Note: this post will be periodically updated! (10/07/2026)
VOTER GUIDE – QUICK LINKS:
- HOME: Quick Voting Guide
FEDERAL LEGISLATORS: 24th Congressional Dist. * 26th Congressional Dist. * 32nd Congressional Dist. - STATE LEGISLATORS: Assembly, 38th Dist. * Assembly, 42nd Dist. * Assembly, 46th Dist.
- STATE OFFICES: Governor * Lt. Governor * Secretary of State * Controller * Treasurer * Attorney General * Insurance Commissioner * State Board of Equalization * Superintendent of Public Instruction
- JUDICIAL: Judicial Offices
- COUNTY EDUCATION: Superintendent of Schools * Ventura County Board of Education Trustees (* Ventura County Community College District Trustees *
- CITY SCHOOL DISTRICTS: Fillmore USD * Las Virgenes USD * Moorpark USD * Oxnard USD * Pleasant Valley School District * Rio School District * Santa Paula USD * Simi Valley USD * Ventura USD
- CITY COUNCILS: Camarillo * Moorpark * Ojai * Oxnard * Port Hueneme * Santa Paula * Simi Valley * Thousand Oaks * Ventura
- SPECIAL DISTRICTS: Antelope Valley -East Kern Water Agency * Bell Canyon Community Service Dist. * Camarillo Health Care District * Conejo Rec. & Park District * Fillmore-Piru Memorial District * Oxnard Harbor District * Pleasant Valley Rec. & Park District * Rancho Simi Rec. & Park District * Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency * United Water Conservation District
- PROPOSITIONS: TLDR * Prop. 1 * Prop. 2 * Prop. 3 * Prop. 4 * Prop. 5 * Prop. 37 * Prop. 38 * Prop. 39 * Prop. 40 * Prop. 41 * Prop. 42 * Prop. 43 * Prop. 44 * Prop. 45
- LOCAL MEAURES: Measures
- VOTING:
Protect our Schools and Health Care!
What’s the Background? California’s General Fund is used to pay for most public services – including education and health care. Income Taxes pay for most of the spending from the General Fund, and about half of income taxes come from “high-income earners”. In 2012, California experienced a crisis in school funding due to a downturn in the economy resulting in reduced revenues from lower income taxes. At that time, California ranked near the bottom nationally in per-pupil school spending – behind almost every other state. To stave off extreme cuts to public education and continue funding critical state services, voters passed a temporary tax increase on wealthy Californians – the top 2%. As a result, California was able to create a “Rainy Day Fund” and improve school spending over the past 14 years – providing free school meals, free transitional kindergarten to all four-year-olds, free before-and-after school care for younger elementary students, and community services in many school districts – giving all of California’s school children the opportunity to thrive.
The tax increase was originally scheduled to expire in 2018; however, California voted to extend the tax increase in 2016. It is now scheduled to expire in 2031. Proposition 3 makes the 2012 tax rates on wealthy Californians permanent so our schools can keep providing the services our children deserve. If it fails, schools could lose up to $15 billion a year – forcing layoffs and cuts to the very programs described above.
What would Proposition 3 do?
- Permanently extend the tax rates established in 2012 for wealthy Californians.
- Apply the tax rates established in 2012 only to income over $371,000 for single filers, over $742,000 for joint filers, and over $505,000 for heads of household – adjusted yearly for inflation.
- Apply standard tax rates for all income below the thresholds listed above.
- Adjust minimum income thresholds annually based on inflation.
- Deposit funds into the Education Protection Account to ensure it is allocated as required.
- Allocate education funds 89% to K-12 schools, 11% to community colleges, and prohibit spending any of it on administration.
- Free up state funding for a Rainy Day Fund to prevent cuts to health care for children and their families; services for seniors, working families, and small businesses; wildfire prevention; and other critical needs.
- Require independent audits annually to ensure funds are spent only for the purposes set forth in the proposition.
- Require local education agencies (i.e., school districts and county offices of education) to submit annual reports detailing the funds they received and how they were spent.
- Generate between $5 billion and $15 billion in revenue annually depending on economic conditions.
| Myths | Facts |
| “If Proposition 3 passes, wealthy Californians will leave the state.“ | This is NOT a new tax. The rates have been in place for 14 years, and California is still home to more high earners than any other state. Furthermore, the tax rate on high-income earners only applies to money earned above the minimum threshold – not to total income – making it a small price to pay to enjoy the benefits of living in California and keep our state financially strong. |
| “There is no accountability for the taxes raised under Proposition 3.“ | Proposition 3 requires that funds be deposited into the Education Protection Account to ensure they are NOT diverted to other purposes, and independent audits are conducted annually to ensure funds are being spent as authorized. |
| “Proposition 3 is a tax increase on Californians who already pay high taxes.“ | There is no additional tax on working families. Tax rates on the top 2% are extended not increased, and minimum income levels are indexed to inflation on an annual basis. Failure to pass Proposition 3 would be a tax cut for the wealthy. |
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| Political Organizations California Democratic Party California Young Democrats Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club Clovis Democratic Club Edwin M. Lee Asian Pacific Democratic Club El Dorado County Democratic Party Indivisible Indivisible Marin Indivisible Mendocino Coast Indivisible San Francisco Indivisible Stanislaus Kings Canyon Indivisible Los Angeles County Young Democrats Orange County Democrats Placer County Democratic Party Sacramento Democratic Party San Diego Democrats for Equality San Francisco Women’s Political Committee Santa Monica Democratic Club Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club Progressive Democrats Education Organizations Association of California School Administrators California Community College Association California School Boards Association California State PTA Healthcare Organizations Aliados Health California Hospital Association California Medical Association California School Nurses Organization Health Access California Health Care for All – California Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California San Francisco Bay Physicians for Social Responsibility Labor Organizations AFSCME California People American Federation of Teachers, Local 2121 California Faculty Association California Federation of Labor Unions California Federation of Teachers, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO California Nurses Association California Professional Firefighters California School Employees Association, AFL-CIO California Teachers Association Communication Workers of America District 9 IFPTE Local 21 Mendocino College Federation of Teachers, American Federation of Teachers Local 6322 National Union of Healthcare Workers SEIU California State Building & Construction Trades Council of California Teamsters Joint Council 7 United Domestic Workers | Civil Rights, Local Governments & Community Organizations Abriendo Puertas / Opening Doors ACLU Northern California ACLU Southern California American Civil Liberties Union California Action Asian Pacific Environmental Network Action Asian Pacific Islander Council of San Francisco Buen Vecino Bring California Home Coalition California Black Power Network California Calls California Green New Deal Coalition California Immigrant Policy Center California State Association of Counties Catalyst California Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy Central Valley Leadership Round Table Central Valley Movement Building Organizing Institute Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement Courage California Equality California Evolve California GLIDE Grow CA Grow SF Housing Now! California LA Forward Latino Equality Alliance League of Women Voters of California Long Beach Residents Empowered NAACP CA/HI State Conference Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California Action Fund OC Action PowerCA Action PowerSwitch Action Progressive Alliance of the Inland Empire Public Counsel Somos Familia Valle Veterans United for Truth, Inc. |
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