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San Francisco County · 29 races · 25 ballot measures
Register by October 19 (same-day registration is available in person after that, through election day). California mails every registered voter a ballot starting around October 5.
Every San Francisco voter sees these races, no matter their address.
San Francisco is divided into districts for these offices — you vote in exactly one of each. Enter your address to see your district and its candidates.
Proposition 1 lets the state borrow $11.25 billion for housing, using bonds that the state repays over time. About $10 billion would fund state housing programs, and another $1.25 billion would fund home loans for veterans. A YES vote lets the state borrow this money to support veterans and affordable housing. A NO vote prevents this borrowing.
Proposition 2 changes how the state builds reserves and pays down debt. It raises the target for the state's rainy day fund, which is savings kept aside for difficult times. The target would rise from 10% to 20% of General Fund taxes. The measure also extends extra debt payments through 2040. A YES vote increases reserves and lengthens debt payments, while a NO vote keeps the current rules.
Proposition 3 concerns state income taxes on top earners. Higher income tax rates on high-income Californians have been in place since 2012, and those rates are set to expire in 2031. Proposition 3 would make them permanent. A YES vote keeps the higher rates permanently. A NO vote lets them expire in 2031.
Proposition 4 is about public money for political campaigns. Right now, most governments cannot use public funds for campaigns. Proposition 4 would remove this ban. It would let state and local governments set up their own campaign funding programs later. It does not create such a program by itself. A YES vote lets governments create these programs. A NO vote keeps the current ban for most areas.
Proposition 5 changes how recalls work for state officials. A recall lets voters remove an official from office early. Today, a recall ballot has two parts. Voters decide whether to remove the official. They also pick who should replace them. Proposition 5 removes the replacement question. Instead, empty seats would be filled the usual way. Legislative seats would use special elections. Other seats would be filled by the governor. A YES vote takes the replacement question off recall ballots. A NO vote keeps both the removal and replacement questions.
Proposition 37 would create a new state program to help people buy homes. It lets a state housing agency sell up to $25 billion in revenue bonds. Revenue bonds are borrowed money repaid from a specific income source. Here, the money would fund down payment assistance for middle-income homebuyers. A YES vote creates this homebuying assistance program. A NO vote means the state would not be required to create it.
Proposition 38 lets the state borrow $8.4 billion for medical research. The research focuses on immunology and immunotherapy. These fields study the body's immune system and use it to treat disease. The state would borrow the money by selling general obligation bonds. These bonds are repaid from the state's main budget. About half the money would go to one special research institute. The state health department would pick that institute. The other half would fund grants that researchers compete for. A YES vote allows this borrowing. A NO vote blocks it.
Proposition 39 changes how voters prove who they are. It would require voters to show a government-issued ID. This applies whether you vote in person or by mail. Election officials would also have to check that registered voters are U.S. citizens. The state would create a voter ID card. A YES vote puts these ID rules in place. A NO vote keeps the current system. Today, officials check identity by matching signatures.
Proposition 40 would create a one-time state tax on California billionaires. The measure defines a billionaire as a person with wealth over $1 billion. Wealth means the total value of everything a person owns. The tax would equal 5 percent of that wealth. It applies only to billionaires who were California residents on January 1, 2026. Under the measure, 90 percent of the revenue would be designated for health care. A YES vote would implement this wealth tax. A NO vote would prevent it from taking effect.
Proposition 41 deals with special taxes. A special tax is a tax raised for a specific purpose. The measure targets new or increased special taxes proposed through voter initiatives. Before ballots are printed, the State Auditor would review each program set to receive that tax money. The measure would also require an audit every four years for special taxes approved by voters or lawmakers. A YES vote sets up these audit rules. It may also affect the state's spending limit for new special tax money. A NO vote keeps current audit and spending limit rules the same.
Proposition 42 would change the state constitution. It would ban new state taxes on owning personal property. Personal property means things you own, like financial assets, rather than land or buildings. It would also ban certain new state taxes that reach back to past years. A YES vote means the state could not add these new taxes, while a NO vote means the state could still choose to add them.
Proposition 43 would change the state constitution. It deals with some local government taxes. Right now, voters can approve certain special taxes with a majority vote. That means more than half vote yes. Starting January 1, 2027, this measure would require a two-thirds vote instead. A YES vote raises the bar to two-thirds. A NO vote keeps the current majority vote rule.
