California Vote Requirements for Initiatives Requiring Supermajority Votes Amendment (2026)

California Vote Requirements for Initiatives Requiring Supermajority Votes Amendment
Election date November 3, 2026
Topic Ballot measure supermajority requirements and Initiative and referendum process
Status On the ballot
Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

The California Vote Requirements for Initiatives Requiring Supermajority Votes Amendment is on the ballot in California as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 3, 2026.

A "yes" vote supports requiring citizen-initiated constitutional amendments that propose a higher vote threshold for future state or local ballot measures to meet the same higher threshold to pass (for example, a ballot initiative proposing a 60% requirement for certain other measures would itself require a 60% vote to pass).

A "no" vote opposes requiring citizen-initiated constitutional amendments that propose a higher vote threshold for future state or local ballot measures also to meet the same higher threshold to pass.

Overview

How would Assembly Constitutional Amendment 13 (ACA 13) change vote requirements for certain initiatives?

See also: Text of measure

Assembly Constitutional Amendment 13 (ACA 13) would require initiated constitutional amendments proposing increased voter approval requirements for state or local measures to be approved by the same majority requirement it is proposing. For example, an amendment proposing a two-thirds (66.67%) vote must also be approved by two-thirds of voters. Currently, initiated constitutional amendments need to be approved by a simple majority.

The amendment would also authorize local governing boards (boards of supervisors, city councils, or school boards) to place advisory questions on local ballots to determine the electorate's opinion on a policy. The advisory questions would not be legally binding.

Who supports and opposes this amendment?

See also: Support and Opposition

The amendment received endorsements from the California Teachers Association, SEIU California State Council, UNITE-HERE Coalition, ACLU of California, California Common Cause, and California State Association of Counties. State Asm. Christopher Ward (D-78), sponsor of the amendment, said, "The Protect and Retain the Majority Vote Act, ACA 13, would retain the majority vote requirement for passage of state and local initiatives. ACA 13 will require proposed initiatives that seek to increase vote thresholds on future ballot measures to pass with that same proportional higher vote threshold. ... Cities and counties also often place non-binding advisory measures on the ballot to allow voters to weigh in on various issues. This is a critical tool that allows voters to advise local government, and ACA 13 would protect the right of cities to place advisory questions on the ballot to ask voters their opinion on issues."

The amendment is opposed by the California Business Roundtable, California Chamber of Commerce, California Farm Bureau Federation, California NAIOP, California Taxpayer Association, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, and National Federation of Independent Business - California. The California Business Roundtable said, "Under ACA 13, the power to increase voter thresholds for new and higher taxes would vest solely with the Legislature, taking away a fundamental and often-used tool for voters looking to better control their cost of living and higher taxes. However, the power to reduce voter thresholds would remain with both citizens and the Legislature, creating significant power imbalance and an unlevel playing field."

How is ACA 13 related to the California Two-Thirds Legislative Vote and Voter Approval for New or Increased Taxes Initiative (2024)?

See also: California Two-Thirds Legislative Vote and Voter Approval for New or Increased Taxes Initiative (2024)

An initiated constitutional amendment to require new state taxes proposed by the state legislature to be enacted via a two-thirds legislative vote and voter approval and new local taxes to be enacted via a two-thirds vote of the electorate qualified for the 2024 ballot on February 1, 2023. However, it was removed from the ballot by the California Supreme Court following a lawsuit where the court ruled that the initiative amounted to a constitutional revision and could not be decided upon by voters.

The initiative would have also prohibited local governments from placing a non-binding advisory question on the same ballot as a general tax proposal asking how the revenue should be spent. Under ACA 13, the initiative would have needed to be approved by 66.67% of voters to pass.

Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, which sponsored the initiative, said, "[T]he real target of ACA 13 is the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act. If approved by voters in November 2024, TPA will restore the original intent of several voter-approved taxpayer protection initiatives including Prop. 13, Prop. 218, and Prop. 26, all of which have been weakened by a tax-hungry legislature and a hostile judiciary."

Text of measure

Constitutional changes

See also: Article II and Article XI, California Constitution

The measure would amend Section 10 of Article II and Section 7.8 of Article XI of the California Constitution. The following underlined text would be added, and struck-through text would be deleted: Note: Hover over the text and scroll to see the full text.

