June 24, 2026 - Sacramento, Calif. – California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. announced that an initiative became eligible for the November 3, 2026, General Election ballot on June 23, 2026.  

In order to become eligible for the ballot, the initiative needed 546,651 valid petition signatures, which is equal to five percent of the total votes cast for governor in the November 2022 General Election.  

A measure can become eligible via random sampling of petition signatures if the sampling projects that the number of valid signatures is greater than 110 percent of the required number. The initiative needed at least 601,317 projected valid signatures to become eligible by random sampling, and it has exceeded that threshold today.  

On June 25, 2026, the Secretary of State will certify the initiative as qualified for the November 3, 2026, General Election ballot, unless it is withdrawn by the proponent prior to certification pursuant to Elections Code section 9604(b).  

The Attorney General's official title and summary of the measure is as follows:  

AUTHORIZES BONDS FOR IMMUNOLOGY RESEARCH. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Authorizes $8.4 billion in state general obligation bonds for immunology and immunotherapy research (technologies that use body’s immune system to treat disease), allocated equally between (1) a University of California-affiliated nonprofit medical research institute selected by the California Department of Public Health based on specified criteria, and (2) a grant program for public or nonprofit universities and institutions. Requires half of research money go to cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease research. Requires funding recipients to sell technology and drugs derived from research in California for 20% below national average price. Appropriates money from General Fund to repay bonds. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Increased state costs of about $500 million annually for 25 years to repay the bonds. The state could recoup part or all of this cost in subsequent decades if the funded research leads to discoveries that generate revenue, though this is uncertain. (25-0026A1.) 

The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 2006 and the Attorney General's tracking number is 25-0026A1. 

The proponent of the measure is Gary K. Michelson. The address for the proponent is c/o Lance H. Olson, Aaron D. Silva, and Benjamin Gevercer, Olson Remcho, LLP, 555 Capitol Mall, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814. The proponent may also be contacted at (916) 442-2952 as well as at lolson@olsonremcho.com, asilva@olsonremcho.com, and bgevercer@olsonremcho.com. 

For more information about how an initiative qualifies for the ballot in California, visit https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-measures/how-qualify-initiative/. 

Source: CA. SoS