’t be confused by this deceptive measure—vote NO. Large players in the plastic bag industry spent millions to put this disingenuous initiative on the ballot, creating a distraction that could thwart California’s efforts to rein in plastic bag waste and litter. The plastic bag industry wants to use this measure to damage the hard-won agreement…

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 66 (2016)

    Recommendation on Prop 66 (2016)

    This poorly written measure would greatly increase California’s risk of executing an innocent person by shortening the time for appeals and limiting the prisoner’s ability to present new evidence of their innocence. Raising significant constitutional issues, this could cause more delays, increase taxpayers’ costs, and add layers of bureaucracy. It is estimated the state would…

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 67 (2016)

    Recommendation on Prop 67 (2016)

    The League urges a YES vote on Proposition 67 to retain California’s plastic bag ban. The question on a referendum is not intuitive; you are being asked if you want to retain the new law. Vote YES to keep the 2014 statewide law prohibiting single-use carryout bags. These plastic film bags pollute our oceans, pose…

    Read More

November 4, 2014 General Election

  • Recommendation on Prop 1 (2014)

    Recommendation on Prop 1 (2014)

    NEUTRAL on Prop 1: Water Bond The LWVC could enthusiastically support many of the projects funded by Prop 1, such as the cleanup and prevention of polluted groundwater; drinking and […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 2 (2014)

    Recommendation on Prop 2 (2014)

    YES on Prop 2: Rainy Day Fund. State Budget Reserves. The LWVC supports Prop 2 because it takes an important step toward fiscal discipline in our state government. It requires […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 45 (2014)

    Recommendation on Prop 45 (2014)

    NO POSITION on Prop 45: Healthcare Insurance. Rate Changes. When the LWVC has no pre-existing position relevant to a ballot measure, we offer no analysis.

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 46 (2014)

    Recommendation on Prop 46 (2014)

    NO POSITION on Prop 46: Drug and Alcohol Testing of Doctors. Medical Negligence Lawsuits. When the LWVC has no pre-existing position relevant to a ballot measure, we offer no analysis.

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 47 (2014)

    Recommendation on Prop 47 (2014)

    YES on Prop 47: Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act. Prop 47 will ensure that prison spending is focused on violent and serious offenses and will maximize alternatives for non-serious, nonviolent […]

    Read More

  • Recommendation on Prop 48 (2014)

    Recommendation on Prop 48 (2014)

    NO POSITION on Prop 48: Referendum on Indian Gaming Compacts. When the LWVC has no pre-existing position relevant to a ballot measure, we offer no analysis.

    Read More

Are you looking for our recommendations on a previous election’s ballot measures? Archive information will be added soon! Contact us if you have questions.