Proposition 5 would remove the second question from California state recall elections, meaning voters would decide whether an official should be removed but would no longer choose a replacement on the same ballot. Here is what that means for California voters.
Fast Facts
- Election: November 3, 2026
- What it changes: California’s recall process for state officers
- What voters decide now: Whether to recall an official and, if so, who should replace them
- What Proposition 5 would do: Remove the replacement question from the recall ballot
- Does it eliminate recalls? No.
- Does it apply to local elected officials? No. It concerns state officers.
- Potential cost: Future recalls could cost more or less depending on whether a separate election is needed.
Quick Answer
Proposition 5 would change what happens after California voters recall a state elected official.
Under current rules, a state recall election asks voters two questions:
- Should the official be removed?
- If removed, who should replace that official?
Proposition 5 would eliminate the second question.
If voters recall an official, the resulting vacancy would generally be filled using the same procedures California already uses when a state office becomes vacant. For some offices, that could mean a special election. For others, it could mean an appointment.
The governor would have a separate process.
What Is a Recall Election?
A recall gives voters a way to remove an elected official before that person’s term ends.
California’s Constitution allows voters to recall state officials if supporters collect enough signatures to put the recall on the ballot. If the recall qualifies, voters decide whether the official should remain in office.
Since 1913, 11 state recall efforts have qualified for the ballot, involving nine legislators and two governors. Six resulted in an official being removed, including the 2003 recall of Gov. Gray Davis.
The most recent gubernatorial recall was in 2021, when voters rejected the effort to remove Gov. Gavin Newsom.
How Does the Current System Work?
Today, a state recall election has two parts.
Question 1: Should the official be recalled?
Voters answer yes or no.
If more than half vote yes, the official is removed.
Question 2: Who should replace the official?
Voters then choose from the candidates running to replace the recalled official.
The candidate who receives the most votes wins, even if that candidate does not receive a majority.
That system has sometimes produced very large fields of candidates. The 2003 gubernatorial recall had 135 candidates competing to replace Gov. Davis. The 2021 recall had 46 candidates.
What Would Proposition 5 Change?
Proposition 5 would make the recall election itself much simpler.
Voters would only answer one question:
Should this elected official be removed from office?
If the answer is yes, the office becomes vacant.
The replacement would then be chosen through the normal process California uses to fill that type of vacancy, with special rules for the governor.
In other words:
Current system
Recall vote → Choose replacement → New official takes office
Recall vote → Office becomes vacant → Normal vacancy process determines replacement
What Happens if a State Senator or Assembly Member Is Recalled?
This is an important part of Proposition 5.
If a state senator or Assembly member is recalled, the seat would generally be filled through a separate special election.
That means voters could have a second opportunity to choose who represents them rather than selecting a replacement on the same ballot as the recall.
The exact timing would depend on the circumstances and election schedules.
What Happens if Another State Official Is Recalled?
For many other state offices, the vacancy would generally be filled through an appointment by the governor under existing California law.
That could include certain statewide executive offices.
This is one of the most important things voters should understand about Proposition 5:
A YES vote does not always mean voters immediately get another election to choose the replacement.
For some offices, the replacement could instead initially be appointed.
What Happens if the Governor Is Recalled?
The governor has its own rules under Proposition 5.
If a governor is recalled, the lieutenant governor would become governor.
If the recall happens later in the governor’s term, the lieutenant governor would serve the remainder of that term.
If the recall occurs during the first two years of the governor’s term and before the nomination period closes for the next statewide election, a special election would eventually be held to choose a governor for the remainder of the term.
So Proposition 5 does not simply allow the lieutenant governor to automatically serve out every recalled governor’s entire term.
Could the Recalled Official Run Again?
There is another change that is easy to miss.
Current California law prevents the official being recalled from appearing as a candidate to replace themselves in the recall election.
Proposition 5 would remove that prohibition for a special election.
However, the recalled official could not simply be appointed back into the same office.
That means a recalled official could potentially run in a later special election, but could not be put back into office through an appointment.
Why Is California Considering This Change?
Supporters of changing the recall system have argued that the current two-question process can create a strange situation.
Voters may overwhelmingly decide that an elected official should be removed, while the replacement is chosen by a separate field of candidates where no candidate receives close to a majority.
The 2021 gubernatorial recall illustrated how different the two questions can be. Voters rejected the recall of Newsom, while 46 candidates competed in the replacement contest.
Proposition 5’s approach is to separate those decisions:
First decide whether the official should stay or go. Then use the normal process for filling the vacancy.
The measure was placed on the November ballot by the Legislature after receiving support during the legislative process from groups including California Common Cause and the League of Women Voters of California.
What Are the Concerns?
The biggest concern is who gets to choose the replacement.
Under the current system, voters choose a successor at the same time they vote on the recall.
Under Proposition 5, voters could lose that immediate choice for some state offices.
For example, if a state executive official were recalled, the replacement could initially be selected through an appointment process rather than directly by voters.
Critics could therefore argue that the measure shifts some power away from voters and toward existing government institutions, depending on the office involved.
There is also a practical question: Will the new system save money or cost more?
The state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office says the answer is unknown.
Removing the replacement contest could save money because ballots and election materials would be simpler. But separate special elections could cost millions of dollars when they are necessary.
How Could Proposition 5 Affect Latino Communities?
There is no special provision in Proposition 5 targeting Latino voters or Latino communities.
The measure would apply to California voters generally.
But the issue can still matter to Latino communities because recall elections can determine who represents communities in the state Legislature and other statewide offices.
For example, if a state senator or Assembly member representing a heavily Latino district were recalled, Proposition 5 would change the process for selecting that person’s replacement.
Instead of choosing a replacement during the recall election, voters would generally face a separate special election for a legislative vacancy.
That could give voters a separate opportunity to evaluate the candidates and their positions on issues important to their communities.
At the same time, for offices where the governor can make an appointment, the initial replacement could be selected without a direct vote of the public.
For Latino voters, the practical question is therefore not simply whether recalls should be easier or harder. It is who gets to choose the person who takes over after a recall.
Does Proposition 5 Eliminate Recall Elections?
No.
Voters would still be able to recall state officials.
The measure changes what happens after a successful recall.
Does Proposition 5 Affect Local Recalls?
No.
Proposition 5 concerns state officers.
California already changed the rules for certain local recall elections in 2022, removing the successor question in jurisdictions covered by that law and using the normal vacancy process instead. Proposition 5 would create a similar approach for state officers.
The Bottom Line: What Are Voters Deciding?
Proposition 5 is ultimately about who should choose a replacement after California voters remove a state official.
A YES vote would eliminate the replacement question from state recall elections. Voters would decide whether to remove the official, and the vacancy would then be handled through the state’s normal vacancy rules, including special elections or appointments depending on the office.
A NO vote would keep the current system, where voters decide both whether to recall the official and who should replace that person in the same election.
For voters, the simplest way to think about Proposition 5 is:
Do you want recall voters to choose the replacement immediately, or should California use its normal process for filling a vacant office after the recall?
That’s the decision on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
