California Proposition 7, Legislative Power to Change Daylight Saving Time Measure (2018)

Elections in California, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 22
• Early voting: Oct. 8 - Nov. 5
• Absentee voting deadline: Postmark Nov. 6

• Online registration: Yes
• Same-day registration: Yes
• Voter ID: No
• Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

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California Proposition 7
Election date November 6, 2018
Topic Time standards
Status a Approved
Type State statute	Origin State legislature
List of California measuresCalifornia Proposition 68 - JuneCalifornia Proposition 69 - JuneCalifornia Proposition 70 - JuneCalifornia Proposition 71 - JuneCalifornia Proposition 72 - JuneCalifornia Proposition 1California Proposition 2California Proposition 3California Proposition 4California Proposition 5California Proposition 6California Proposition 7California Proposition 8California Proposition 10California Proposition 11California Proposition 12Submit

California Proposition 7, the Legislative Power to Change Daylight Saving Time Measure, was on the ballot in California as a legislatively referred state statute on November 6, 2018. The measure was approved.

A yes vote supported allowing the California State Legislature to change the dates and times of the daylight saving time (DST) period, as consistent with federal law, by a two-thirds vote, including establishing permanent, year-round standard time or permanent, year-round DST (if federal law is changed to allow for permanent DST).

A no vote opposed allowing the California State Legislature to change the dates and times of the daylight saving time (DST) period, as consistent with federal law, by a two-thirds vote, including establishing permanent, year-round standard time or permanent, year-round DST (if federal law is changed to allow for permanent DST).

Election results

California Proposition 7
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		7,167,315	59.75%
No		4,828,564	40.25%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Overview

How did this ballot measure impact daylight saving time in California?

Proposition 7 allowed the California State Legislature to change the dates and times of the daylight saving time (DST) period, as consistent with federal law, by a two-thirds vote. Proposition 7 also allowed the legislature to establish permanent, year-round DST by a two-thirds vote if the federal Uniform Time Act is changed to allow for permanent DST. By changing the state law, Proposition 7 also permitted the legislature to enact permanent standard time by a two-thirds vote.

To enact Proposition 7, Proposition 12 (1949), a ballot initiative that established DST in California, needed to be repealed. In California, a ballot initiative cannot be repealed without the consent of voters. Therefore, the state legislature could not take action to change time policy unless voters approved Proposition 7. This applied to both permanent daylight saving time and permanent standard time.

As of 2018, the federal Uniform Time Act allowed states to adopt one of two options: (a) adopt DST between the second Sunday of March and the first Sunday of November or (b) remain on standard time all year. In 2016, the California State Legislature asked the President and Congress to pass an act that would allow California to adopt year-round DST. In March 2018, Florida also asked the federal government to allow the state to enact year-round DST.

Had the United States ever used permanent DST?

California, and the entire United States, had permanent DST between 1942 and 1945. President Franklin D. Roosevelt labeled permanent DST as War Time because the change was intended to save energy during World War II. According to Time, farmers were some of the strongest opponents of permanent DST. U.S. Rep. James Wadsworth (R-N.Y.), a critic of permanent DST, said, “Your net gain is fatigue for the farmer.” In 1973, President Richard Nixon signed legislation to enact permanent DST for a period of 16 months as a response to an OPEC-backed oil embargo. Less than 11 months after the bill’s enactment, the law was amended to return the nation to standard time during the winter months over concerns about children commuting to school in the dark. Therefore, a full-year of permanent DST was not completed.

As of 2018, what states used permanent stadard time?

As of 2018, two states—Arizona, with the exception of the Navajo Nation, and Hawaii—did not use DST and were on standard time year-round. Arizona opted-out of DST in 1968. Hawaii never observed DST under the federal Uniform Time Act.

Text of measure

Ballot title

The official ballot title was as follows:

“

Conforms California Daylight Saving Time to Federal Law. Allows Legislature to Change Daylight Saving Time Period. Legislative Statute.

”

Ballot summary

The official ballot summary was as follows:

“

Establishes the time zone designated by federal law as “Pacific standard time” as the standard time within California. Provides that California daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday of March and ends at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of November, consistent with current federal law. Permits the Legislature by two-thirds vote to make future changes to California’s daylight saving time period, including for its year-round application, if changes are consistent with federal law.