Sec. 10 of Article II

(a) An initiative statute or referendum approved by a majority of votes cast thereon the electors pursuant to Section 10.5 takes effect on the fifth day after the Secretary of State files the statement of the vote for the election at which the measure is voted on, but the measure may provide that it becomes operative after its effective date. If a referendum petition is filed against a part of a statute the remainder of the statute shall not be delayed from going into effect.

(b) If provisions of two or more measures approved at the same election conflict, the provisions of the measure receiving the highest number of affirmative votes shall prevail.

(c) The Legislature may amend or repeal a referendum statute. The Legislature may amend or repeal an initiative statute by another statute that becomes effective only when approved by the electors unless the initiative statute permits amendment or repeal without the electors’ approval.

(d) Before circulation of an initiative or referendum petition for signatures, a copy shall be submitted to the Attorney General who shall prepare a title and summary of the measure as provided by law.

(e) The Legislature shall provide for the manner in which a petition shall be circulated, presented, and certified, and the manner in which a measure shall be submitted to the electors.

Sec. 10.5. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), a statewide initiative statute or referendum is approved if a majority of the votes cast on the measure are in favor.

(b) Notwithstanding Section 4 of Article XVIII or any other provision of the Constitution, an initiative measure that includes one or more provisions that amend the Constitution to increase the voter approval requirement to adopt any state or local measure is approved by the voters only if the proportion of votes cast in favor of the initiative measure is equal to or greater than the highest voter approval requirement that the initiative measure would impose for the adoption of any state or local measure.

(c) This section applies to all statewide initiative measures submitted to the electors on or after January 1, 2024, including measures that appear on the ballot at the same election at which the measure adding this section is approved by the electors.

Article XI

Sec. 7.8. At any election, pursuant to procedures that the Legislature shall provide, a local governing body may hold an advisory vote concerning any issue of governance for the purpose of allowing voters within the jurisdiction to voice their opinions on the issue. An advisory question is approved only if a majority of the votes cast on the question are in favor. The results of the advisory vote shall in no manner be controlling on the sponsoring local governing body.

Support

Supporters

Officials

• State Rep. Christopher Ward (D)

Political Parties

• California Democratic Party

Unions

• AFSCME California
• California Federation of Teachers
• California Teachers Association
• SEIU California State Council
• UNITE-HERE Coalition

Organizations

• ACLU of California
• California Common Cause
• California State Association of Counties
• League of Women Voters of California

Arguments

• California State Council of Service Employees International Union (SEIU California): "One of the most sacred principles of democracy, the majority vote, is under attack. Anti-democratic efforts are seeking to establish and enshrine the right of a privileged and powerful minority to veto the will of the people. These anti-democratic measures to increase voter thresholds are intended to take away our freedoms such as abortion access and to prevent progress. ... [ACA 13] would retain and protect the majority vote, require any initiative that increases voter approval requirements to also be approved at the higher level, and would ensure local governments can always ask voters for their opinion on issues."
• Asm. Christopher Ward (D-78): "The Protect and Retain the Majority Vote Act, ACA 13, would retain the majority vote requirement for passage of state and local initiatives. ACA 13 will require proposed initiatives that seek to increase vote thresholds on future ballot measures to pass with that same proportional higher vote threshold. ... Cities and counties also often place non-binding advisory measures on the ballot to allow voters to weigh in on various issues. This is a critical tool that allows voters to advise local government, and ACA 13 would protect the right of cities to place advisory questions on the ballot to ask voters their opinion on issues."

Opposition

Opponents

Political Parties

• Republican Party of California

Organizations

• California Association of Realtors
• California Business Roundtable
• California Chamber of Commerce
• California Farm Bureau Federation
• California NAIOP
• California Taxpayer Protection Committee
• California Taxpayers Association
• Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
• National Federation of Independent Business - California

