FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 19, 2025

Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation
REPEALS STATE LAW THAT PROHIBITS BALLOT INITIATIVES AND REFERENDA FROM BEING SUBMITTED TO VOTERS AT PRIMARY ELECTIONS. INITIATIVE STATUTE.

Sacramento, Calif. – Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber announced that the proponent of a new initiative was cleared to begin collecting petition signatures on November 18, 2025.

The Attorney General prepares the legal title and summary that is required to appear on initiative petitions. When the official language is complete, the Attorney General forwards it to the proponent(s) and to the Secretary of State, and the initiative may be circulated for signatures. The Secretary of State then provides a calendar of deadlines to the proponent(s) and to county elections officials. The Attorney General’s official title and summary for the measure is as follows:

REPEALS STATE LAW THAT PROHIBITS BALLOT INITIATIVES AND REFERENDA FROM BEING SUBMITTED TO VOTERS AT PRIMARY ELECTIONS. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Under current law, as amended by the Legislature in 2011, statewide ballot initiatives and referenda can only be submitted to voters at the statewide general election held in November of even-numbered years, or at a statewide special election. This measure repeals the 2011 law to allow statewide initiatives and referenda to be submitted to voters at any statewide election, including primary elections and general elections held in November of an odd-numbered year. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Likely increased costs to state and local governments, possibly up to the low tens of millions of dollars each statewide election cycle. The extent of the increased costs would depend on whether more citizen initiatives qualify for the ballot. (25-0019A1.)

The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1996 and the Attorney General's tracking number is 25-0019A1.

The proponent of the measure, Gina Tse-Louie, must collect signatures of 546,651 registered voters (five percent of the total votes cast for governor in the November 2022 general election) in order for the measure to become eligible for the ballot. The proponent has 180 days to circulate petitions for the measure, meaning the signatures must be submitted to county elections officials no later than May 18, 2026. The address for the proponent is 645 Taraval Street, San Francisco, CA 94116. The proponent may also be contacted at (628) 243-1808 and ForCalifornians@gmail.com.

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