”

Fiscal impact statement

The fiscal impact statement was as follows:

“

This measure has no direct fiscal effect because changes to daylight saving time would depend on future actions by the Legislature and potentially the federal government.

”

Full text

The measure repealed Proposition 12, also known as the Daylight Saving Time Act, in Section 6807 of the California Government Code. The measure added new text as Section 6808 of the state Government Code. The following underlined text was added and struck-through text was deleted:

If federal law authorizes the state to provide for the year-round application of daylight saving time and the Legislature considers the adoption of this application, it is the intent of the this act to encourage the Legislature to consider the potential impacts of year-round daylight saving time on communities along the border between California and other states and between California and Mexico. Section 6808 of Government Code (a) (a) The standard time within the state is that of the fifth zone designated by federal law as Pacific standard time (15 U.S.C. Secs. 261 and 263). (b) The standard time within the state shall advance by one hour during the daylight saving time period commencing at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday of March of each year and ending at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of November of each year. (c) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), the Legislature may amend this section by a two-thirds vote to change the dates and times of the daylight saving time period, consistent with federal law, and, if federal law authorizes the state to provide for the year-round application of daylight saving time, the Legislature may amend this section by a two-thirds vote to provide for that application. Section 6807 of Government Code Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the Daylight Saving Time Act. Section 2. The standard time within the State, except as hereinafter provided, is that of the One Hundred and Twentieth (120th) degree of longitude west from Greenwich and which is now known, described and designated by Act of Congress as “United States Standard Pacific Time.” Section 3. From 1 o'clock antemeridian on the last Sunday of April, until 2 o'clock antemeridian on the last Sunday of October, the standard time in this State so established shall be one hour in advance of the standard time now known as United States Standard Pacific time. Section 4. In all laws, statutes, orders, decrees, rules and regulations relating to the time of performance of any act by any officer or department of this State, or of any county, city and county, city, town or district thereof or relating to the time in which any rights shall accrue or determine, or within which any act shall or shall not be performed by any person subject to the jurisdiction of the State, and in all the public schools and in all other institutions of this State, or of any county, city and county, city, town or district thereof, and in all contracts or choses in actions made or to be performed in this State, the time shall be as set forth in this act and it shall be so understood and intended. Section 5. All acts in conflict herewith are hereby repealed.

Readability score

See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2018

Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title and summary for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The attorney general wrote the ballot language for this measure. The FKGL for the ballot title is grade level 12, and the FRE is 17. The word count for the ballot title is 18, and the estimated reading time is 4 seonds. The FKGL for the ballot summary is grade level 15.5, and the FRE is 32. The word count for the ballot summary is 80, and the estimated reading time is 21 seconds. In 2018, for the 167 statewide measures on the ballot, the average ballot title or question was written at a level appropriate for those with between 19 and 20 years of U.S. formal education (graduate school-level of education), according to the FKGL formula. Read Ballotpedia's entire 2018 ballot language readability report here.

Support

Arguments

• Asm. Kansen Chu (D-25), a legislative sponsor of the measure, described daylight saving time (DST) as an "outdated practice of switching our clocks in the fall and spring." He also said, “... voters will get to decide whether or not to eliminate the practice of switching our clocks twice a year. We started this practice to conserve energy during wartime, but studies show that this is no longer the case. We are no longer saving energy, and studies have shown this practice increases risk of heart attacks, traffic accidents and crimes. It is time that we as a state reconsider whether this is still beneficial to our residents.”