Arguments

• California Business Roundtable: "Under ACA 13, the power to increase voter thresholds for new and higher taxes would vest solely with the Legislature, taking away a fundamental and often-used tool for voters looking to better control their cost of living and higher taxes. However, the power to reduce voter thresholds would remain with both citizens and the Legislature, creating significant power imbalance and an unlevel playing field."
• Dr. Gary Galles, economics professor at Pepperdine University: "ACA 13 is more disingenuous. It was put on the ballot to prevent another ballot initiative already set for November 2024 from being able to pass. The Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act would restore Proposition 13 protections that courts have eroded. ACA 13 would undermine the possibility of such a restoration by raising the voting threshold for constitutional amendments to pass from a majority, as it stands now, to two-thirds. That is, it would sharply raise the standard for a Constitutional amendment to two-thirds in order to keep TPA from limiting politicians’ ability to abuse California’s property tax payers by lowering the standard they must meet from two-thirds to 55 percent."
• Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association: "As noted above, the real target of ACA 13 is the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act. If approved by voters in November 2024, TPA will restore the original intent of several voter-approved taxpayer protection initiatives including Prop. 13, Prop. 218, and Prop. 26, all of which have been weakened by a tax-hungry legislature and a hostile judiciary. ... ACA 13 is a cynical attempt to accomplish what “progressives” know they cannot do directly – repeal Prop. 13’s protections. Voters are tired of being tricked and abused in California by politicians who want to keep raising taxes."

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for California ballot measures

The campaign finance information on this page reflects the most recent scheduled reports that Ballotpedia has processed, which covered through June 27, 2025. The deadline for the next scheduled reports is February 2, 2026.

Ballotpedia has not identified any committees registered in support or opposition to the measure.

	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Support	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Oppose	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Total	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

Background

California Two-Thirds Legislative Vote and Voter Approval for New or Increased Taxes Initiative (2024)

See also: California Two-Thirds Legislative Vote and Voter Approval for New or Increased Taxes Initiative (2024)

An initiated constitutional amendment to require new state taxes proposed by the state legislature to be enacted via a two-thirds legislative vote and voter approval and new local taxes to be enacted via a two-thirds vote of the electorate qualified for the 2024 ballot on February 1, 2023. On June 20, 2024, the California Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the initiative amounted to a revision of the state constitution and was, therefore, unconstitutional and could not go before voters at the November 5, 2024 election. The initiative would have also prohibited local governments from placing a non-binding advisory question on the same ballot as a general tax proposal asking how the revenue should be spent.

The amendment was sponsored by Californians for Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability and has received endorsements from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, California Business Roundtable, and California NAIOP. Under ACA 13, the initiative would have needed to be approved by 66.67% of voters to pass.

Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, said, "[T]he real target of ACA 13 is the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act. If approved by voters in November 2024, TPA will restore the original intent of several voter-approved taxpayer protection initiatives including Prop. 13, Prop. 218, and Prop. 26, all of which have been weakened by a tax-hungry legislature and a hostile judiciary."

California State Council of Service Employees International Union (SEIU California), which supports ACA 13, said, " These anti-democratic measures to increase voter thresholds are intended to take away our freedoms such as abortion access and to prevent progress. ... [ACA 13] would retain and protect the majority vote, require any initiative that increases voter approval requirements to also be approved at the higher level, and would ensure local governments can always ask voters for their opinion on issues."

Supermajority requirements for state constitutional amendments

See also: Supermajority requirements for ballot measures

Of the 49 states that require voter approval for constitutional amendments, 11 states require a supermajority vote on the amendment or some rule that combines different criteria. Delaware is the one state where voter approval is not required for state constitutional amendments.

Supermajority requirements by state for specific topics

The following states have supermajority vote requirements for specific topics of statewide ballot measures.

Arizona

Arizona requires a 60% vote for voters to pass ballot measures to approve taxes. Voters approved this requirement via Proposition 132 in 2022.

Oregon

In Oregon, a ballot measure proposing a supermajority vote, such as a 60% vote, on ballot measures must be passed by the same vote threshold, such as 60%, as the measure itself proposes. Voters passed a constitutional amendment establishing this requirement in 1998.

Utah

Utah requires a two-thirds (66.67%) vote for the approval of any initiatives concerning the taking of wildlife. Voters adopted this requirement with the passage of Proposition 5 in 1998.

Washington

Washington requires 60% supermajority approval from all voters casting a ballot on initiatives or referendums related to lotteries. Other questions require simple majority approval to be enacted. This requirement was adopted with the passage of Washington SJR 5 in 1972.

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the California Constitution

A two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during one legislative session for the California State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 54 votes in the California State Assembly and 27 votes in the California State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

This amendment was introduced as Assembly Constitutional Amendment 13 (ACA 13) on July 13, 2023. The state Assembly passed ACA 13 on September 6. On September 14, the Senate voted 28-9 to pass ACA 13. Later on September 14, the Assembly voted 55-19 to concur with changes made in the Senate. The amendment was held at the desk by unanimous consent until November 1, 2023, thereby putting the amendment on the November 2024 ballot rather than the March 2024 ballot.

