California Propositions 2020

ADEP is committed to providing the Afghan-American community with the resources to become better informed.

Check out California’s propositions for the 2020 election and what a ‘yes’ vote means for each.

Ballot measures have also been translated into Dari and Pashto, both available below. 

California Propositions (English):

A yes vote for this measure would allocate $5.5 billion in funds for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, which was created to fund stem cell research.

A yes vote for this measure would allow local governments to tax businesses valued at over $3 million at their market value rate, instead of their original purchase price, in order to raise funds for struggling public schools and public services.

A yes vote for this measure would repeal the ban on the use of affirmative action in California. It would allow public entities to holistically consider an applicant’s background, such as their race, sex, color, ethnicity, in their hiring and admissions decisions.

A yes vote for this measure would ban disenfranchisement of previously incarcerated individuals in the state; their right to vote would be restored.

A yes vote would allow 17-year-olds who will be 18 at the time of the next general election the ability to vote in primary elections and special elections.

A yes vote would change the rules for tax assessment transfers of homes. In California, certain homeowners can transfer their tax assessments to a different home of the same or lesser market value, which allows them to move without paying higher taxes. This measure, along with other changes, would increase the number of times a property could be transferred without paying higher taxes.

A yes vote would make certain non-violent crimes chargeable as either a misdemeanor or a felony, rather than only misdemeanors. Felonies are considered a higher, or more severe, offense than misdemeanors, meaning that people will face longer sentences for smaller offenses. Proposition 20 would also require individuals convicted of certain misdemeanors or felonies to submit to the collection of DNA samples for state and federal databases.

A yes vote would allow local governments, if they wish, to adopt rent control on certain housing units to expand the amount of affordable housing available on the market.  Proposition 21 would also require local governments that adopt rent control to allow landlords to increase rental rates by 15 percent during the first three years following a vacancy, and would restrict rent prices from being increased to market rates where rent control is enacted.

A yes vote would classify app-based drivers, like drivers for Uber and Lyft, as independent contractors, and not employees. A San Francisco-based judge recently ruled that Uber and Lyft are required to classify their drivers as employees, thus providing them with minimum wage, overtime, unemployment insurance, worker’s compensation, and other benefits. Proposition 22 is an effort to override that court decision and re-classify drivers as independent contractors so drivers do not have to be paid benefits.

A yes vote would require chronic dialysis clinics to have a minimum of one licensed physician present at the clinic while patients are being treated and report data on dialysis-related infections to the state health department.

A yes vote would amend the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 to include pay-for-privacy which only provides better services and internet connection for those who pay more in order to protect their personal information while providing suboptimal services for those who don’t wish to pay more. A yes vote allows tech companies to upload a California resident’s personal information as soon as they step out of the state’s borders, whereas under current law, privacy follows a Californian wherever they go.

A yes vote would replace the cash bail system with a risk assessment for detained suspects who are awaiting trial.