Official arguments

Asm. Kansen Chu (D-25), Asm. Lorena Gonzalez (D-80), and Sion Roy, a cardiologist, wrote the official argument found in the state voter information guide in support of Proposition 7:

“ What does it cost us to change our clocks twice a year? Here are some facts to consider. University medical studies in 2012 found that the risk of heart attacks increases by 10% in the two days following a time change. In 2016, further research revealed that stroke risks increase 8% when we change our clocks. For cancer patients the stroke risk increases 25% and for people over age 65 stroke risk goes up 20%. All because we disrupt sleep patterns. And every parent knows what it means when our children’s sleep patterns are disrupted twice a year. Now consider money. Changing our clocks twice a year increases our use of electricity 4% in many parts of the world, increases the amount of fuel we use in our cars, and comes with a cost of $434 million. That’s money we can save. Changing our clocks doesn’t change when the sun rises or sets. Nature does that. Summer days will always be longer. Winter days will stay shorter. Since 2000, 14 countries have stopped changing their clocks. And now 68% of all the countries don’t do it. They allow nature to determine time, not their governments. Lowering health risk. Reducing energy consumption. Saving money. A YES vote on Proposition 7 allows California to consider making Daylight Saving Time or Standard Time our year-round time—changing things that are more important than changing our clocks. Proposition 7 will require a two-thirds vote of the Legislature before any final decision is made. ”

Opposition

Arguments

• Sen. Jim Nielsen (R-4) said, "It’s fixing something that is not broken. Our society has acculturated itself to Daylight Savings Time. I think it would create too much confusion to change it again."
• Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-19) stated, "First, if California wants it, the federal government is going to say ‘no.’ Second, the system we have really does the best to accommodate people. Third, with so many critical issues facing this state — housing, healthcare, the gas tax — to dive into the pros and cons of this diminishes the importance of more substantive ballot measures."
• Severin Borenstein, a professor at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, said, "Permanent DST would likely lead to more pedestrian accidents on winter mornings as more adults and children venture out in darkness."

Official arguments

Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-19) and Asm. Phillip Chen (R-55) wrote the official argument found in the state voter information guide in opposition to Proposition 7:

“ Please vote “No” on Proposition 7. Proposition 7 will result in California switching to permanent Daylight Saving Time. We’ve tried this before and it was a disaster. In 1974, an energy crisis led President Nixon to declare emergency full-time Daylight Saving Time. It was supposed to last 16 months but was stopped after 10 months because people hated the fact that in the morning, the sun rose too late. Daylight Saving Time does not create more hours of daylight. It just changes when those daylight hours occur. If you live in Anaheim, the sun will rise at 6:55 a.m. on Christmas morning this year. With Daylight Saving Time, it would be 7:55 a.m. We have Daylight Saving Time in the summer so it is light after we get home from work. And we switch to Standard Time in the winter so it’s light in the morning. What will it mean to have permanent Daylight Saving Time? The sun will rise an hour later than if we were on Standard Time. If you live in Eureka or Susanville, it would still be dark at 8 a.m. on New Year’s Day. If you live in Los Angeles or Twentynine Palms, the sun won’t rise until 7:30 a.m. or later from November to February. Those of you who like to wake up with the sun will wake up in the dark. You’ll be getting your family ready for the day in the dark; your kids will be walking to school or waiting for the school bus before the sun rises. For those of you who get your exercise or attend religious services before work, you’ll be doing it in darkness. Some make the argument that Daylight Saving Time saves us energy or makes us safer. But there’s no scientific evidence of that. It’s just a question of convenience. We now have Daylight Saving Time in the summer so we can have extra light in the evening, when we can enjoy it, rather than having that daylight between 5 and 6 in the morning when we’d prefer it were dark. And then in the winter we switch back to Standard Time so it's not so dark in the morning. Being on permanent Daylight Saving Time will put us out of sync with our neighbors. While we’ll always have the same time as Arizona, part of the year we’ll have the same time as the other Mountain Time states and the rest of the year we’ll be in line with Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Mexico. Yes, it’s a minor inconvenience when we “Spring ahead” and we lose that hour (even though it’s great to get that extra hour when we “Fall back”). But avoiding these transitions is not worth the confusion with other states’ times, and the months of dark mornings we’ll have to endure if we have permanent Daylight Saving Time. ”

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for California ballot measures

Total campaign contributions:
Support:	$0.00
Opposition:	$0.00

There were no ballot measure committees registered in support of the measure or in opposition to the measure.

