How Many Measures Have Been on the California Ballot?

By Chris Micheli and Vincent Micheli

With the upcoming November 3, 2026 General Election, we wanted to compile the number of measures on the statewide ballot this year in comparison to past years. The following information provides the desired data for comparison purposes over the one hundred and ten years.

In total, Californians decided on 1,307 statewide ballot measures between 1910 and 2025. Voters approved 753 (57.6%) measures and rejected 554 (42.4%) measures during that time period.

The California State Legislature has voted to refer 863 ballot measures to the state ballot between 1910 and 2025, which is nearly twice the number of initiatives (444) placed on the ballot by voters. Also, Legislature-referred measures were approved 69% of the time, as compared to 36% for ballot initiatives placed by voters.

The following chart lists the election month and year, followed by the total number of statewide ballot measures voted on, with the number approved and rejected by voters for that particular election:

Election	Number of Statewide Ballot Measures	Statewide Measures Approved	Statewide Measures Rejected
November 2026	14	?	?
November 2025 (Special)	1	1	0
November 2024	10	6	4
March 2024	1	1	0
November 2022	7	3	4
November 2020	12	5	7
March 2020	1	0	1
November 2018	11	6	5
June 2018	5	4	1
November 2016	17	12	5
June 2016	1	1	0
November 2014	6	3	3
June 2014	2	2	0
November 2012	11	5	6
November 2010	9	4	5
June 2010	5	2	3
May 2009 (Special)	6	1	5
November 2008	12	7	5
June 2008	2	1	1
February 2008	7	4	3
November 2005 (Special)	8	0	8
November 2006	13	7	6
June 2006	2	0	2
November 2004	16	9	7
March 2004	4	3	1
October 2003 (Special)	2	0	2
November 2002	7	5	2
March 2002	6	5	1
November 2000	8	5	3
June 2000	20	12	8
November 1998	12	8	4
June 1998	9	6	3
November 1996	15	8	7
March 1996	12	7	5
November 1994	10	6	4
June 1994	9	6	3
November 1993 (Special)	7	2	5
November 1992	13	5	8
June 1992	3	2	1
November 1990	28	6	22
June 1990	17	15	2
November 1988	29	23	6
June 1988	12	8	4
November 1986	13	11	2
June 1986	11	11	0
November 1984	16	11	5
June 1984	9	8	1
November 1982	15	7	8
June 1982	12	7	5
November 1980	11	6	5
June 1980	11	6	5
November 1979 (Special)	4	4	0
November 1978	8	5	3
June 1978	13	7	6
November 1976	15	8	7
June 1976	15	10	5
November 1974	17	12	5
June 1974	9	8	1
November 1973 (Special)	1	0	1
November 1972	22	15	7
June 1972	10	9	1
November 1970	20	14	6
June 1970	8	3	5
November 1968	10	5	5
June 1968	2	2	0
November 1966	17	11	6
June 1966	1	1	0
November 1964	17	15	2
November 1962	25	12	13
June 1962	6	3	3
November 1960	15	10	5
June 1960	3	3	0
November 1958	18	11	7
November 1956	19	14	5
November 1954	20	13	7
November 1952	24	17	7
November 1950	11	7	4
June 1950	3	2	1
November 1948	19	8	11
November 1946	17	12	5
November 1944	12	8	4
May 1944	1	1	0
November 1942	18	7	11
November 1940	17	8	9
November 1939 (Special)	5	2	3
November 1938	25	7	18
November 1936	23	4	19
August 1935 (Special)	3	0	3
November 1934	23	14	9
December 1933 (Special)	1	1	0
June 1933 (Special)	10	6	4
November 1932	20	11	9
May 1932	2	1	1
November 1930	26	12	14
November 1928	21	16	5
November 1926	28	16	12
November 1924	18	12	6
November 1922	30	13	17
November 1920	20	8	12
November 1918	25	10	15
November 1916	7	3	4
November 1914	48	27	21
November 1912	8	2	6
October 1911 (Special)	23	22	1
November 1910	12	12	0