San Francisco and California Ballot Backstory · Why is this on my ballot?
Prop D: summary
Changes to Ballot Measure Process
Mark your own choices here. You may bring this sheet into the voting booth.
A YES vote means
Ordinance and policy petitions need 8% of registered voters, not 2%, more for special elections; withdrawals allowed. Mayor or four supervisors can't place measures alone.
A NO vote means
Ordinance and policy petitions still need 2% of registered voters. The Mayor or four supervisors can still place measures. Submitted petitions still cannot be withdrawn.
Both ovals are empty on purpose. The choice is yours.
If it fails
Nothing changes if it fails
If Prop D fails, current City Charter rules stay. A petition for an ordinance or declaration of policy needs signatures from at least 2% of registered voters, about 10,600 now. The Mayor, or four or more Board members, can still put a measure on the ballot.
Why it’s on the ballot now
Today, an ordinance or declaration of policy can reach the ballot by a Board majority vote, by four or more supervisors, by the Mayor, or by a petition signed by at least 2% of registered voters, about 10,600 signatures. Prop D, a Charter amendment, needed 10% of registered voters when its petition notice was published.
Prop D’s findings say San Francisco’s rules are looser than any other major California city’s. Their example: 15 measures in November 2024, versus one in San Jose and three in Oakland.
The two sides disagree about history. Opponents say about 10,600 signatures have been required since 1932. Supporters say the Controller found the current threshold was set in 2022.
Supporters present Prop D as part of a package with Props A, E and F on this ballot.
Today, a petition for an ordinance can call a special election with about 39,000 signatures (10% of votes cast for Mayor in the last election). Prop D would raise this to about 53,100 (10% of registered voters).
The money
The Controller says Prop D would have a minimal impact on government costs and would likely save money, by an amount not yet known. The Controller says a higher signature requirement could mean fewer measures and a shorter voter pamphlet, which costs about $11,400 a page, and possibly fewer special elections, which the Controller estimates cost at least $5 million each.
Needs a simple majority (50% + 1) to pass Some measures need 55% or two-thirds of votes to pass. This one needs only a simple majority.Who bears the cost
City government (the Department of Elections and the General Fund)No new cost
The Controller says Prop D would have a minimal effect on City costs. The Controller expects costs to fall, by amounts that cannot be set now.
Groups that collect signatures for ballot initiatives
Prop D would raise the signatures needed for a petition on an ordinance or declaration of policy from about 10,600 to about 42,500. A petition for a special election on an ordinance would need about 53,100 signatures, up from about 39,000.
The strongest case for and against
Strongest case for
Supporters, including Mayor Daniel Lurie, Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman and former Controller Ben Rosenfield, say a minority of supervisors, 2% of voters or the Mayor alone can now put anything on the ballot without public input. They say this is why San Francisco has the longest and most confusing ballots in California. They say requiring a public vote of a Board majority, or signatures from 8% of voters, would bring more debate, compromise and community input. They say 8% is still below a state standard of 10%. Prop D’s statement of purpose says it would let backers withdraw a measure they consider flawed after it qualifies; the legal text sets the deadline at 102 days before the election.
Strongest case against
Opponents, including the San Francisco Labor Council, United Educators of San Francisco and the San Francisco Tenants Union, say raising the requirement from 10,600 to 42,500 signatures would mean hiring paid signature firms at a cost of one million dollars or more. They say this would price out neighborhood groups, unions and community advocates, while wealthy interests could still pay. They say San Francisco would have the highest signature requirement of any California county, over three times the 2.4% needed for statewide measures. They say citizen initiatives have raised the minimum wage, set up rent control and funded schools.