Many of the biggest choices facing California voters in November will not involve candidates. Ballots will carry a series of state and local measures that would raise taxes, extend existing ones, increase fees, or authorize borrowing that taxpayers would repay through future revenue.

At the state level, Proposition 3 would extend California's high-income tax structure and direct money to schools and health care programs. If approved, higher rates on top earners would continue, and the revenue would become a permanent funding source for certain government programs. Proposition 40 would create a statewide wealth tax aimed at billionaires, a new tax category that could bring in billions of dollars for the state.

Voters will also weigh bond measures, including Proposition 1, a veterans and housing assistance bond, and Proposition 38, an immunology medical research bond. Bonds are not technically taxes, but the borrowed money must be repaid with interest, typically from future state revenues backed by taxpayers.

Orange County has an unusually large number of revenue-related measures. Santa Ana's Measure N would make the city's 1.5% sales tax surcharge permanent. Voters first approved it in 2018, and while the rate would not rise immediately, approval would keep the temporary tax from expiring. In the City of Orange, Measure I would add a 1% sales tax for 13 years, projected to raise about $37 million a year, and Measure J would change the hotel guest tax. San Clemente's Measure M would raise the local sales tax by 1%, with city leaders estimating about $15 million annually for beach preservation and coastal protection.

Other proposals include Westminster's Measure O, a city services funding measure that would produce additional local revenue, and Costa Mesa's Measure C, which would sharply increase business license taxes on companies with more than $500,000 in annual revenue. Supporters say large corporations should contribute more, while opponents argue the costs could be passed to consumers through higher prices.

School and hotel measures are also on the list. Laguna Beach Unified School District's Measure A would authorize $83 million in bonds, repaid through a property tax levy of about $8.85 per $100,000 of assessed valuation. Westminster School District's Measure B is a school facilities bond that would also be repaid through property tax assessments. Los Alamitos Measure G is a hotel occupancy tax measure, and Placentia Measure L would raise revenue from visitors staying in local hotels.

Supporters of the measures say the money is needed for public safety, schools, infrastructure, beach preservation, homelessness programs and other community priorities.

California's standing among the states is well known, though the data is somewhat nuanced. A 2026 WalletHub analysis ranked the state 11th highest for overall state and local tax burden, with residents paying an average of roughly 9.24% of personal income. Hawaii, New York and Vermont ranked higher, and Alaska ranked lowest. California also has the nation's highest top marginal state income tax rate, at 13.3%, and Tax Foundation data places it near the top for state tax revenue per capita.

Voters are encouraged to look closely at each measure: which type of tax it affects, whether the increase is temporary or permanent, how much revenue it is expected to raise, whether funds are restricted to specific purposes, and what oversight is built in. For additional perspectives, readers can consult the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association's 2026 voting guide, which approaches measures from a taxpayer advocacy viewpoint, and the nonpartisan CalMatters Voter Guide.