Measures
Local and district measures qualify for the ballot in various ways. Depending on the type of proposed legislation, a measure can be:
- Submitted after a vote by the Board of Supervisors or another agency, such as the Board of Education or Community College Board
- Submitted by the Mayor or four or more members of the Board of Supervisors
- Qualified through the initiative process with a sufficient number of voter signatures
An individual San Francisco voter or group of San Francisco voters may submit an initiative measure to be placed on the ballot before San Francisco voters; the Department of Elections facilitates this multi-step qualification process. For details about the initiative process, consult the resources in this section.
The Department of Elections is happy to assist with your ballot measure submission needs. To schedule an appointment, call us or use our appointment form.
For information about state ballot measures, visit the website of the California Secretary of State.
Qualified Local and District Measures
The Director of Elections determines the title and letter designation of each measure. The title of each measure is subject to change prior to letter designation. If the Department of Elections receives more than one proposed proponent or opponent argument for a measure, the Department will select one proponent and one opponent argument according to priority levels and, if necessary, by lottery. If an argument designated by motion of the Board is not submitted, the Department will select according to the next priority level.
The Department requests permission from each measure’s proponent to make contact information available to the public. If there is no contact information for a particular measure on this page, the proponent has not authorized the Department to release this information.
*Persons who are entitled to submit the proponent or opponent argument for a particular measure may assign the right to submit the argument to another person or persons, provided that the assignee is eligible to submit an argument
| Bonds | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letter | City and County Propositions | Proponent(s) | Proponent(s) Contact Information | Proponent Argument Author(s)* | Opponent Argument Author(s)* |
| Charter Amendments | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letter | City and County Propositions | Proponent(s) | Proponent(s) Contact Information | Proponent Argument Author(s)* | Opponent Argument Author(s)* |
| Ordinances and Declarations of Policy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letter | City and County Propositions | Proponent(s) | Proponent(s) Contact Information | Proponent Argument Author(s)* | Opponent Argument Author(s)* |
Potential Local and District Ballot Measures
Potential measures are posted upon submission to the Department of Elections. There may be other potential measures under consideration by the Board of Supervisors, the Mayor, or another agency that are not included on this page.
When a potential ballot measure is submitted to the Department of Elections, the Department requests permission from the measure’s proponent to make contact information available to the public. If there is no contact information for a particular measure on this page, the proponent has not authorized the Department to release this information.
For the March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary Election, local and district ballot measure list will become final after the submission deadline:
- Initiative Measures – November 4, 2019
- Local Measures – November 29, 2019
- District Measures – December 6, 2019
| Draft Title of Proposed Measure | Submitted for Title & Summary | Title & Summary Issued | Submission Deadline | Proponent(s) & Contact Information | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Obligation Bond: Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response | N/A | N/A | N/A | Board of Supervisors | Submitted to Department 7/12/2019 |
|
Declaration of Policy: Alcatraz Conversion Project |
8/21/2019 | 8/30/2019 | 2/26/2020 | Obadiah Hotz | Title and summary received, awaiting proof of publication |
|
Ordinance: Limits on Office Development |
9/11/2019 | 9/26/2019 | 3/24/2020 | John Elberling | Petition signatures verified, qualified for ballot |
|
Ordinance: Affordable Housing and Small Business Priority Reserve |
N/A | N/A | N/A | Mayor London Breed | Submitted to Department 10/15/2019 |
|
Charter Amendment: Retiree Health Benefits |
N/A | N/A | N/A | Board of Supervisors | Submitted to Department 11/19/2019 |
|
Community College Bond |
N/A | N/A | N/A | Community College Board of Trustees | Submitted to Department 11/19/2019 |
|
Ordinance: Excise Tax on Keeping Commercial Property Vacant |
N/A | N/A | N/A | Board of Supervisors | Submitted to Department 11/25/2019 |
Calendar for Ballot Measures
Ballot measure submission deadlines and related schedules are set by law and cannot be extended under any circumstance. To learn more about what activities must occur during specified periods, consult the calendar below. Use the drop-down menu to filter the list for ballot measure activities.
March 3, 2020, Calendar for Ballot Measures
Resources for Ballot Measures
California Elections Code allows certain voter registration information to be made available to persons or groups for election, scholarly, journalistic, political, or governmental purposes as determined by the California Secretary of State. For information about requesting this file, see the Application for Voter Registration Information. Workshops and Presentations
The Department of Elections presents a series of candidate workshops designed to provide an overview of the process for running for Office of Board of Supervisors, Board of Education, and Community College Board in San Francisco. Workshops are hosted by elections personnel and are designed to assist candidates and campaign representatives in preparing for campaign season.
As new events and presentations are scheduled, more information will be made available on this page. To learn more about candidate workshops and presentations, call the Department or use our appointment form.
