Voz Unida — the California Latino Voter Alliance — has released this voter guide to give you an easy-to-understand explanation of the ballot measures and candidates. With a bunch of confusing ballot measures and hundreds of candidates running for office, voters can feel overwhelmed and lost. This voter guide makes voting simple – especially when it comes to the ballot measures and local offices that do not allow candidates to disclose their party affiliation.
Endorsements below are given only to candidates who are in tune with California's Latino community, who promote our values and understand or have respect for us and our culture, and who “passed the test” on these crucial criteria that protect our families: opposing taxes, fighting crime, improving schools, addressing homelessness, and defending personal freedoms.
2026 offers a real chance for a wave election to block costly tax hikes and elect common-sense leaders - but to do that we need your help in turning out your friends, family and neighbors to vote and share this easy-to-understand voter guide with them!
No on Prop 1: Borrows $11.25 Billion for Costly Housing Projects
Politicians want to borrow $10 Billion on the taxpayers’ credit card — and you’ll pay back over $17 billion with interest. Provides taxpayer-funded subsidies to developers without reforming costly mandates that make housing so expensive. Prop 1 does nothing to make housing more affordable. Many of the boondoggle projects supported by this bond will cost more than $1 MILLION per unit! Campaign contributors to politicians also get special contracts under Prop 1.
No on Prop 2: Guts State Budget Spending Limit and Cancels Tax Rebates
**DECEPTION ALERT: Appears on your ballot with the politicians’ FALSE ballot title of “Increases State’s Rainy Day Fund.”
Prop 2 claims to create a bigger rainy day fund in the state budget, but in reality it creates a new slush fund for politicians to engage in more wasteful spending. Prop 2 eviscerates the current voter-imposed spending limit on state politicians. Worse, it virtually eliminates the requirement that taxpayers receive tax rebates if revenues exceed the spending limit. With Prop 2, politicians get to keep more of your money so they can waste more of your money.
No on Prop 3: Income Tax Increase
**DECEPTION ALERT: Biased title plays up funding for schools and health care without accountability for how the money is spent.
Makes permanent California’s highest-in-the-nation income tax rates at a time when California is losing employers, jobs and taxpayers to other states and seeing lower tax revenues as a result. Worse, Prop 3 does nothing to reform wasteful spending in the programs it purports to fund, so taxpayers will not see better services. This tax was sold as “temporary” in 2012, extended in 2016 and now politicians want to make it permanent before it even expires.
No on Prop 4: Gives Your Tax Dollars to Politicians’ Campaigns
**DECEPTION ALERT: False cost estimate of only a “few hundred thousand dollars each year” when it will cost MILLIONS a year.
Repeals a previously approved ban on public financing of politicians’ campaigns. Voters wisely decided years ago that their tax dollars should never be used to fund the campaigns of politicians, but with Prop 4 the politicians are refusing to take no for an answer. They already tried to sneak this through the legislature in 2016. The courts threw it out and ruled that voters must decide. Ten years later they’re back, hat in hand, asking to spend your tax dollars on their attack ads. Tell them the same thing the courts did: NO.
No on Prop 5: Weakens Citizens’ Right to Recall Politicians from Office
Makes it harder to Recall a politician from office and simultaneously replace them with a candidate of the voters’ choosing. Under Prop 5, if the voters recall the Governor, you don’t get to choose the replacement — the office is automatically handed to the political machine’s second-in-command. The decision will be entirely out of the voters’ control.
No on Prop 37: Borrows $25 Billion for Costly Housing Projects
Provides taxpayer-funded subsidies to developers without reforming costly mandates that make housing so expensive. Worse, Prop 37 makes the State of California one of the biggest mortgage lenders in America overnight – and taxpayers are left holding the bag for any losses. Many of the boondoggle projects supported by this bond will cost more than $1M per unit! Campaign contributors to politicians also get special contracts under Prop 37.
Yes on Prop 38: Public-Private Partnership Bonds for Immunology Research
Authorizes $8 billion in bonds to support immunology research with the repayment coming from proceeds of cures and treatments. This is the only bond on the ballot that puts the strings on the government instead of the taxpayer. Every drug and treatment developed with this funding must be sold in California at 20% BELOW the national average price. Half of the research money is required by law to target cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's.