Reporting dates

In California, ballot measure committees filed a total of five campaign finance reports in 2018. The filing dates for reports were as follows:

Campaign finance reporting dates for November 2018 ballot
Date	Report	Period
1/31/2018	Annual Report for 2017	1/01/2017 - 12/31/2017
4/30/2018	Report #1	1/01/2018 - 3/31/2018
7/31/2018	Report #2	4/01/2018 - 6/30/2018
9/27/2018	Report #3	7/01/2018 - 9/22/2018
10/25/2018	Report #4	9/23/2018 - 10/20/2018
1/31/2019	Annual Report for 2018	10/21/2018 - 12/31/2018

Media editorials

Support

• Los Angeles Times: "In other words, Proposition 7 won’t stop the clock-changing; it would just allow the discussion to continue about the merits of doing so, as well as making the procedural changes needed to allow a future shift to permanent daylight saving time. It’s a debate worth having, and for that reason we urge voters to say “yes” on this measure."
• The San Diego Union-Tribune: "It is for this reason that The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board urges a yes vote on Proposition 7 — but with a huge caveat. Proposition 7 would allow the Legislature to stop the time changes and to put California on daylight-saving time or Pacific Standard Time year-round. Yet the proposition’s title — “Permanent Daylight Saving Time Measure” — shows advocates’ preference. Following Pacific Standard Time all year would be good for public health. Following daylight-saving time year-round would be horrible for adolescents."
• Ventura County Star: "So why do we mess with time twice a year? “It’s not free to change the clocks. It takes effort and coordination. It has a cost,” CSU Channel Islands economics professor Jared Barton wrote in a guest column last month. We agree and support Proposition 7 on the Nov. 6 ballot."

Opposition

• Bakersfield Californian: "This is a bad idea for so many reasons, and a good idea for none. Granted, the decades-long tradition of moving clocks forward one hour in the spring and back in the fall to accommodate daylight saving time and standard time has dubious benefits, other than to annoy sunlight-lovers and clock-change haters, who helped put Proposition 7 on the ballot. But to suggest California should go its own way and adopt daylight saving time as a year-round standard is nuts."
• Marin Independent Journal: "Daylight saving time has been around for a long time. We’re all used to it. This proposition wants to get rid of it, but consider the fall and winter months when, without moving the clock back an hour, many children would be walking or riding their bikes to school in the dark."
• San Francisco Chronicle: "The most convincing case against daylight saving concerns the disruption and public health drawbacks of semiannual time changes. But putting the state on its own time, and out of sync with most of the country, would cause confusion, too."
• The Mercury News: "It’s impossible to predict what Congress would do if Californians pass Prop 7, but it should be clear that this is an issue that should be dealt with at the federal level, with an eye to creating as much uniformity and as less confusion as possible."
• Monterey Herald: "Then there’s the time the Legislature would spend on this issue, as Chu tried to get the required two-thirds support for his bill that would advance this dubious proposition. Considering the serious issues California faces – housing, water, fire suppression, infrastructure – is this really a priority? The answer is no. Voters should call time out and vote “no” on Proposition 7."
• The Press-Democrat: "When the East Coast is on daylight saving time, the three-hour time difference we’re all used to would become a four-hour difference shortening the window for dealing with East Coast counterparts during business hours. As we said in March, the switch to and from daylight saving time is annoying and inconvenient. But living without that switch would be even more annoying and inconvenient — and also dangerous for schoolchildren. The Press Democrat recommends a no vote on Proposition 7."
• The Sacramento Bee: "There’s also the added cost of doing business. Coordinating deadlines and conference calls with people in other states would be a hassle, especially for corporations with operations in multiple time zones. Every day, Californians would have to remind people across the country what time it is, as other states continue to fall back and spring forward. ... California doesn’t have time for this. Vote no on Proposition 7."
• The San Luis Obispo Tribune: "Besides, this is a change that affects every one of us, so why would we give the Legislature the power to decide this? The ultimate decision should be up to the voters."

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

California Proposition 7 (2018)
Poll	Support	Oppose	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
SurveyUSA 10/12/2018 - 10/14/2018	58.0%	21.0%	21.0%	+/-4.8	762
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Background

History of time standards on the ballot

The following table provides information on ballot measures related to time standards and time zones that have been featured on statewide ballots. Information was compiled from Ballotpedia's catalog of ballot measures related to time standards.

