Bills by Vote Requirement in California

Article IV of the California Constitution deals with the Legislature and the legislative process in this state. The Legislature enacts statutes by using bills. Bills that are enacted in California, per the state Constitution, generally require a majority vote of both houses to reach the Governor’s Desk for final action.

Nonetheless, there are the following six vote thresholds in California bills: majority; 55%; two-thirds; 70%; three-fourths; and, four-fifths. While the vast majority of bills require a simple majority vote, there are a number of them requiring a 2/3 vote. The other four types of vote thresholds are rare.

So, how many bills each year are one of the two main vote threshold types of bills? The following chart provides this data:

Session Years	Bills with Majority Vote Requirement	Bills with 2/3 Vote Requirement
2025	2,232	203
2023 – 24	4,497	369
2021 – 22	4,077	422
2019 – 20	4,446	435
2017 – 18	4,349	480
2015 – 16	4,037	461
2013 – 14	3,822	449
2011 – 12	3,952	454
2009 – 10	4,158	656
2007 – 08	4,470	582
2005 – 06	4,340	720
2003 – 04	2,575	367
2001 – 02	2,472	536
1999 – 2000	2,063	451