California’s November 2026 Local Ballot Measures: 121 City Tax Measures and More Than $15.4 Billion in School Bonds: A First Look at the Results

Election-night counts as of the morning of November 4, 2026

California voters decided 465 local ballot measures on November 3, 2026, across 54 of the state’s 58 counties. The other four counties had no local measures on the ballot. These are early numbers. On election night, counties had counted 7,920,501 ballots, which is 34.0% of registered voters, according to the Secretary of State’s county reporting page. Mail ballots postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days, along with provisional ballots, are still being counted, so close results can change.

School districts: about half of the bonds are clearing 55%

Most school measures were construction bonds. Under Proposition 39, those need 55% of the vote to pass. Of the 94 school measures held to that standard, 52 are above it. Another 20 school measures needed two-thirds of the vote, and 12 of those are above the line.

We have confirmed the bond amounts for 82 of the 94 bond measures from their ballot questions and county voter materials. Together they ask voters to approve $15.43 billion in borrowing:

$11.03 billion for K-12 districts

$4.39 billion for community college districts

$11.54 billion of it in the 43 measures now above 55%, and $3.88 billion in the 39 now below it

The other 12 bond measures, including the San Mateo County Community College District, would add to that total.

The largest school bonds

San Diego Unified School District, Measure M: $3.5 billion, 64.9% yes

Los Rios Community College District (Facilities District No. 1), Measure H: $1.1 billion, 62.8% yes

San Bernardino Community College District, Measure Y: $898 million, 63.4% yes

Sonoma County Junior College District, Measure AB: $830 million, 65.3% yes

Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District, Measure G: $624 million, 52.7% yes, below the 55% it needs

Cities and counties: most tax measures are passing

Voters in 185 cities weighed 264 city measures, and 20 counties put 30 measures on their own ballots. Of those cities, 107 asked voters for at least one tax, for a total of 121 city tax measures. Those include new taxes, rate increases and extensions of existing taxes. On election-night counts, 95 of the 121 are passing.

Sales taxes: 40 measures, 29 passing

Hotel (transient occupancy) taxes: 17 measures, 15 passing

Business license taxes: 11 measures, all 11 passing

Parcel taxes: 8 measures, 5 passing

Property transfer taxes: 9 measures, 6 passing

City bonds: 4 measures, 3 passing

Cannabis and other special taxes: 32 measures, 26 passing

The count of 121 comes from ballot titles and measure documents. About a dozen more city measures have funding titles such as “essential services” or “public safety” but did not say in the material we reviewed whether they are taxes, so we left them out. The rest of the city ballot dealt with charter changes, term limits, appointed city treasurers and clerks, rent rules, land use and similar questions.

County measures are passing 23 to 7. In Los Angeles, all eight City of Los Angeles measures are passing, including Measure FD for fire department funding at 53.6%. In San Francisco, seven of ten city measures are passing. Measure B, which would establish a municipal finance corporation, trails at 49.8%.

Results that stand out

A three-vote margin in Galt

City of Galt Measure L has 2,072 yes votes and 2,075 no votes. With ballots still being counted, this result could flip.

Majorities that still fall short

Several measures have more yes votes than no votes but are below the share they need. Sacramento City Unified School District Measure M has 51.6% yes but needs two-thirds. Harmony Union School District Measure M in Sonoma County has 66.5% and the City of Firebaugh’s Measure F has 66.5%, both just under two-thirds. Pasadena’s Measure PFD, a firefighter and paramedic measure, has 65.3% against a two-thirds requirement.

Counties that split on the same measure

Districts that cross county lines can get very different results in each county. The Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District bond has 53.8% yes in Santa Clara County and 49.1% in Santa Cruz County, for 53.3% overall. That is below 55%. The Shasta-Tehama-Trinity Joint Community College District bond ranges from 32.7% yes in Lassen County to 53.4% in Trinity County, and stands at 45.7% across all six counties.

A regional transit measure clears every county

The Bay Area Regional Transit Measure is passing in all five counties where it appeared: 77.6% yes in San Francisco, 65.2% in Alameda, 59.6% in San Mateo, 56.0% in Contra Costa and 54.2% in Santa Clara. Across the region it has 61.5% yes.

Counts that are still early

Shasta County had reported 45 of its 68 precincts when election-night counting stopped. Mono County reported about 1,537 ballots still to be processed. Results in both counties are more likely to move than in counties that finished their election-night count.

What comes next

California counties have 30 days to finish counting and certify results. The measures within two percentage points of their thresholds are the ones most likely to change: 27 school measures and 31 city and county measures. County updates over the coming week will show whether late mail ballots shift any of them.

This article is factual background and is not legal, financial, or investment advice.