Libertarian Party of Alameda County

November 3, 2026 Mid-Term General Election Guide

Ballot Measure Reference Guide

The Libertarian Party of Alameda County has adopted positions on 42 ballot measures appearing in one or more Alameda County jurisdictions in the November 3, 2026 general election.

This guide provides our voting recommendations and explains the libertarian principles behind them.

Not every measure appears on every ballot. School district and municipal measures apply only within their respective jurisdictions.

I. Our Libertarian Principles

Libertarians believe in individual liberty, private property, voluntary cooperation, and personal responsibility. Every person has the right to live as they choose, provided they respect the equal rights of others. Government operates through coercion; a free society is built on consent.

Taxation: The money people earn belongs to them, not the government. Taxation takes that money by force. We oppose taxes because people should decide for themselves how to spend their money.

Government Bonds: Bond measures are even worse than direct taxation. A direct tax takes money from taxpayers today. A bond allows government to spend borrowed money today, then forces taxpayers to repay the principal plus interest for years or decades. The result is greater expense, long-term debt, and obligations imposed on future taxpayers. We oppose financing government spending by putting future generations in debt.

Government Spending and Subsidies: Government has no right to take money from one person to finance another person's activities. Subsidies reward politically selected recipients, distort markets, and transfer costs to taxpayers. We favor voluntary funding and private enterprise.

Private Property and Free Markets: People have the right to own, use, develop, and exchange their property. Free markets coordinate production and consumption through voluntary exchange, competition, and prices. Government restrictions interfere with those decisions and make goods and services more expensive.

Personal Freedom: Peaceful behavior is a matter of individual choice. Government has no business dictating how people live, what they consume, or how they spend their money.

These principles guide our ballot recommendations. We support measures that protect individual liberty, property rights, and voluntary exchange while opposing measures that expand taxation, government debt, compulsory spending, or interference with peaceful activity.

Individuals should control their own lives, property, and money—not government.

II. Voting Checklist

Summary of Positions

Statewide Propositions

Regional and School District Measures

Municipal Measures

III. Statewide Proposition Explanations

Proposition 1 — Housing Affordability Bonds

Position: NO

What it does: Authorizes $11.25 billion in state general obligation bonds for veterans' housing and affordable housing programs.

Reasoning: The party opposes government borrowing that commits future taxpayers to repaying principal and interest. It favors removing regulatory barriers that increase housing construction costs rather than subsidizing selected housing projects through public debt.

Proposition 2 — State Rainy-Day Fund

Position: NO

What it does: Changes constitutional rules governing California's budget reserves and additional debt payments, resulting in higher required reserves and extended debt-payment requirements.

Reasoning: The party rejects the premise that money held in government reserves belongs to the state. That money belongs to the people from whom it was collected through taxation and should not have been taken from them in the first place.

Setting aside tax revenue in a government reserve does not remedy the original taking. The party favors leaving money in the hands of the people who earned it rather than collecting it to accumulate government savings or finance government projects, particularly projects that libertarians oppose.

Proposition 3 — High-Income Tax Extension

Position: NO

What it does: Makes permanent an additional income tax on high-income earners that would otherwise expire in 2031. The existing tax supports education and increases General Fund revenue available for other state purposes.

Reasoning: The party opposes making an existing tax increase permanent. High marginal tax rates also raise concerns about their potential effects on investment, business location decisions, and incentives to earn additional income.

Proposition 4 — Public Financing of Election Campaigns

Position: NO

What it does: Removes the general prohibition on state and most local government programs that provide public financing to candidates for office, subject to statutory restrictions.

Reasoning: The party opposes using taxpayer money to finance political campaigns. Public financing can require taxpayers to subsidize candidates and political expression they do not support. The party favors voluntary political contributions over compulsory financing through government.

Proposition 5 — Statewide Recall Election Procedures

Position: NO

What it does: Removes the replacement-candidate question from statewide recall ballots. Vacancies following successful recalls would be filled through succession, subsequent elections, or appointments, depending on the office and timing.

Reasoning: The party favors allowing voters to remove an officeholder and choose a replacement in the same election.

In a state dominated by one political party, succession or appointment could replace a recalled official with another member of the same governing party. Voters seeking a change in political direction could therefore remove an officeholder without changing the policies or leadership responsible for their dissatisfaction.