Yes on Prop 39: Voter ID to Improve Trust in Elections
**DECEPTION ALERT: Appears on your ballot with the politicians’ FALSE ballot title of “Prohibits Citizens From Voting.”
Prop 39 is a bipartisan solution for Voter ID! That’s why it is supported by large majorities of Democratic, Republican and Independent voters. Prop 39 requires cleaning up and auditing of voter rolls and citizenship verification of anyone registering to vote. It keeps voting simple while adding integrity reforms to make voting more secure. The politicians falsely claim Prop 39 prohibits citizens from voting when it will only prevent non-citizens and ineligible individuals from voting. Prop 39 protects the right of every citizen to vote and restores public trust and confidence in our elections.
No on Prop 40: “Billionaire” Tax that Is Really an “Everybody” Tax
Prop 40 is deceptively being sold as the "Billionaire's Tax" but it is really the "Everybody Tax!" Worse, Prop 40 creates the first-in-the-nation Wealth Tax (or Savings Tax) on Californians. Prop 40 contains a provision allowing state politicians to expand the Wealth Tax to everyone without another vote of the public. Prop 40 allows government to tax the value of your savings, checking account, 401k, stock portfolio, and current equity in your home. If you don't have the cash to pay the Wealth Tax, then you'd be forced to sell some of what you own.
Yes on Prop 41: Audit Special Taxes
Prop 41 would make it harder for state and local politicians to impose special taxes on you. Prop 41 requires that all special taxes include audits on all revenues raised and programs funded through the tax to prevent waste, fraud and abuse or diversion of the funds by politicians. Prop 41 also requires that these special taxes adhere to the state's constitutionally-mandated spending limit. Under California law, when two conflicting measures pass, the one with more votes wins. Even if Prop 40 passes, a bigger yes on Prop 41 cancels it.
Yes on Prop 42: Stop the Savings Tax
Prop 42 would prohibit state and local politicians from imposing a Savings Tax on Californians. Prop 42 would prohibit politicians from taxing the value of your savings, checking account, 401k, stock portfolio, and current equity in your home. We already pay the highest taxes on income, sales, property, gas and our cars— we don't need a Savings Tax on top of all that! If Prop 42 gets more votes than Prop 40, the Wealth Tax dies even if it passes. Every YES on 42 is a second NO on 40.
Yes on Prop 43: Local Taxpayer Protection Initiative (Saves Prop 13)
**DECEPTION ALERT: Appears on your ballot with the FALSE title of “Limits Voters Ability to Raise Revenues for Local Government Services.”
Prop 43 is known as the Save Prop 13— Local Taxpayer Protection Initiative. Prop 43 makes it harder for local politicians to raise your taxes by restoring the two-thirds vote requirement on any local tax measures. It also closes loopholes the politicians have created in Prop 13 to violate the property tax caps that voters originally imposed. Opponents of Prop 43 simply want more of your money to fund their waste and fraud. Vote Yes on Prop 43 to turn the tide to make California more affordable.
No on Prop 44: Imposes Costly Mandates on Community Health Clinics
Increases mandates and costs on community health clinics, threatening their ability to provide patient care. Clinics that miss the arbitrary 90% mandate pay penalties into a government account and hotwired to a narrow special interest group who is one of the politicians’ biggest campaign contributors. Trusted healthcare experts warn that Prop 44 would trigger $1.7 billion in penalties in the first year alone and force clinics across California to close their doors.
Yes on Prop 45: Reduce Housing Costs by Cutting Red Tape
Reduces regulation and combats frivolous lawsuits that have increased the cost of housing projects. California’s environmental review law (CEQA) has been weaponized to block and delay housing, adding years and millions of dollars to every project. Prop 45 is the first time voters have ever been handed the chance to reform CEQA at the ballot box.
Measure K (NO)
Modesto City Schools District Property Tax Increase
Imposes a new costly property tax despite massive levels of wasteful spending, giving government workers massive salary hikes and pension spikes, and awarding contracts to political supporters without fair and open competition.
Measure L (NO)
City of Patterson Sales Tax Increase
Imposes a costly sales tax despite massive levels of wasteful spending, giving government workers massive salary hikes and pension spikes, and awarding contracts to political supporters without fair and open competition.