History of time standards on the ballot
State	Year	Measure	Description	Result
Massachusetts	1924	Question 6	Communicate voters’ stance on daylight saving time	a
Maine	1924	Question 1	Uphold law establishing the state's time as Eastern Standard Time	a
California	1930	Proposition 7	Adopt daylight saving time statewide in California	d
California	1940	Proposition 5	Adopt daylight saving time statewide in California	d
Wisconsin	1947	Question 1	Communicate voters’ stance on daylight saving time	d
California	1949	Proposition 12	Adopt daylight saving time statewide in California	a
Oregon	1950	Measure 6	Allow the governor to adjust standard time to alleviate economic disadvantages	a
Oregon	1952	Measure 13	Repeal Measure 6 (1950) and provide for the time zone as set by Congress	a
Washington	1952	Initiative 181	Provide for the time zone as set by Congress	a
Oregon	1954	Measure 6	Adopt daylight saving time statewide in Oregon	d
Washington	1954	Initiative 193	Adopt daylight saving time statewide in Washington	d
Wisconsin	1957	Question 1	Adopt daylight saving time statewide in Wisconsin	a
Colorado	1960	Measure 4	Adopt daylight saving time statewide in Colorado	d
Oregon	1960	Measure 2	Adopt daylight saving time statewide in Oregon	d
Washington	1960	Initiative 210	Adopt daylight saving time statewide in Washington	a
California	1962	Proposition 6	Extend period of daylight saving time by one month	a
Oregon	1962	Measure 6	Adopt daylight saving time statewide in Oregon	a
Colorado	1966	Measure 6	Adopt daylight saving time statewide in Colorado	a
Michigan	1968	Proposal 2	Adopt daylight saving time statewide in Michigan	d
South Dakota	1968	Referendum 1	Exempt the state from daylight saving time	d
Michigan	1972	Proposal A	Adopt daylight saving time statewide in Michigan	a
California	2018	Proposal 7	Authorize legislature to adopt year-round daylight saving time	a

Changes to DST in the U.S. and California

Before the adoption of standard time zones in the United States, cities, towns, and communities set their own local times based on the sun’s position. In 1883, railroad companies adopted a system of standard time to synchronize movement and trade across the nation. The U.S. adopted an official system of standard time in 1918.

1918-1919

In 1918, Congress passed the Standard Time Act. President Woodrow Wilson signed the act into law on March 19, 1918. The Standard Time Act included a provision mandating daylight saving time (DST) between the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October (about seven months).

Congress repealed the provision mandating DST on August 20, 1919. The American Federation of Labor (AFL) wanted the federal government to keep DST, whereas the National Grange, an agricultural organization, wanted the federal government to repeal DST. The New York World described the conflict as “a contest between rural and city workers.” President Wilson vetoed the repeal legislation, saying, "I believe that the repeal of the act would involve a serious economic loss." However, Congress was able to override his veto 223-101 in the House and 57-19 in the Senate. U.S. Sen. William Calder (R-N.Y.), an advocate for DST, expressed disappointment, predicting that "daylight saving is through forever." He added, "I doubt whether any Congress will ever pass it again."

1920-1941

Beginning in 1920, DST was a state or local option, with some states and cities choosing to adopt DST.

California Proposition 7 (1930)

In 1930, proponents of DST collected signatures for a ballot initiative to enact DST in California. The ballot initiative appeared on the ballot on November 4, 1930, as Proposition 7. Voters rejected the ballot initiative, which would have established DST between the last Sunday in April and the last Sunday in September.

The Los Angeles Examiner endorsed the ballot initiative, saying that Proposition 7 provided "the opportunity to tell the world to come to sunny California, where the sun starts the clocks and where the clocks are not set to set back the sun." The Los Angeles Times' took the opposing position, stating that Proposition 7 would lead to confusion and upset the state's agricultural interests.

California Proposition 5 (1940)

The issue of DST was again brought before voters in 1940. The ballot initiative appeared on the general election ballot as Proposition 5. Voters rejected the ballot initiative.