The existing recall procedure gives voters the opportunity to choose a replacement directly. Proposition 5 would eliminate that choice.

Proposition 37 — Middle-Income Homebuyer Loan Program

Position: NO

What it does: Creates a state homebuying assistance program for eligible middle-income purchasers of qualifying newly constructed homes or certain converted properties being sold for the first time. Authorizes up to $25 billion in revenue bonds to finance mortgage assistance, generally repaid through participating homeowners' payments rather than direct state tax payments.

Reasoning: The solution to California's housing crisis is more housing, not greater demand for housing. Subsidizing buyers without sufficiently increasing supply gives purchasers more money to compete for a limited number of homes, driving prices even higher.

The party favors removing regulatory barriers that restrict private construction, allowing developers to increase housing supply and address the underlying shortage.

Proposition 38 — Immunology Research Bonds

Position: NO

What it does: Authorizes $8.4 billion in state general obligation bonds for immunology and immunotherapy research at qualifying California institutions.

Reasoning: The party opposes taxpayer-backed borrowing to finance medical research. It favors voluntary private, charitable, and institutional funding over compulsory public financing.

Proposition 39 — Voter Identification Requirements

Position: YES

What it does: Requires voters casting ballots in person to present government-issued identification and mail voters to provide identifying information on their ballot return envelopes.

Reasoning: The county party supports voter identification to ensure that ballots are cast by eligible voters. California's voter registration system has demonstrated serious vulnerabilities, including a documented case in which a woman registered her dog to vote and successfully cast a ballot in its name. After decades of accumulated registrations, the county party believes California needs a thorough cleanup of its voter rolls, supported by stronger identity verification.

Disagreement with the Libertarian Party of California

The Libertarian Party of California opposes Proposition 39 on the grounds that voting is a universal constitutional right. The Libertarian Party of Alameda County disagrees.

Constitutional rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and due process generally apply to everyone, including noncitizens and convicted felons. Voting is different: eligibility is restricted by law, including citizenship requirements for federal elections.

The right to vote does not eliminate the need to establish eligibility or verify identity. The party therefore supports reasonable identification requirements as a safeguard against ineligible voting.

Proposition 40 — One-Time Wealth Tax

Position: NO

What it does: Establishes a one-time tax of up to 5% on qualifying wealth exceeding $1 billion, primarily targeting California billionaires.

Reasoning: The party opposes taxation of accumulated private wealth, including investments and business interests that have not been sold. Such taxes violate private property rights and create serious valuation and administrative problems.

Concerns about future legislative changes

Party members are also concerned that establishing a wealth tax creates a precedent for expanding it. The initiative permits certain amendments by a two-thirds legislative vote without another popular vote.

Once the framework exists, future lawmakers could seek to make the tax recurring, change its rate, or lower the threshold to reach people with substantially less wealth. The party opposes establishing that framework in the first place.

Proposition 41 — Special-Tax Audits and Spending Limits

Position: YES

What it does: Requires the California State Auditor to review programs that would be financed by certain proposed voter-initiated special taxes before those initiatives appear on the ballot. It also requires continuing reviews of programs funded by qualifying special taxes and restricts the exclusion of new special-tax spending from the state's constitutional spending limit.

Reasoning: The party supports greater scrutiny of government taxation and spending. Independent audits can improve transparency, while constitutional spending limits constrain the expansion of government expenditures.

Proposition 42 — Personal Property and Retroactive Tax Restrictions

Position: YES

What it does: Prohibits new state taxes on ownership of financial assets and other personal property and restricts certain retroactive state taxes. Its provisions could conflict with those of other tax-related propositions on the same ballot.

Reasoning: The party supports private property rights and predictable tax laws. Taxes imposed merely because assets are owned, or imposed retroactively after financial decisions have been made, conflict with those principles.

Proposition 43 — Local Tax Approval Requirements

Position: YES

What it does: Requires two-thirds voter approval for certain local taxes that may currently be adopted by a simple majority.

Reasoning: The party supports higher voter-approval thresholds as a constraint on local taxation. Requiring broader consent makes it more difficult for local governments to impose new tax obligations.

Proposition 44 — Community Health Clinic Spending Requirements

Position: NO

What it does: Requires certain private nonprofit community health clinics to spend at least 90% of annual revenue on healthcare services.

