Besides helping decide who will be America’s next Commander-in-Chief, Angelenos will also vote on numerous county measures in the Nov. 5 General Election.
Here’s what you need to know:
L.A. District Attorney
Incumbent DA George Gascón is fighting to keep his seat amid reports of low public support, opposition from his own deputy DA, and a strong campaign from his opponent, former Assistant U.S. Attorney General Nathan Hochman.
Commonly known as the Godfather of progressive prosecutors, Gascón campaigned on a platform of change in 2020 in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death and as California began to test out sweeping criminal justice reform.
Hochman, a former federal prosecutor and Republican turned Independent, has not hesitated to criticize the current top prosecutor.
“I think Angelenos have let George Gascón run his social experiment for the last three and a half years and he has failed,” he previously said. “They feel less safe today than they did when he first came into office. I can restore that safety back to this community.”
Measure G
Voters will decide if the L.A. County Board of Supervisors will be expanded from five seats to nine and make the county CEO an elected position.
The measure would also create the County Legislative Analyst and Director of Budget and Management positions and establish an Ethics Commission and a Compliance Officer by 2026.
Five elected officials oversee the largest county in the nation, but critics have previously said this model doesn’t work.
The supervisors are divided on the measure. Supervisors Holly Mitchell and Kathryn Barger oppose it, while Supervisors Lindsey Horvath, Janice Hahn, and Hilda Solis support it.
Since 1926, voters have rejected measures to expand the board eight times, most recently in 2000.
Measure A
This sales tax measure would replace Measure H, a similar measure voters approved in 2017, and raise the sales tax from 25 to 50 cents to fund homeless services and prevention. The tax would remain in effect indefinitely unless repealed by voters.
Measure H was set to expire in 2027.
Measure DD
Voters in the city of L.A. will have the chance to decide whether to create an independent commission to determine city council districts.
Currently, the redistricting process is handled by City Council members every decade after the release of U.S. Census data.
Calls for an independent commission to handle the process heightened in 2022 after a leaked audio conversation between former Council President Nury Martinez, Councilmembers Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León and former Federation President Ron Herrera.
The four were gathered for a broader discussion regarding the city’s redistricting.
Charter Amendment LL
New Los Angeles School Unified School District maps are overseen by a committee appointed by current officeholders. City Council members can also make their own changes to the district maps.
The amendment would create a comparable process for all the territory within LAUSD, which extends beyond the city of L.A.
This means the entire process would be in the hands of an independent panel of citizen volunteers instead of elected officials.
Residents of Los Angeles, Gardena, Huntington Park, Lomita, Maywood, San Fernando, West Hollywood, and Vernon will vote on this measure. According to the L.A. Times, portions of 17 other cities are also within the district.
More information about local races can be found here.
