San Francisco's Proposition D on the Nov. 3 ballot would make it harder to put local measures before voters. It would raise the signature requirement for citizen measures from 2% to 8% of the vote, or roughly 10,600 to 42,500 signatures. It would require a majority of supervisors, rather than four, to place a measure and end the mayor's power to place one alone, according to KQED's voter guide. (See our earlier Prop D explainer.)
What the history shows
Mission Local reviewed 123 local measures since November 2016. It found that 67% would not have been affected by Prop D, and only 18% qualified by signatures. This year is different: 7 of the 11 local propositions on the Nov. 3 ballot qualified with signatures.
Mission Local also checked Mayor Daniel Lurie's comparison with Los Angeles. It found that L.A. County's rule is 10% of the last gubernatorial vote, or about 4.1% of registered voters, not the 15% Lurie had cited.
The money
Supporters, including Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, have raised nearly $14 million. Opponents, including several labor groups and a local affordable housing nonprofit, have about $206,000 and are outspent about 67-to-1, according to Mission Local and KQED. Supporters argue in the voter pamphlet that the low threshold "can flood the ballot with contradictory measures." Critics say it would end citizen-driven initiatives. "There won't be any more grassroots ballot initiatives — they can't afford it," said Randy Shaw of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic. Political consultant Dale Carlson said: "Don't deny citizens access to the ballot."
How to vote
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center.