Yes on Proposition D
Changes to Ballot Measure Process
What is it?
Prop D is designed to reduce the number of local ballot measures San Franciscans vote on by:
- Raising the signature threshold for citizen initiative ordinances from 2% to 8% of registered voters, still below Oakland's 10% and Los Angeles's 15%
- Raising the signature threshold to call a special election on an initiative from 10% of votes cast for Mayor in the last election to 10% of registered voters
- Removing the Mayor's ability to unilaterally put a measure on the ballot
- Removing the ability of any four supervisors to bypass a Board majority, so six votes are required
Today a citizen initiative cannot be pulled off the ballot once its signatures are in, even if the sponsors changed their minds. Prop D lets all of a measure's proponents together withdraw it up to 102 days before the election. California gave statewide proponents a similar option in 2014.
Compared to other cities
| City | Percentage |
|---|---|
| San Francisco (current) | 2% of registered voters |
| San Francisco (proposed) | 8% of registered voters |
| Oakland | 10% of registered voters |
| Los Angeles | 15% of votes cast for Mayor (appx. 6.3% of registered voters) |
| San Diego | 10% of registered voters |
| San Jose | 5% of registered voters |
| Anaheim, Bakersfield, Fresno, Long Beach, Sacramento | 10% of registered voters |
Read the full annotated legal text →
Click to show fiscal impacts and more details
Why vote Yes?
San Francisco is forced to vote on too many ballot measures. This year we have 10, in 2024 and 2022 we had 15, and in 2016 we voted on 24!
Meanwhile, Oakland voted on just three in 2024.
The problem is that San Francisco has the lowest number of required signatures in the state to put a measure on the ballot: just 2% of voters. Our peer cities range from 5% to 10%. Since it's so easy to run a ballot measure, the ballot has become an easy way for a small group of special interests to enact a law that can never be changed by our elected Board of Supervisors. Laws that are not easy to fix should not be this easy to enact.
Beyond just shortening the ballot, we also like that it ends the ability of a minority of Supervisors to place a measure directly on the ballot and the ability for the Mayor to unilaterally place measures on the ballot. This will end the practice of using the ballot as a backstop to pass bad laws. Now our elected leaders will actually need a majority to enact new laws!
Vote yes on Prop D to shorten your ballot.