Fair Ballot Access filed papers on Friday to become an official ballot committee opposing one of Mayor Daniel Lurie’s November measures, making it the first formal opponent to his ballot package. The group is targeting the proposal tied to the Foster City fire ballot fight, which would raise the signature threshold for citizen-led initiatives from 2 percent to 8 percent.
That change would lift the number of signatures needed from some 10,700 today to about 42,000. Daniel Anderson, a leading progressive consultant for Fair Ballot Access, said, "Our contention will be, this is not about the mayor. This is about removing a right that San Francisco voters have had for a long time" and, on the measure, "I think there will be people who like the mayor but still think the measure goes too far."
San Francisco ballot rules
The proposal would also require six members of the Board of Supervisors to place measures on the ballot, instead of the four members needed now. Fair Ballot Access formed to oppose one of Lurie’s three charter amendments, and organizers said Aaron Peskin is not involved.
The measure is being sold by supporters as ballot reform meant to declutter elections. Opponents say it would strip away a long-standing voter right by making citizen-led initiatives harder to qualify in a city where local ballots have been lengthy.
Michael Moritz support
Political donors have put in $8.6 million so far to support the ballot measures, including $2 million from Michael Moritz. Another proposed measure would give the mayor power to reorganize departments without a charter amendment, and a third would expand the city administrator’s power over city contracts.
San Francisco voters weighed in on 15 local measures in 2024, far more than Los Angeles’ seven, Oakland’s three and San Jose’s one. In the same year, Prop. D failed despite roughly $9 million in support and about $130,000 against, a reminder that well-financed ballot drives can still run into resistance at the ballot box.
November vote ahead
Fair Ballot Access is now on the November ballot committee list, and the same voters who would face the higher signature bar will decide whether the change takes effect. If the measure passes, future citizen-led initiatives would need a much larger organizing effort before they ever reach the ballot.