Vote in the California State Senate September 14, 2023
Requirement: Two-thirds (66.67 percent) vote of all members in each chamber
Number of yes votes required: 27  a
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	28	9	3
Total percent	70.0%	22.5%	7.5%
Democrat	28	1	3
Republican	0	8	0

Vote in the California House of Representatives September 14, 2023
Requirement: Two-thirds (66.67 percent) vote of all members in each chamber
Number of yes votes required: 54  a
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	55	19	6
Total percent	68.8%	23.7%	7.5%
Democrat	55	1	6
Republican	0	18	0

Assembly Bill 440 (2024)

The state legislature passed Assembly Bill 440 on July 3, 2024. AB 440, among other election changes, moved the amendment from the November 5, 2024, ballot to the November 3, 2026, ballot. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed AB 440 on July 3.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in California

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in California.

How to vote in California

Poll times

All polls in California are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in California, an individual must be a U.S. citizen and California resident. A voter must be at least 18 years of age on Election Day. Pre-registration is available at 16 years of age. Pre-registered voters are automatically registered to vote when they turn 18.

Automatic registration

California automatically registers eligible individuals to vote when they complete a driver's license, identification (ID) card, or change of address transaction through the Department of Motor Vehicles. Learn more by visiting this website.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

California has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

California allows same-day voter registration.

Californians must be registered to vote at least 15 days before Election Day. If the registration deadline has passed for an upcoming election, voters may visit a location designated by their county elections official during the 14 days prior to, and including Election Day to conditionally register to vote and vote a provisional ballot, which are counted once county election officials have completed the voter registration verification process. The state refers to this process as Same Day Voter Registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in California, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

California's constitution requires that voters be U.S. citizens. When registering to vote, proof of citizenship is not required. Individuals who become U.S. citizens less than 15 days before an election must bring proof of citizenship to their county elections office to register to vote in that election. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

As of November 2024, two jurisdictions in California had authorized noncitizen residents to vote for local board of education positions through local ballot measures. Only one of those jurisdictions, San Francisco, had implemented that law. Noncitizens voting for board of education positions must register to vote using a separate application from the state voter registration application.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The secretary of state's My Voter Status website allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

California does not require voters to present identification before casting a ballot in most cases. However, some voters may be asked to show a form of identification when voting if they are voting for the first time after registering to vote by mail and did not provide a driver license number, California identification number, or the last four digits of their social security number. On September 29, 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed SB 1174 into law prohibiting any jurisdiction in the state from adopting a local law that requires voters to present ID before voting.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of October 2024. Click here for the California Secretary of State page to ensure you have the most current information.

“

Current and valid photo identification provided by a third party in the ordinary course of business that includes the name and photograph of the individual presenting it. Examples of photo identification include, but are not limited to, the following documents: driver's license or identification card of any state; passport; employee identification card; identification card provided by a commercial establishment; credit or debit card; military identification card; student identification card; health club identification card; insurance plan identification card; or public housing identification card. Any of the following documents, provided that the document includes the name and address of the individual presenting it, and is dated since the date of the last general election…: utility bill; bank statement; government check; government paycheck; document issued by a governmental agency; sample ballot or other official elections document issued by a governmental, agency dated for the election in which the individual is providing it as proof, of residency or identity; voter notification card issued by a governmental agency; public housing identification card issued by a governmental agency; lease or rental statement or agreement issued by a governmental agency; student identification card issued by a governmental agency; tuition statement or bill issued by a governmental agency; insurance plan card or drug discount card issued by a governmental agency; discharge certificates, pardons, or other official documents issued to the individual by a governmental agency in connection with the resolution of a criminal case, indictment, sentence, or other matter; public transportation authority senior citizen and disabled discount cards issued by a governmental agency; identification documents issued by governmental disability agencies; identification documents issued by government homeless shelters and other government temporary or transitional facilities; drug prescription issued by a government doctor or other governmental health care provider; (R) property tax statement issued by a governmental agency; vehicle registration issued by a governmental agency; or vehicle certificate of ownership issued by a governmental agency.

”

See also

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Explore California's ballot measure history, including constitutional amendments.

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Legislative process

Understand how measures are placed on the ballot and the rules that apply.

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• California Constitution
• Amending state constitutions

External links

• Full text

Footnotes

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