2020 General Election Voting Guide

Explore

General Election Voting Guide
General Election Voting Guide

California & San Francisco

California & San Francisco

Lauren Struthers

Your personal workbook for the upcoming election so you can make informed decisions on local, state, and national issues.

Mobile friendly, but recommend editing on your laptop to copy and save:

Copy Doc

⁠

🇺🇸 What’s on the Ballot

Federal and State: Select One

School: Vote for no more than Four

State Propositions

If using mobile, click on the Prop to select your choice and scroll right.

Prop 14

Authorizes Bonds Continuing Stem Cell Research. Initiative Statute.

Prop 15

Increases Funding Sources for Public Schools, Community Colleges, and Local Government Services by Changing Tax Assessment of Commercial and Industrial Property. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.

Prop 16

Allows Diversity as a Factor in Public Employment, Education, and Contracting Decisions. Legislative Constitutional Amendment.

Prop 17

Restores Right to Vote After Completion of Prison Term. Legislative Constitutional Amendment.

Prop 18

Amends California Constitution to Permit 17-Year-Olds to Vote in Primary and Special Elections If They Will Turn 18 by the Next General Election and Be Otherwise Eligible to Vote. Legislative Constitutional Amendment.

Prop 19

Changes Certain Property Tax Rules. Legislative Constitutional Amendment.

Prop 20

Restricts Parole for Certain Offenses Currently Considered to Be Non-Violent. Authorizes Felony Sentences for Certain Offenses Currently Treated Only as Misdemeanors. Initiative Statute.

Prop 21

Expands Local Governments’ Authority to Enact Rent Control on Residential Property. Initiative Statute.

Prop 22

Exempts App-Based Transportation and Delivery Companies From Providing Employee Benefits to Certain Drivers. Initiative Statute.

Prop 23

Establishes State Requirements for Kidney Dialysis Clinics. Requires On-Site Medical Professional. Initiative Statute.

Prop 24

Amends Consumer Privacy Laws. Initiative Statute.

Prop 25

Referendum on Law That Replaced Money Bail With System Based on Public Safety and Flight Risk.

Prop

Prop 14

Description

Authorizes Bonds Continuing Stem Cell Research. Initiative Statute.

Prop Explained in 1 Minute

Open Cal Matters Guide

Open Link

What your vote means

A YES vote on this measure means: The state could sell $5.5 billion in general obligation bonds primarily for stem cell research and the development of new medicinal treatments in California.

A NO vote on this measure means: The state could not sell $5.5 billion in general obligation bonds primarily for stem cell research and the development of new medical treatments in California.

YES on Prop

University of California Board of Regents

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research

The Latino Cancer Institute

Sickle Cell Disease Foundation of California

Gov. Gavin Newsom

California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Board of Directors

No on Prop

Jeff Sheehy, board member of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine

Los Angeles Times editorial board

San Francisco Chronicle editorial board

Mercury News & East Bay Times editorial boards

My Choice

⁠

City, County, and District Propositions

Prop A

Health and Recovery Bonds. To finance the acquisition or improvement of real property, including to: stabilize, improve, and make permanent investments in supportive housing facilities, shelters, and/or facilities that deliver services to persons experiencing mental health challenges, substance use disorder, and/or homelessness; improve the accessibility, safety and quality of parks, open spaces and recreation facilities; improve the accessibility, safety and condition of the City’s streets and other public right-of-way and related assets; and to pay related costs, shall the City and County of San Francisco issue $487,500,000 in general obligation bonds with a duration of up to 30 years from the time of issuance, and estimated average tax rate of $0.014/$100 of assessed property value, and project average annual revenues of $40,000,000, subject to independent citizen oversight and regular audits? The City’s current debt management policy is to keep the property tax rate for City general obligation bonds below the 2006 rate by issuing new bonds as older ones are retied and the tax base grows, though this property tax rate may vary based on other factors.

Prop B

Shall the City amend the Charter to create a Department of Sanitation and Streets with oversight from a Sanitation and Streets Commission, and to establish a Public Works Commission to oversee the Department of Public Works?

Prop C

Shall the City amend the Charter to remove the requirement that people serving on City boards, commissions and advisory bodies be registered voters and U.S. citizens, and continue to require those people be old enough to vote in City elections and be San Francisco residents?

Prop D

Shall the City amend the Charter to create a Sheriff’s Department Office of Inspector General and a Sheriff’s Department Oversight Board that would make recommendations to the Sheriff and the Board of Supervisors about the operations of the Sheriff’s Department?

Prop E

Shall the City amend the Charter to remove the requirement that the San Francisco Police Department maintain a minimum of 1,971 full-duty sworn police offers and replace the requirement with regular evaluations of police staffing levels?

Prop F

Shall the city eliminate the payroll expense tax; permanently increase the registration fee for some businesses by $230-460, decreasing it for others; permanently increase gross receipts tax rates to 0.105-1.040%, exempting more small businesses; permanently increase the administrative office tax rate to 1.61%; if the City loses certain lawsuits, increase gross receipts tax rates on some businesses by 0.175-0.690% and the administrative office tax rate by 1.5%, and place a new 1% or 3.5% tax on gross receipts from commercial leases, for 20 years; and make other business tax changes; for estimated annual revenue of $97 million?

Prop G

Shall the City amend the Charter to allow San Francisco residents to vote for local candidates and local ballot measures if they are U.S. citizens, at least 16 years old and registered to vote?

Prop H

Shall the City change the Planning Code for neighborhood commercial districts to increase permissible uses, eliminate public notification processes for new permitted uses, and require an expedited process for permits?

Prop I

Shall the city permanently increase the transfer tax rate on sales and leases of 35 years or more of real estate, to 5.50% on those transactions of $10 million to $25 million, and to 6.00% on those transactions of $25 million or more, for an estimated average revenue of $196 million a year?

Prop J

Shall the City replace its 2018 Parcel Tax for the San Francisco Unified School District with a new tax that changes the annual tax rate from $320 per parcel to $288 per parcel, adjusted for inflation each year, and with an exemption for people age 65 or older, until June 30, 2038, for an estimated revenue of $48.1 million a year?

Prop K

Shall the City have the authority to own, develop, construct, acquire or rehabilitate up to 10,000 units of low-income rental housing in San Francisco?

Prop L

Shall the City place an additional tax permanently on some businesses in San Francisco when their highest-paid managerial employee earns more than 100 times the median compensation paid to their employees in San Francisco, where the additional tax rate would be between 0.1%-0.6% of gross receipts or between 0.4%-2.4% of payroll expense for those businesses in San Francisco, for an estimated revenue of between $60-140 million a year?

Prop RR

Caltrain Sales Tax. To preserve Caltrain service and support regional economic recovery, prevent traffic congestion, make Caltrain more affordable and accessible, reduce air pollution with cleaner and quieter electric trains, make travel times faster, and increase Caltrain frequency and capacity between Santa Clara, San Mateo and San Francisco counties, shall the Peninsula Corridor Join Powers Board’s resolution levying a 30-year one-eighth cent sales tax with oversight and audits, providing approximately $100 million annually for Caltrain that the State cannot take away, be adopted?

Prop

Prop A

Description

In other words...

Should San Francisco issue $487.5 million in bonds to fund parks and recreation facilities, mental health and substance abuse facilities, supportive housing and homeless shelters, and seismic improvements to public areas and road repairs? Passes with a two-thirds vote.

KQED Election 2020

⁠

My Choice

⁠