California ballot measure · November 3, 2026

California Proposition 3, explained

Making high-income tax rates permanent. A ballot measure is a yes-or-no question put directly to voters — no candidate is involved, and the wording on the ballot is the wording that becomes law. This page shows that wording first, then what it actually changes.

The official wording

PROVIDES PERMANENT FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS AND HEALTH CARE BY EXTENDING EXISTING TAX ON HIGH INCOMES. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Makes permanent existing voter-approved tax rates for individuals earning over $371,000 (adjusted annually for inflation). Allocates tax revenues to public education. Fiscal Impact: Maintains $5 billion to $15 billion of annual state income tax revenue by making a temporary tax increase on high-income earners permanent instead of letting it expire in 2031.

This is what appears on the ballot. Everything below explains it.

What it actually means

Voters approved higher income tax rates on high earners in 2012 (Proposition 30) and extended them in 2016 (Proposition 55); they are set to end after 2030. This measure makes them permanent. The top 2% of taxpayers pay these rates.

If you vote YES

The extra rates of 10.3%, 11.3% and 12.3% would stay in place after 2030 on income above about $371,000 for single filers and $743,000 for joint filers (2025 levels, adjusted for inflation).
The state would keep an estimated $5 billion to $15 billion a year in income tax revenue, depending largely on the stock market.
The revenue would be split 89% to K–12 schools and 11% to community colleges, with local boards deciding how to spend it and a bar on administrative costs; the Legislative Analyst notes this frees up other General Fund money, so roughly 40% of the overall effect goes to schools and colleges and the rest to other programs and reserves.

If you vote NO

After 2030 the top income tax rate would fall back to 9.3% for all income above about $73,000 (single) or $145,000 (joint); rates on income below those levels would not change.
The state would lose an estimated $5 billion to $15 billion a year in revenue starting in 2031, and the Legislature would decide how to balance the budget without it.

The numbers that matter

Annual revenue kept: $5 billion to $15 billion
Income threshold: About $371,000 single / $743,000 joint
Share going to schools and colleges: Roughly 40% of the fiscal effect

Why supporters say YES

The measure is not a new tax; it keeps the rates the wealthiest 2% have paid for 15 years and prevents a large tax cut for millionaires and billionaires that would lead to billions in cuts to schools and health care.
— Official argument in favor, signed by the California Teachers Association, the California School Nurses Organization and Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California
The money goes directly to local schools and community colleges, cannot be spent on administration, is audited every year, and frees up funding for Medi-Cal, children's health care and wildfire protection.
— Official rebuttal, signed by the California Federation of Teachers, the California Professional Firefighters and the California School Employees Association

Why opponents say NO

Voters were told in 2012 the higher rates would be temporary; making them permanent would be the largest permanent state income tax increase in California history, costing taxpayers up to $15 billion a year.
— Official argument against, signed by the California Taxpayers Association, the Family Business Association of California and the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce
State spending has grown far faster than population, and the Legislature should address waste and overspending before asking voters to make higher taxes permanent.
— Official rebuttal to the argument in favor, signed by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, the Hispanic Chambers of Commerce of San Francisco and the Central Valley Business Federation

What’s genuinely uncertain

Revenue swings widely from year to year because much of it comes from capital gains tied to the stock market, which is why the estimate spans $5 billion to $15 billion.
Whether high earners change where they live or how they report income in response to permanent rates is not estimated in the fiscal analysis.

The bottom line

Keeping $5–15 billion a year for schools and other programs, against making a tax on the highest earners that voters approved as temporary permanent.

One neutral sentence describing the tradeoff — not a recommendation.

Sources:vig.cdn.sos.ca.gov ballotpedia.org

Checking it against the official text

The California Secretary of State publishes the certified measures and, in most states, an official voter guide with fiscal notes. That is the authoritative version. Everything here is an explanation of it, not a substitute for it.

Confirm this with the official source

Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at California Secretary of State.

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