Reasoning: The party opposes government-imposed operating requirements on private organizations. A fixed spending ratio restricts decisions about administration, reserves, facilities, and other expenditures.

Proposition 45 — Environmental Review Procedures

Position: YES — with reservations

What it does: Amends the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to expedite environmental review and approval procedures for specified categories of projects, including housing, transportation, water, healthcare, wildfire mitigation, educational facilities, internet access, and clean energy. It establishes deadlines for agency review and litigation, limits some requirements to evaluate project alternatives, and restricts certain aspects of judicial review and remedies.

Reasoning: California's housing crisis is fundamentally a shortage of housing. Regulatory barriers, including lengthy environmental reviews and litigation, make new construction slower and more expensive. The party supports removing those barriers so private developers can build the housing Californians need.

However, the party distinguishes between private development and government projects. Private developers face financial, competitive, and legal consequences for their decisions, while government agencies operate without the same direct market pressures.

Proposition 45 expedites both private and government projects. The party supports reducing regulatory obstacles to private construction but is reluctant to weaken oversight of government projects.

Because voters cannot approve one without the other, the party has adopted a reluctant YES position, placing greater weight on the benefits of removing barriers to private development and increasing housing supply.

IV. Regional Ballot Measure Explanation

Measure RTM — Regional Transit Sales Tax

Position: NO

What it does: Establishes a 14-year regional sales tax to finance transit operations and related purposes. The proposed rate is 0.5% in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties and 1% in San Francisco. The measure is estimated to generate approximately $980 million annually and includes financial oversight and accountability provisions.

Reasoning: The party opposes additional taxation to support transit agency operating budgets. It is also concerned about agency operating costs, management, service priorities, and the effective use of existing revenue.

V. School District Measure Explanations

Dublin Unified School District — Measure I

Position: NO

What it does: Renews an expiring $96 annual school parcel tax and adds $48 per parcel for nine years, with inflation adjustments, senior exemptions, and independent oversight. The measure is estimated to generate approximately $2.9 million annually.

Reasoning: The party opposes compulsory parcel taxation to finance school district operations. Parcel taxes create recurring property-related obligations that are not necessarily proportional to household income or school usage.

San Lorenzo Unified School District — Measure J

Position: NO

What it does: Renews the existing $99 annual school parcel tax for 12 years without increasing the stated rate. The measure includes senior exemptions and oversight provisions and is estimated to generate approximately $1.8 million annually.

Reasoning: Although the measure retains the existing rate, renewal continues a compulsory tax that would otherwise expire. The party opposes extending such taxes.

Sunol Glen Unified School District — Measure K

Position: NO

What it does: Authorizes $6.1 million in general obligation bonds for school facilities, including renovation of the main building and replacement of deteriorating building systems. Repayment would be financed through property taxes.

Reasoning: The party opposes government bond financing, which creates future repayment obligations, including interest, for property taxpayers.

VI. Municipal Ballot Measure Explanations

City of Alameda

Measure L — Infrastructure and Resilience Bonds

Position: NO

What it does: Authorizes $300 million in general obligation bonds for infrastructure, emergency preparedness, flood protection, and related improvements.

Reasoning: The party opposes taxpayer-backed borrowing and the additional property taxes required for repayment. The need for infrastructure maintenance does not, by itself, justify financing it through new public debt.

Measure M — City Charter Modernization

Position: YES

What it does: Updates and repeals specified outdated provisions of the Alameda City Charter.

Reasoning: Removing obsolete legal requirements can reduce inconsistencies and improve the clarity of government rules without creating a new tax or bond obligation.

Measure N — City Property Sales and Leases

Position: NO

What it does: Amends the City Charter so that sales or leases of city-owned real property exceeding one year would be approved by resolution rather than ordinance. It also reduces the required City Council approval threshold from four affirmative votes to three for leases not exceeding ten years.

Reasoning: The party is concerned about reducing procedural safeguards for transactions involving publicly owned assets.

City of Albany

Measure O — Residential Zoning Changes

Position: YES

What it does: Allows the Albany City Council to amend certain zoning requirements affecting R-1 residential areas without the majority neighborhood voter approval required under the city's existing Measure D framework. The council would still have to follow applicable public hearing and zoning amendment procedures.

Reasoning: The party favors fewer political restrictions on private property use and development. Requiring a separate neighborhood voter approval process for certain zoning changes creates an additional barrier to changing land-use rules.

Measure P — Street Paving and Storm Drain Parcel Tax

Position: NO

What it does: Updates Albany's existing street paving and storm drain special parcel tax by adding low-income exemptions and rebates, extending its application to certain possessory interests, and providing for a conditional rate adjustment if a large parcel becomes exempt. The tax is estimated to generate approximately $1.4 million annually.

Reasoning: The party opposes compulsory parcel taxation as a means of financing municipal infrastructure.

Measure Q — Emergency Medical and Fire Protection Parcel Tax

Position: NO

What it does: Updates Albany's existing special parcel tax for emergency medical services, advanced life support, and fire protection. It adds low-income exemptions and rebates and provides for conditional rate adjustments if a large parcel becomes exempt. The tax is estimated to generate approximately $2.5 million annually.

Reasoning: The party opposes compulsory parcel taxation to finance municipal services, including emergency medical and fire protection services.

Measure R — Business License Tax

Position: NO

What it does: Increases and restructures Albany's business license tax, shifting its calculation from employee counts to business gross receipts and updating tax collection procedures. It is estimated to generate approximately $600,000 in additional annual revenue.

Reasoning: The party opposes taxes imposed on businesses for operating. Gross receipts measure revenue rather than profit, potentially imposing substantial costs on low-margin or unprofitable businesses.

Measure S — Real Property Transfer Tax

Position: NO

What it does: Changes Albany's real property transfer tax from a flat $15 per $1,000 of purchase price to graduated rates ranging from $10 to $30 per $1,000, depending on the property's sale price. It is estimated to generate approximately $1 million in additional annual revenue.

Reasoning: The party opposes taxing voluntary transfers of private property. Transfer taxes increase the cost of buying and selling real estate.

Measure T — Street Trees and Streetlighting Parcel Tax

Position: NO

What it does: Establishes a special parcel tax of $0.0354 per lot square foot for street trees and streetlighting, with annual inflation adjustments capped at 3% and exemptions for qualifying low-income residents. It is estimated to generate approximately $775,000 annually.

Reasoning: The party opposes creating an additional compulsory tax for municipal services.

City of Berkeley

Measure U — Public Infrastructure Bonds

Position: NO

What it does: Authorizes $300 million in general obligation bonds for fire stations, emergency response facilities, parks, recreation facilities, climate resilience, and other public infrastructure. Repayment would be financed through property taxes, with independent oversight and audits.

Reasoning: The party opposes government borrowing backed by future property taxes. Bond financing also increases project costs through interest payments.

Measure V — Sales Tax

Position: NO

What it does: Increases Berkeley's sales tax by 0.5 percentage points, bringing the total rate to 10.75%. The additional revenue, estimated at $9 million to $10 million annually, would go into the city's General Fund for general municipal purposes.

Reasoning: The party opposes additional taxes on voluntary purchases. Sales taxes increase transaction costs for consumers and businesses while providing additional discretionary revenue to government.

Measure W — Charter and Election Administration

Position: NO

What it does: Amends Berkeley's City Charter to change candidate filing fees and procedures, candidate statement requirements, initiative and referendum procedures, recalls, and timelines for filling elected-office vacancies. It also increases the maximum amount available from the public campaign financing fund for administration and enforcement from $250,000 to $400,000 per four-year election cycle.

Reasoning: The party opposes expanding the use of public resources for campaign financing and is concerned about changes to established electoral procedures.

Measure X — Rent Stabilization Ordinance

Position: NO

What it does: Amends Berkeley's rent stabilization and eviction ordinance by changing certain rent control and registration exemptions, nonprofit housing fee provisions, registration deadlines, and tenant association rules. It also establishes a 10% limit on annual rent increases.

Reasoning: The party holds that rental terms should generally be determined through voluntary agreements between property owners and tenants. Rent regulation restricts the terms under which privately owned housing can be offered and managed.

Measure Y — Arts Parcel Tax

Position: NO

What it does: Creates a 12-year special parcel tax of $0.07 per square foot of improvements to support arts organizations, projects, festivals, and related expenses. It is estimated to generate approximately $6.3 million annually, with oversight by the city's Civic Arts Commission.

Reasoning: The party opposes compulsory public financing of arts and cultural activities, favoring voluntary patronage and donations.

Measure Z — Public Bank Parcel Tax

Position: NO

What it does: Establishes a six-year special parcel tax to capitalize and support a publicly owned bank. Proposed rates are $0.06 per square foot of residential improvements and $0.09 per square foot of nonresidential improvements. The measure is estimated to generate approximately $9.2 million in its first year.

Reasoning: The party opposes the additional tax and government participation in lending and financial markets. It is also concerned about financial risks associated with publicly owned banking institutions.

Measure AA — Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax

Position: NO

What it does: Replaces Berkeley's existing one-cent-per-fluid-ounce general tax on the distribution of sugar-sweetened beverages with a two-cent-per-fluid-ounce special tax. Revenue would support specified public health, nutrition, and drinking-water programs, while retaining existing product and retailer exemptions.

Reasoning: The party opposes using taxation to influence individual dietary choices. Its position emphasizes personal responsibility and opposition to government-imposed price penalties on lawful products.

City of Emeryville

Measure BB — Business License Tax

Position: NO

What it does: Restructures Emeryville's business license tax, including rates of up to 0.4% of gross receipts for applicable businesses.

Reasoning: The party opposes taxes on private business operations. Gross-receipts-based taxes impose costs independently of profitability.

City of Hayward

Measure CC — Business License Tax

Position: NO

What it does: Revises Hayward's business license tax structure and increases expected municipal revenue.

Reasoning: The party opposes increasing taxes on private enterprise. Business taxes raise operating costs and can place particular pressure on smaller or lower-margin firms.

City of Newark

Measure DD — Business License Tax

Position: NO

What it does: Revises Newark's business license tax structure, including rates of up to 0.3% of gross receipts for applicable businesses. The changes are expected to reduce business license taxes for many small businesses while changing the amounts paid by other businesses.

Reasoning: The party opposes compulsory taxation of lawful commercial activity and the operating costs such taxes impose. Its opposition concerns the tax structure as a whole, including the gross-receipts-based provisions, rather than a claim that every business would pay more.

City of Oakland

Measure EE — City Charter and Government Structure

Position: YES

What it does: Changes Oakland's division of executive and legislative authority, including the mayor's responsibilities, veto powers, council oversight, and certain appointment procedures.

Reasoning: The party favors clearly defined government responsibilities and accountability. Separating executive administration from legislative functions can clarify which officials are responsible for particular decisions.

Measure FF — Real Property Transfer Tax

Position: NO

What it does: Changes Oakland's real property transfer tax treatment of foreclosure-related transactions. It generally removes an existing foreclosure-related exception while retaining specified exceptions and authorizing certain future City Council adjustments.

Reasoning: The party opposes taxes on transfers of private property, including transactions arising from foreclosure and debt enforcement.

City of Piedmont

Measure GG — Real Property Transfer Tax

Position: NO

What it does: Increases Piedmont's real property transfer tax from 1.3% to 1.75%.

Reasoning: The party opposes increasing taxes on voluntary real estate transactions. Transfer taxes impose additional costs when privately owned property is sold.

City of Pleasanton

Measure HH — Hotel Occupancy Tax

Position: NO

What it does: Increases Pleasanton's hotel occupancy tax in stages from 8% to 10% in July 2027 and to 12% in July 2028.

Reasoning: The party opposes additional taxes on lodging transactions, which increase costs for guests and impose government charges on voluntary exchanges.

City of Union City

Measure II — Utility Users Tax Extension

Position: NO

What it does: Extends Union City's existing 5% utility users tax for nine years.

Reasoning: The party opposes extending taxes on essential utility services. Although the rate remains unchanged, the measure continues a tax that would otherwise expire.

VII. Official Ballot Information

The complete legal text, official analyses, and jurisdiction-specific election materials are available from:

California Secretary of State — Official Voter Information Guide
https://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/

California Legislative Analyst's Office — Proposition Analyses
https://www.lao.ca.gov/ballotanalysis/propositions

Alameda County Registrar of Voters — November 3, 2026 General Election
https://acvote.alamedacountyca.gov/election-information/elections?id=260

Alameda County — Official Ballot Measure Questions
https://www.alamedacountyca.gov/rov_app/measures/election/260

City of Albany — November 2026 Ballot Measures
https://www.albanyca.gov/Government/Election-Information/Ballot-Measures-for-General-Municipal-Election-2026

The descriptions in this guide are abbreviated. Official ballot language and full legal text govern where additional detail is needed.