LA County Kicks Off Election Season with Ballot Mailings
Voters will receive mail-in ballots for the Nov. 3 election, facing contests for mayor and a series of local ballot measures.
Los Angeles County has begun mailing ballots to voters for the November 3 general election, marking the final month of a busy election cycle. The county is providing over 400 ballot drop boxes, with vote centers set to open on October 24. Voters who have not yet registered and wish to receive a ballot by mail must do so by October 19.
The mail-in ballots arrive as California navigates ongoing debates regarding election security. Concerns have been raised about the state's vote-by-mail system, ballot handling, and voter eligibility verification, while state officials and voting advocates maintain that the existing safeguards are robust.
Among the prominent races is the Los Angeles mayoral contest, featuring incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and City Council member Nithya Raman. The election also includes contests for California governor and Congress, alongside numerous local and statewide ballot measures.
Los Angeles voters will decide on eight local ballot measures, addressing issues such as taxes, wildfire recovery, and changes to City Hall operations. Five of these measures involve significant fiscal, governmental, or land-use implications:
Measure FD: Fire Department Funding
This citizen-sponsored measure proposes a new 0.5% sales tax within Los Angeles to generate approximately $345 million annually for the Los Angeles Fire Department. The funds are earmarked for staffing, equipment, infrastructure, and wildfire preparedness, and would establish a Citizens’ Oversight Committee with audit requirements.
Proposition TE: Palisades Fire Tax Exemption
This proposition would grant an exemption from the city’s transfer tax on high-value real estate deals (commonly known as the “mansion tax”) for qualifying residential properties damaged or destroyed by the January 2025 Palisades Fire. The exemption would apply to properties sold by the qualifying owner within five years of the fire. Analysts estimate this could reduce revenue for affordable housing and homelessness-prevention programs by $35 million to $66 million through January 2030.
Charter Amendment LA: City Hall Overhaul
This amendment seeks to reform the city government's structure, potentially shifting to a two-year budget cycle, requiring a capital infrastructure plan, and granting the Director of Public Works expanded authority. It could also alter the Board of Public Works, ease restrictions on city business enterprises and property mortgaging, and modify contracting procedures.
Charter Amendment PL: Planning Reform
This measure proposes replacing Los Angeles's seven Area Planning Commissions with a single Neighborhood Appeals Commission. It would also alter the handling of certain land-use decisions and appeals and permit the City Council to adjust floor-area restrictions via ordinance.
Charter Amendment EE: Ethics and Elections Revamp
This proposal includes several changes, such as increasing penalties for campaign-finance violations, enhancing the independence of the LAPD Inspector General and Fire Department Independent Assessor, and imposing a five-year restriction on certain Ethics Commission officials seeking city or LAUSD office. It also seeks to raise the signature threshold for referendum petitions from 10% to 15% of votes cast in the previous mayoral election and change the City Council's minimum meeting requirement from three days per week to weekly.
In addition to these, voters will consider measures related to park funding, the city's airport, harbor, water and power departments, and campaign finance rules for the Los Angeles Unified School District.