Tilting California voters toward raising local taxes often involves tricks, manipulation
Tasheena Braxton records her son Xavier Braxton, 19, as he drops off his ballot for the first time on Super Tuesday in San Francisco on Marc

Tasheena Braxton records her son Xavier Braxton, 19, as he drops off his ballot for the first time on Super Tuesday in San Francisco on March 5, 2024. Photo by Juliana Yamada for CalMatters California’s Nov.
3 ballot contains 14 statewide ballot measures and five of them pertain to taxes, including the much-debated Proposition 40, which would tax the wealth of the state’s billionaires. Meanwhile, local ballots are also heavily loaded with measures that would either raise taxes to benefit school districts or local governments or authorize the issuance of bonds that require new taxes to repay.
First reported by CalMatters.
More in California
- UC Berkeley Lab Proposes New Civic Framework for California’s Next Governor
A research-driven agenda calls for institutionalizing 'co-governance' to address low public trust and lack of resident influence in state decision-making.
- Five Tax Measures on California’s Ballot Aim to Reshape State Finances
Propositions 3, 40–43 would alter income, wealth and local taxation rules—marking the highest number of tax measures on a general election ballot since 1994.
- Catalina Helicopter Crash Highlights Risks of Island Medevac Flights
A medical evacuation chopper carrying Catalina Romero, pilot, and nurse Jessica Devries crashed into the ocean shortly after takeoff, killing all three; federal investigators are assessing causes including night flying, spatial disorientation, and the island’s challenging Pebbly Beach heliport.


