Proposition's Title     (with Link to the Full Proposal)

Summary of the Question

Temporary Santa Clara County Sales Tax Increase

The Question:

Background: 

The current sales tax paid county-wide in Santa Clara County is:

• 9.125 cents/dollar Total   (plus any city sales tax)
  • 7.250 cents/dollar to the State of California
  • 1.750 cents/dollar to CalTrain and Valley Transportation Authority
  • 0.125 cent/dollar to Santa Clara County

The result of the proposed sales tax change from April 1, 2026 until April 1, 2031 would be:

• 9.750  cents/dollar Total   (plus any city sales tax)
  • still 7.250 cents/dollar to the State of California
  • still 1.750 cents/dollar to CalTrain and Valley Transportation Authority
  • 0.750 cent/dollar to Santa Clara County (still less than 1 cent per dollar)

 In July 2025, U.S. budget bill H.R.1 was passed and signed into law. It includes more than $1 Trillion in cuts to funding to the states for programs for Medicaid (known in California as Medi-Cal) and food assistance.   Medicaid provides health care access for one in five Americans and nearly half of all children in the United States.

Santa Clara County receives more than $2.3 billion a year in funding from the federal Medicaid program – representing the largest single source of federal funding to the County each year.  The H.R.1 cuts have a significant negative impact on Santa Clara County.

Santa Clara County operates the second largest public hospital system in California. The greatest part of its funding to keep those hospitals running comes from the federal government through Medicaid and Medicare, with Medicaid providing the biggest chunk - more than $2.3 billions per year. Without another way to immediately raise money, these cuts in federal funding put critical County health care and safety-net services at immediate risk.

 On August 7, 2025, in response to the impacts posed by H.R.1, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors held a special meeting to examine ways to deal with this funding issue.  Since a special election was already scheduled for November 4, 2025 because of the retirement of the County Assessor, the Supervisors voted unanimously to place on the ballot for consideration by the County's voters  a small  temporary, five-year, sales tax increase.  

      Read the Impartial Analysis

Proposition's Title     (with Link to the Full Proposal)

Summary of the Question

Election Rigging Response Act  (ACA-8)

The Question: 

        Should the CA Constitution be amended to: add Section 4 of ACA-8 to
           Article XXI thereof, relating to redistricting.

          View Ballot Text

Additional Information : 

• Some History: 
  • 2008: California voters passed Proposition 11, the Voters FIRST Act, amending the state constitution to create an independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC)   to draw district lines for state offices, replacing the California Legislature.
    
  • 2010:California voters passed Proposition 20, adding the responsibility of redistricting U.S. Congressional districts to the CRC
    
  • 2020: The U.S. Census was taken, as required every 10 years by the US Constitution,  providing the information required to do redistricting nationwide for U.S. Congressional districts
    
  • 2021: The first set of U.S. Congressional District maps were produced by the CRC.
  • 2022: The newly redistricted California U.S Congressional Districts were implemented in the Primary and November elections. They remain in effect unless and until Proposition 50 passes.
    
    
• The passing of this act will simultaneously::

1. Directly adopt amendment to the California Constitution ACA-8 which states that it:
   • Is created in response to the congressional redistricting approved in Texas in 2025. Redistricting in any other state is not mentioned.
   •  Amends the California Constitution so that all U.S. Congressional Districts in the state of California:
   1. will not be the ones drawn by the Citizens Redistricting Commission - from the time this proposition is approved until 2031
   2. will be as defined under the new law AB-604, to be used during the 2026, 2028, and 2030 U.S. Congressional elections, at a minimum  (note especially AB-604 Sec. 4 (b) and (d))
      
      
2. Indirectly adopt  AB-604 (because ACA-8 points to it): - which defines the boundaries of the new, redistricted maps defined by the California state legislature in August, 2025.
   1. This bill is already a law, passed by the California Legislature and signed by the Governor. It is not up for an approval vote by the people of California.
   2. It is NOT currently in effect, but will only go into effect if Prop 50 -  ACA-8 - Election Rigging Response Act - is approved.
   3. AB-604 lists all the districts by 'census blocks.'  There are currently no graphics associated. Scroll to the bottom to find the only non-census-block words..
   4. Two websites that do have graphic views of the AB-604 redistricting lines are:
      1. https://statewidedatabase.org/d25/draft-districts/ -  shows both old and new district lines, so you can compare them
         
      2.  https://selc.senate.ca.gov/proposed-congressional-map  - shows only the new district lines

   
   

3. Will require counties to spend estimated large sums both to run the unanticipated special election on November 4, 2025, and  to revise their Voter Rolls, materials, and ballot center processes should Proposition 50 pass to align with the new district boundaries. This must be done in time for the next statewide election, which  is the Congressional primary in early June  2026. (cost estimate as reported by the state Legislative Analyst's Estimate of Net State and Local Government Fiscal Impact) 
   Funds have been appropriated in SB-280  to reimburse counties and the California Secretary of State for running the 11/4/2025 special election.