Ballot measure · California · November 3, 2026

Proposition 4

Title as the state lists it: Repeals Prohibition Against Public Funding of Election Campaigns. Legislative Statute.1,2,3,4

Research draftReferred by the legislatureState law
How it got there
Referred by the legislature
Kind of measure
State law
To pass
A majority of the votes on it
Researched
October 27, 2026

Research draft. We gathered this from official sources on October 27, 2026: election offices, state laws and court records, each linked to its source. Separate reviewers checked a random sample of 48 facts from the ballot-measure research against the cited sources and found no errors. The rest hasn't been reviewed fact by fact yet, so check the linked source before relying on anything here.

§1What your vote means

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

A yes vote

A yes vote would repeal the state law ban on public funding of candidate campaigns, so state and local governments could create public financing programs within set limits, and would raise the maximum fine for illegal campaign spending by foreign entities to three times the amount given or spent.3,4

A no vote

A no vote would keep the state law ban on public funding of candidate campaigns, which has exceptions only for some charter cities and counties, and would keep the fine for illegal campaign spending by foreign entities equal to the amount given or spent.3,4

§2How it got on the ballot

Referred by the legislature. The legislature voted to put it on the ballot.1,2,3,4

State law. It would change state law, not the constitution.1,2,3,4

It is on California's list of statewide measures for November 3, 2026.1,2,5 One of these official sources itself calls the list certified or final. What we couldn't confirm about the list is in the notes on California's measures.

§3What it needs to pass

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

A majority of the votes on it. This measure passes if more voters vote yes than no on it.6,7 Where in the source: Initiative Guide ch. IV, p. 17 (PDF p. 22); ACA 13 digest