California · Ballot measure · November 3, 2026
Proposition 4
Independent information project. Not an official government website.
Repeals Prohibition Against Public Funding of Election Campaigns.
Official ballot information
- Official summary
- Repeals prohibition on state and local governments offering public funding of candidate election campaigns. Public funding programs may not use funds earmarked for education, transportation, or public safety. Fiscal Impact: Ongoing costs to the state of a few hundred thousand dollars each year for the Fair Political Practices Commission to answer questions from state and local governments about public campaign finance programs.
- A YES vote means
- State and local governments could create public campaign financing programs for public office candidates, subject to limits on which public funds could be used, how the public funds could be used, and who could receive them.
- A NO vote means
- State and most local governments would remain unable to create public campaign finance programs for public office candidates.
- Fiscal impact
- Not listed in the source reviewed.
- Official links
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Official voter guide page (external site, opens in new tab)
Full text of proposed law (PDF) (external site, opens in new tab)
Legislative analyst's analysis (external site, opens in new tab)
Ballot arguments
In favor
YES ON 4. California is the ONLY state that bans public funding of campaigns— communities in all other 49 states have this right. Special interests want to keep the ban to protect their power. Prop. 4 removes it. Strict taxpayer safeguards. Vote YES: Elections should be won, not bought.
Against
Prop. 4 allows politicians to use YOUR taxpayer money to fund their negative campaigns. Prop. 4 has NO LIMIT on the number of candidates who can get taxpayer money and NO LIMIT on how much taxpayer money they can get. Worse yet, Prop. 4 allows SPECIAL INTEREST MONEY IN POLITICS. NO ON PROP. 4.
Official party recommendations
Democratic Party
Support
Republican Party
Oppose