Easy Voter Guide For new or busy voters (in 7 languages) Smart Voter Your Ballot & Poll Place On Propositions Ballot Measure Analysis Easy Voter Guide Pros & Cons Prop 1A Prop 1B Prop 1C Prop 1D Prop 1E Prop 83 Prop 84 Prop 85 Prop 86 Prop 87 Prop 88 Prop 89 Prop 90 PDF In Depth Prop 1A Prop 1B Prop 1C Prop 1D Prop 1E Prop 83 Prop 84 Prop 85 Prop 86 Prop 87 Prop 88 Prop 89 Prop 90 About Ballot Measures Background Bond Financing How to Evaluate The Initiative Process Other Absentee Voting Register to Vote

Ballot measures bring the voter directly into the law-making and financing process. California law is contained in the State Constitution and various state codes.

Amendments to the Constitution, general obligation bond acts, and proposals made through the initiative or referendum process are always brought to the people for a vote. Proposed constitutional amendments and bond measures put on the ballot by the Legislature must receive a two-thirds vote in each house. At the polls, however, only a simple majority of votes is needed to adopt any statewide ballot measure.

There are 13 statewide measures on the November 7, 2006 ballot. As a general rule of thumb:

• A YES vote means you want to change something, or that you favor what is being proposed.
• A NO vote means you want to keep things the way they are, or at least don't favor this particular change.

Proposition 1A is a constitutional amendment placed on the ballot by the Legislature. Propositions 1B through 1E on the November 7, 2006 ballot are general obligation bond measures placed on the ballot by the Legislature.

The rest of the propositions were brought forward through the initiative process.

Proposition 84 is a general obligation bond measure. Proposition 85 and 90 amend the State Constitution Proposition 86, 87, and 90 are constitutional amendment and statute measures. Proposition 83 and 89 are initiative statutes.