Proposition 44 sets a spending rule for some health clinics. It applies to private nonprofit safety net clinics. Each year, these clinics would have to spend at least 90 percent of their total revenue on health care services. That would limit their administrative and other costs to 10 percent. A YES vote puts this rule in place, while a NO vote stops it from taking effect.
Proposition 45 speeds up review of some "essential projects." These include housing, schools, and infrastructure. It sets shorter time limits for environmental review. It also shortens the time for court challenges. It changes a state law called CEQA. CEQA is the California Environmental Quality Act. This law reviews how a project affects the environment. The measure also limits what courts can order. A YES vote adopts these faster steps for eligible projects. A NO vote keeps the current review and legal challenge rules.
Measure A would change San Francisco's Charter to match how some city departments already work. A YES vote lets the city change some processes. It would get rid of or reorganize certain commissions and advisory bodies. It also requires the Board of Supervisors to update voter-approved laws to match these changes. A NO vote keeps the Charter and these commissions as they are now.
Measure B would change San Francisco's Charter to let the city create a municipal finance corporation and a public bank. A YES vote allows the city to set these up. A NO vote means the city cannot create them.
Measure C would change how San Francisco decides how much money to put into its Housing Trust Fund each year. A YES vote changes how the yearly contribution is set. It increases funding and expands affordable housing programs. It also extends the Fund through 2058. A NO vote keeps the current rules and end date for the Fund.
Measure D would change the rules for putting measures on San Francisco's ballot. A YES vote raises the signatures needed for a voter initiative from 2% to about 8% of registered voters. That is about 10,600 to about 42,500 signatures. It makes it harder to call special elections. It lets initiative sponsors withdraw their measure before an election. It also stops a minority of the Board of Supervisors, or the Mayor alone, from placing measures on the ballot. A NO vote keeps the current rules.
Measure E would change San Francisco's Charter. It would give the City Administrator more power. A YES vote does four things. It puts the City Administrator in charge of city purchasing rules. It changes how those rules get approved. It changes when the Board of Supervisors must approve contracts and leases. It also extends the City Administrator's term in office. A NO vote keeps the current rules and term length.
Measure F would change San Francisco's Charter. It would give the Mayor more power over city government. A YES vote lets the Mayor move duties between departments. It lets the Mayor hire deputy mayors. It lets the Mayor hire and fire most department heads. It also lets city officials remove board and commission members without a reason. A NO vote keeps the Mayor's current, more limited power.
Measure G is about the Upper Great Highway in Sunset Dunes Park, which is currently closed to private cars. A YES vote would close the park from Monday 4:00 a.m. through Friday 6:00 p.m. (unless a holiday falls on a weekday) so the roadway can reopen to private vehicles during that time. A NO vote keeps the park open to the public without cars during those hours.
Measure H would create a new yearly tax on San Francisco real estate. The money would pay for Muni bus and rail service. A YES vote sets up this tax. Rates run from $129 per parcel up to $400,000 per parcel. The rate depends on the property's type and size. Rates go up each year with inflation. The tax would raise about $177 million a year for 15 years. A NO vote means this new tax does not happen.
Measure I would change how San Francisco uses money from its real estate transfer tax. A YES vote permanently sends half the transfer tax to affordable housing. This applies to property sales over $10,000,000, still taxed at 5.5% to 6%. The housing money can include social housing and housing assistance. Some sales would be exempt from this dedicated share. A NO vote keeps the transfer tax money as it is used now. The measure is expected to cut revenue by about $1 million a year.
Measure J would apply San Francisco's real property transfer tax to more property sales. These are properties transferred because of foreclosure, or to avoid foreclosure. This includes commercial, industrial, and large residential properties. A YES vote permanently taxes these sales at 0.5% to 6% of the property's fair market value. This would raise an estimated $100 million to $150 million a year. A NO vote keeps these transfers exempt from the transfer tax.
1 more school- or special-district measure applies in parts of San Francisco — enter your address to see whether they’re on your ballot.
Built from official sources; snapshot as of August 27, 2026 — races and candidates continue to update through the cycle, and the address lookup always shows the latest. Confirm your official ballot with the San Francisco County elections office. We never tell you how to vote.