Election season is upon us. Much to my dismay, I will still be 17 by the time November 3rd rolls around…  but there is still hope for some of you! Even though it doesn’t quite feel like it, I am a senior, and many of my classmates will be able to vote this year. Contrary to what I long believed, you don’t just pull the lever next to your candidate of choice, turn around, and get your sticker. There is so much more to election day than determining our next president. So, to my classmates voting this year who haven’t yet, and to those underage and curious about our democracy: this is for you.

If you’ve watched cable television in the last month, you likely have seen a few dramatically-scored commercials of “everyday American citizens, not actors” explaining the dangers or benefits of Prop X. They are advertisements–just like the ones for T-Mobile that air right after–and can easily lead people astray with a well-placed black and white filter or giant red X. As you apply to college and navigate senior year in a pandemic, there is not much time for extensive research on each proposition. So, may I introduce you to ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia–the self-proclaimed “digital encyclopedia of American politics”–is a nonprofit built to inform Americans about current politics, items on the ballot, how to vote, and how to run for office, all from a non-partisan perspective. 

Through their “What’s On Your Ballot” platform, anybody in any state can find a sample ballot with biographies, campaign themes and goals for each candidate, and detailed pages for each proposition. On these pages, Ballotpedia’s researchers explain the basics of the issue the given proposition is designed to fix, the history of how that issue has been handled thus far, projected fiscal impact of the proposition, official supporters of the proposition, and much more.

Below you will find Ballotpedia’s short and sweet descriptionsz of what a “yes” or “no” vote on the 12 propositions will do and, for those of you with a bit more time on your hands, links to the in-depth pages for each proposition on the California 2020 ballot. 

Voting is a privilege and responsibility, no matter for whom or what you do it, so I hope you take it seriously, and that this helps you fill out your ballot (this year or sometime in the future) a more informed citizen.

Proposition 14: Stem Cell Research Bond Initiative

YES: “supports issuing $5.5 billion general obligation bonds for the state’s stem cell research institute and making changes to the institute’s governance structure and programs.”

NO: “opposes issuing $5.5 billion general obligation bonds for the state’s stem cell research institute, which ran out funds derived from Proposition 71 (2004) for new projects in 2019.”

Proposition 15: Tax on Commercial and Industrial Properties for Education and local Government Funding Initiative

YES: “supports this constitutional amendment to require commercial and industrial properties, except those zoned as commercial agriculture, to be taxed based on their market value, rather than their purchase price.”

NO: “opposes this constitutional amendment, thus continuing to tax commercial and industrial properties based on a property’s purchase price, with annual increases equal to the rate of inflation or 2 percent, whichever is lower.”

Proposition 16: Repeal Proposition 209 Affirmative Action Amendment

YES: “to uphold the contested legislation, Senate Bill 10 (SB 10), which would replace cash bail with risk assessments for detained suspects awaiting trials.”

NO: “to repeal the contested legislation, Senate Bill 10 (SB 10), thus keeping in place the use of cash bail for detained suspects awaiting trials.”

Proposition 17: Voting Rights Restoration for Persons on Parole Amendment

YES: “supports this constitutional amendment to allow people on parole for felony convictions to vote.”

NO: “opposes this constitutional amendment, thereby continuing to prohibit people who are on parole for felony convictions from voting.”

Proposition 18: Primary Voting for 17-Year-Olds Amendment

YES: “supports this constitutional amendment to allow 17-year-olds who will be 18 at the time of the next general election to vote in primary elections and special elections.”

NO: “opposes this constitutional amendment, thereby continuing to prohibit 17-year-olds who will be 18 at the time of the next general election to vote in primary elections and special elections.”

Proposition 19: Property Tax Transfers, Exemptions, and Revenue for Wildfire Agencies and Counties Amendment

YES: “supports this constitutional amendment to:  

* allow eligible homeowners to transfer their tax assessments anywhere within the state and allow tax assessments to be transferred to a more expensive home with an upward adjustment;

* increase the number of times that persons over 55 years old or with severe disabilities can transfer their tax assessments from one to three;

* require that inherited homes that are not used as principal residences, such as second homes or rentals, be reassessed at market value when transferred; and

* allocate additional revenue or net savings resulting from the ballot measure to wildfire agencies and counties.”

NO: “opposes this constitutional amendment, therefore continuing to:

* allow eligible homeowners to transfer their tax assessments within counties and to homes of equal or lesser market value;

* keep the number of times that persons over 55 years old or with severe disabilities can transfer their tax assessments at one;

* allow the tax assessments on inherited homes, including those not used as principal residences, to be transferred from parent to child or grandparent to grandchild.”

Proposition 20: Criminal Sentencing, Parole, and DNA Collection Initiative

YES: “supports this initiative to add crimes to the list of violent felonies for which early parole is restricted; recategorize certain types of theft and fraud crimes as wobblers (chargeable as misdemeanors or felonies); and require DNA collection for certain misdemeanors.”

NO: “opposes this initiative to add crimes to the list of violent felonies for which early parole is restricted; recategorize certain types of theft and fraud crimes as wobblers (chargeable as misdemeanors or felonies); and require DNA collection for certain misdemeanors.”

Proposition 21: Local Rent Control Initiative

YES: “supports this ballot initiative to allow local governments to enact rent control on housing that was first occupied over 15 years ago, with an exception for landlords who own no more than two homes with distinct titles or subdivided interests.”

NO: “opposes this ballot initiative, thereby continuing to prohibit rent control on housing that was first occupied after February 1, 1995, and housing units with distinct titles, such as single-family homes.”

Proposition 22: App-Based Drivers as Contractors and Labor Policies Initiative

YES: supports this ballot initiative to define app-based transportation (rideshare) and delivery drivers as independent contractors and adopt labor and wage policies specific to app-based drivers and companies.

NO: opposes this ballot initiative, meaning California Assembly Bill 5 (2019) could be used to decide whether app-based drivers are employees or independent contractors.

Proposition 23: Dialysis Clinic Requirements Initiative

YES: “supports this ballot initiative to require chronic dialysis clinics to: have an on-site physician while patients are being treated; report data on dialysis-related infections; obtain consent from the state health department before closing a clinic; and not discriminate against patients based on the source of payment for care.”

NO: “opposes this ballot initiative to require chronic dialysis clinics to: have an on-site physician while patients are being treated; report data on dialysis-related infections; obtain consent from the state health department before closing a clinic; and not discriminate against patients based on the source of payment for care.”

Proposition 24: Consumer Personal Information Law and Agency Initiative

YES: “supports this ballot initiative to expand the state’s consumer data privacy laws, including provisions to allow consumers to direct businesses to not share their personal information; remove the time period in which businesses can fix violations before being penalized; and create the Privacy Protection Agency to enforce the state’s consumer data privacy laws.”

NO: “opposes this ballot initiative to expand the state’s consumer data privacy laws or create the Privacy Protection Agency to enforce the state’s consumer data privacy laws.”

Proposition 25: Replace Cash Bail with Rink Assessments Referendum

YES: “to uphold the contested legislation, Senate Bill 10 (SB 10), which would replace cash bail with risk assessments for detained suspects awaiting trials.”

NO: “to repeal the contested legislation, Senate Bill 10 (SB 10), thus keeping in place the use of cash bail for detained suspects awaiting trials.”