Measure L (NO)
Riverbank Voter Approval for Farmland and Open Space
Citizen-initiated measure requiring the consent of Riverbank voters before the City Council can green-light urban development on agricultural and open space land west of the city limits, stopping council-developer sprawl deals that commit taxpayers to new roads, sewer and water extensions without anyone ever asking the residents who pay for them.
Measure N (NO)
Sylvan Union School District Property Tax Increase
Imposes a new costly property tax despite massive levels of wasteful spending, giving government workers massive salary hikes and pension spikes, and awarding contracts to political supporters without fair and open competition.
Measure O (YES)
Waterford Council District Elections
Replaces citywide council races with four districts while keeping the Mayor elected at-large, cutting the cost of challenging an entrenched incumbent from a full citywide campaign down to one small district, and lets Waterford voters pick the map themselves instead of having the Council adopt one by ordinance to head off a Voting Rights Act lawsuit at taxpayer expense.
Measure P (NO)
City of Ceres Sales Tax Increase
Imposes a costly sales tax despite massive levels of wasteful spending, giving government workers massive salary hikes and pension spikes, and awarding contracts to political supporters without fair and open competition.
U.S. House of Representatives
District 5: Tom McClintock
District 13: Kevin Lincoln
STATEWIDE OFFICES
Governor: Steve Hilton
Lt. Governor: Gloria Romero
Attorney General: Michael Gates
Secretary of State: Don Wagner
Treasurer: Jennifer Hawks
Controller: Herb Morgan
Insurance Commissioner: You are Doomed
Superintendent of Public Instruction: Sonja Shaw
State Board of Equalization
District 1: Shannon Grove
Senate
District 4: Alexandra Duarte
Assembly
District 9: Heath Flora
District 22: Juan Alanis
County Board of Supervisors
District 4: You are Doomed
Hughson
Mayor: No Endorsement
Council (At-Large): You are Doomed
Modesto
Council District 4: No Endorsement
Council District 5: Jeremiah Williams
Newman
Mayor: No Endorsement
Council (At-Large): Brett C. Short
Oakdale
Mayor: Cherilyn Bairos
Council (At-Large): Chris Chavez
Council (At-Large): Fred Smith
Patterson
Mayor: Michael S. Clauzel
Council District D: No Endorsement
Riverbank
Council District 1: Nai N. Sosongkham
Council District 3: You are Doomed
Turlock
Mayor: Amy Bublak
Council District 1: Jeremy Rocha
Council District 3: Ryan Taylor
Waterford
Council (At-Large): Jeremy T. Hedden
Council (At-Large): Todd Valdez
Empire Union School District
Trustee Area 4: Gina R. Smith
Hart-Ransom Union School District
Trustee: Mark Gonzales
Modesto City Schools District
Trustee Area 5: Michelle Tomlinson
Trustee Area 1: Cindy Marks
Roberts Ferry Union School District
Trustee (Short Term): Nic West
Salida Union School District
Trustee Area 1: John Bartlett
Shiloh School District
Trustee: No Endorsement
Stanislaus Union School District
Trustee Area 1: Joel Campos
Sylvan Union School District
Trustee Area 3: Johnathan Stevens
Yosemite Community College District
Trustee Area 1: Don Davis
Trustee Area 2: David Rico
Trustee Area 4: Jenny Nicolau
Del Puerto Health Care District
Zone 1 (Short Term): Theron "Terry" D. Ledford
Modesto Irrigation District
Division 2: John Van Oostende
Division 3: Dominic Giorgi
Division 4: No Endorsement
Salida Fire Protection District
Robert J. Boer
Tom Bert
Western Hills Water District
No Endorsement
Westside Community Health Care District
Zone 2: Sandra Walsh-Guajardo
Zone 3 (Short Term): Kevin Rapoza
NOTE: If we do not make a recommendation on a candidate or ballot measure, we either could not support the measure or candidates running in that race, or do not have enough information to make an informed recommendation.
The nonpartisan nonprofit The Transparency Foundation has launched a "Secure the Vote" Initiative that is dedicated to identifying and training voters to vote quickly and legally. The effort also aims to track and report problem ballots in our push for election integrity and security! Learn more about the program and how you can vote the S.A.F.E. way this election below!
Vote the S.A.F.E. WayPrint the voter guide yourself and share it with your friends, family, and community!
