Proposition 4
California Fair Elections Act (2026)
In February 2026, the League of Women Voters of California, California Clean Money Action Fund, and California Common Cause officially launched the campaign for the California Fair Elections Act, which will appear on the November 2026 ballot. This landmark measure will lift the ban on public campaign financing in California and help ensure that everyday Californians, not just wealthy special interests, have a meaningful voice in our elections.
For decades, the League has fought to reduce the undue influence of money in politics. The California Fair Elections Act represents one of the most significant opportunities in a generation to make our elections more transparent, more competitive, and more accountable to voters. By empowering small-dollar donors and reducing the influence of large special interests, this act ensures that our elected officials are accountable to the voters they represent, not just wealthy campaign contributors.
Public financing also opens the playing field to more candidates who reflect the full diversity of California. When Latino, Asian American, and Black Californians, who make up nearly two-thirds of our population, have candidates on the ballot who speak to their lives and concerns, they have more reason to engage and turn out to vote.
LWVC RECOMMENDS: VOTE YES
California Fair Elections Act Fact Sheet
Our detailed fact sheet covers:
- Lifting the Ban: How the act removes the current prohibition on public financing of campaigns.
- Accountability: Strict taxpayer safeguards, spending limits, and transparency requirements.
- Empowering Voters: The impact of amplifying small-dollar donations to reduce the influence of large special interests.
Our Coalition
The California Clean Money Action Fund, California Common Cause, and the League of Women Voters of California chair the new ballot measure committee, Californians for Fair Elections.
Proposition 5
Recall Reform (2026)
California’s recall election process was designed as a democratic safeguard to hold corrupt or abusive officials accountable. However, under current law, the recall ballot presents voters with two connected questions: (1) Should the official be recalled? and (2) If so, who should replace them?
These two questions together create a dangerous loophole. An elected official can be removed by a narrow majority. Then, a candidate listed in question #2 can win the office with far less than 50% of the votes cast in the election. This encourages political actors to target officials they couldn’t defeat in a regular election and to install replacements who lack broad public support.
We saw this dynamic play out during the 2021 gubernatorial recall attempt. Although voters overwhelmingly rejected the recall by nearly the exact margin as the original gubernatorial election, California taxpayers were forced to pay over $200 million for an unnecessary election. Nearly 70% of California likely voters called the effort a waste of taxpayer money. Had the recall succeeded, the leading replacement candidate would have taken office with only about 28% support from recall voters.
Proposition 5 enacts a single, commonsense fix to restore fairness and integrity: it removes the second question from state recall ballots.
LWVC RECOMMENDS: VOTE YES
What Would Prop 5 Do If Passed?
- Closes the Loophole: Eliminates the second question on recall ballots so political operators cannot use recalls as a shortcut to install candidates who couldn’t win under normal election conditions.
- Protects Majority Rule: Ensures that if an officeholder is recalled by a majority of voters, the vacancy is filled using standard, established rules rather than a same-day replacement contest.
- Defends Taxpayer Dollars: Discourages political schemes that waste hundreds of millions in public funds to re-run elections whose outcomes voters have already decided.
Our Coalition
The League of Women Voters of California, California Common Cause, and a broad statewide coalition of nonpartisan democracy advocates are united in supporting Proposition 5 to protect majority rule and restore California’s recall process back to the voters it was designed to serve.
Proposition 39
Stop the Voter ID Initiative (2026)
On March 2, 2026, the League of Women Voters of California joined a broad coalition of civil rights and community organizations to launch a campaign to defeat a dangerous voter ID initiative. If passed, this measure would impose sweeping new restrictions on how every Californian casts their ballot, targeting communities that already face significant obstacles to voting.
This initiative is not about election security—California’s elections are already among the most secure in the nation, with rigorous verification at every stage. Instead, this measure attempts to import federal-level election lies and intimidation tactics into our state. It seeks to erect bureaucratic barriers that would disproportionately harm voters with disabilities, naturalized citizens, and underrepresented communities, while making voting harder for the millions of Californians who prefer to vote by mail.
About Prop 39
This proposition would add new voting ID requirements for all voters.
LWVC RECOMMENDS: VOTE NO
Campaign Information
Get the facts, join the fight, and see who else says “NO on Prop 39” by visiting the campaign website:
Our Coalition
The League is proud to stand with the following partners in a growing campaign committee to defeat this measure:
- ACLU of Northern California
- ACLU of Southern California
- ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties
- ACLU California Action
- Asian Law Caucus
- California Black Power Network
- California Common Cause
- California Donor Table
- Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)
- Courage California
- Disability Rights California
- Equality California
- For the People Action
- NextGen Policy
- VoteRiders
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