FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 27, 2026

SACRAMENTO, California — The NAACP California Hawaii State Conference (NAACP CA/HI), has announced its official positions on the 14 statewide propositions appearing on California’s November 3, 2026 General Election ballot.

The NAACP CA/HI State Conference evaluated each measure through a civil rights and racial equity lens, considering its potential impact on housing, economic opportunity, voting rights, health care, education, public services, and community investment.

“Every ballot measure is a question about power: who gets heard, who receives public investment, who carries the cost, and who is left behind.” said Dr. Rick L. Callender, Esq., President of the NAACP California Hawaii State Conference. 

The NAACP California Hawaii State Conference is recommending YES on ten propositions and NO on four propositions.

VOTE YES:
Propositions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 37, 38, 41, 42 and 45

VOTE NO:
Propositions 39, 40, 43 and 44

KEY CIVIL RIGHTS PRIORITIES 

Housing, Homeownership, and the Racial Wealth Gap

NAACP CA/HI supports Propositions 1 and 37 as important investments in affordable housing, veterans’ home loans, and homeownership opportunities for middle-income Californians. These measures can help expand economic security and address barriers that have historically prevented Black families and other communities of color from building generational wealth.

Protecting Core Services and Family Economic Security

NAACP CA/HI supports Proposition 2 to strengthen California’s rainy-day reserves and protect essential public services during economic downturns. NAACP CA/HI supports Proposition 3 to preserve funding for public schools and health care by continuing existing income-tax rates on California’s highest earners.

NAACP CA/HI also supports Proposition 41 to strengthen transparency, independent review, and accountability for programs funded by new state special taxes.

NAACP CA/HI supports Proposition 42 to protect Californians from new state taxes on financial assets and personal property, including certain retroactive taxes. These protections can provide greater economic stability and predictability for families seeking to save, invest, and build wealth.

NAACP CA/HI opposes Proposition 43 because requiring a two-thirds vote for certain local special taxes would make it more difficult for communities to fund essential services and local priorities. Higher voting thresholds can allow a minority of voters to block investments supported by a clear majority of the community.

NAACP CA/HI also opposes Proposition 40. Although the measure would generate one-time revenue through a tax on billionaires, it could reduce ongoing state revenue if affected taxpayers move their assets or residency outside California. NAACP CA/HI supports fair taxation and strong investments in health care, education, housing, and economic opportunity, but cannot support a measure whose potential job losses, service reductions, and economic instability could disproportionately harm the Black and Brown workers and families we represent.

Health Equity and Access to Care

NAACP CA/HI supports Proposition 38, which would invest in immune-system and immunotherapy research addressing serious health conditions that disproportionately affect Black communities and other communities of color.

NAACP CA/HI opposes Proposition 44 because its rigid requirement that covered nonprofit community health clinics spend 90% of annual revenue on program services could create financial pressure for safety-net providers and threaten access to care in underserved communities.

Voting Rights and Representative Democracy

NAACP CA/HI supports Proposition 4, which would allow California to establish public campaign-financing programs with appropriate safeguards. Public financing can expand political participation and reduce the influence of wealthy donors and special interests.

NAACP CA/HI also supports Proposition 5, which would reform the recall process for statewide officers by eliminating the separate replacement-candidate question. This change would strengthen representative democracy and help ensure that statewide officials are not replaced through a process that allows a candidate receiving substantially fewer votes to assume office.

NAACP CA/HI opposes Proposition 39 because requiring government-issued identification for both in-person and vote-by-mail ballots would create unnecessary barriers to voting. These burdens would fall disproportionately on Black voters, low-income voters, seniors, students, people with disabilities, and voters who move frequently.

Building Faster—and Building Fairly

NAACP CA/HI supports Proposition 45, which would establish expedited environmental-review and court procedures for certain essential housing and infrastructure projects.

California must build faster, but it must also build fairly. Project acceleration must preserve civil-rights protections, environmental health, tribal consultation, transparency, and meaningful community participation. Black Californians and other communities of color are disproportionately harmed both when essential projects are unnecessarily delayed and when development proceeds without adequate safeguards or community input.

Learn More About the NAACP CA/HI State Conferences 2026 November Election Recommendations 

Click here to visit the NAACP CA/HI State Conference website and select “2026 November Election Recommendations” at the top of the page to view our ballot positions. 

Californians can use the NAACP CA/HI voter education hub to review the propositions, explore the NAACP CA/HI positions and access official voter resources.

NAACP California Hawaii 2026 Ballot Measure Education Hub

About The NAACP

The NAACP advocates, agitates, and litigates for civil rights due to Black America and communities of color. Our legacy is built on the foundation of grassroots activism by the biggest civil rights pioneers of the 20th century and is sustained by 21st century activists. From classrooms and courtrooms to city halls and Congress, our network of members across the country works to secure the social and political power that will end race-based discrimination. That work is rooted in racial equity, civic engagement, and supportive policies and institutions for all marginalized people. We are committed to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities.