By Jolin Hoang | Staff Writer
Of California’s 12 state ballot measures in the Nov. 3 election, three directly related to students. All of these, Propositions 15, 16 and 18, were struck down by voters.
Proposition 15 aimed to raise property tax on commercial properties worth more than $3 million. The revenue would have provided new funding for local governments and public schools.
Voters split almost evenly on Prop 15. The measure was rejected with a 51.8 percent “no” vote, according to the Associated Press.
Proposition 16, informally called the “affirmative action” measure, aimed to expand opportunities in college admission and employment. The proposition would have also increased access to fair wages for people of color and women.
This measure was intended as a response to the Black Lives Matter protests and pleas for racial equality that occurred earlier in the year.
According to the Associated Press, the proposition was voted down by 56.5 percent of voters.
Proposition 18 would have enabled peope 17 years of age to vote in primary elections during the spring if those voters would turn 18 by the November election. This proposition aimed to boost youth civic engagement and create more lifelong participants in the country’s democratic process of free and fair elections.
The Associated press reported a rejection of this proposition with only 45 percent of voters in favor.