California Voters Decide Prop. 5 to Split Recall Removal and Replacement

The measure would require a separate follow-up election to choose a successor if a recall succeeds to prevent one-step replacement outcomes.

Overview

California voters are deciding Proposition 5 on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, a constitutional change that would separate the decision to remove an official from the choice of a replacement.
Under the proposal, the ballot would first ask only whether an official should be removed and, if that vote succeeds, hold a later election to pick the successor instead of asking both questions at once.
Backers — led by Democratic lawmakers and endorsed by Governor Gavin Newsom and Secretary of State Shirley Weber — say the change would stop recalls from being used to seize power by electing a replacement with only a plurality.
Opponents argue the plan would force costly special elections and create logistical uncertainty, citing the roughly $276 million spent around Newsom’s 2021 recall as an example of the expense at stake.
The campaign has seen little organized spending, pre-election polling showed a close race (PPIC mid-October: 45% yes, 52% no), and recalls remain rare in California with 11 reaching ballots since 1913 and six approved.