Allyn Suffens, an official with the California Daylight Saving League, said, “The famed California sunshine is thus fully available only to the leisured few. Daylight Saving would give a fair share of it to the persons whose birthright it is: the working population of the state; the citizens; the taxpayers.” Opponents, including state Federation of Labor and Agricultural Council of California, co-wrote a statement opposing DST, which said, “There is no such thing as “Daylight Saving.” There are only 24 hours each day, and to say that you can add an hour is absurd. … There is no “Daylight Saving” law west of the Mississippi.”

1942-1945

On January 20, 1942, Franklin D. Roosevelt signed legislation to enact permanent DST in the United States. The legislation required that permanent DST cease six months after the end of World War II. President Roosevelt explained his support for DST during WWII, saying, "The Government agencies primarily interested in the fullest use of electricity for national defense have advised me that there is an immediate need for the extension of this daylight saving time."

Congress did not wait until DST creased under the law, however. Instead, Congress passed a bill to terminate DST three weeks after the war ended. President Harry Truman signed the bill on September 25, 1945, and DST was terminated on September 30, 1945.

1946-1965

Following the end of War Time, states, counties, and municipalities were again allowed to decide whether to implement DST. This created a patchwork of time standards between states, as well as within states.

In 1964, DST was used in 15 states and in parts of an additional 16 states. The states that did use DST had varying start and end dates. According to David Prerau, author of Seize the Daylight, DST began between April 24 and June 7 and ended between August 29 and October 31, depending on the location.

California Proposition 12 (1949)

In 1949, Californians voted on a ballot initiative to adopt DST for the third time. On the ballot as Proposition 12, voters approved the ballot initiative, which set DST between the last Sunday in April and the last Sunday in September.

California Proposition 6 (1962)

Voters approved Proposition 6, a legislative referral, in 1962. Proposition 6 extended the period of DST in California. Under Proposition 6, DST lasted from the last Sunday in April and the last Sunday in October.

1966-1985

On April 13, 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Uniform Time Act of 1966. The Senate passed the bill in a voice vote, and the House voted 281-91 to pass the bill. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 provided states with two options:

• observe DST for a period between the last Sunday of April and the last Sunday of October
• operate on standard time throughout the entire state all year

Arizona passed a law in 1967 to provide that the state would operate on standard time. Legislators voted to exempt the state so that summer daylight hours would end earlier in the desert state where average summertime temperatures exceeded 100°F. Indiana, Hawaii, and Michigan also selected to operate on standard time. Michigan adopted DST in 1972 and Indiana adopted DST in 2005, leaving Arizona and Hawaii as the states without DST as of 2018.

Emergency Daylight Saving Time Act (1974)

In 1973, as a response to the U.S. providing Israel with supplies during the Yom Kippur War, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) launched a complete embargo on oil exports to the United States. President Richard Nixon described the embargo as "the most acute shortage of energy since World War II." He asked Congress to pass a bill for a permanent, year-round DST for. On December 15, 1972, President Nixon signed the Emergency Daylight Saving Time Act, which began on January 6, 1974. Congress amended the act in October 1974 to replace permanent DST with an extended DST, which would return the states to standed time between the beginning of November and the end of February. In April 1975, the Emergency Daylight Saving Time Act expired and the nation returned to the provisions of the Uniform Time Act of 1966.

1986-2006

In 1986, Congress passed the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Appropriations Bill, which included a provision to extend DST. Instead of running from the last Sunday of April through the last Sunday of October, DST was scheduled to run from the first Sunday of April through the last Sunday of October. President Ronald Reagan signed the bill into law on July 8, 1986.

2007-2018

In 2005, U.S. Reps. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Edward Markey (D-Mass.) introduced an amendment to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which was designed to start DST on the second Sunday of March and end DST on the first Sunday of November. On August 8, 2005, President George W. Bush signed the act into law. The extended DST began in 2007.

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing legislative alteration in California

The California State Legislature's bill for this proposed measure is Assembly Bill 807 (AB 807). AB 807 would repeal Proposition 12, also known as the Daylight Saving Time Act, which voters passed in 1949. The state legislature is required to submit changes to ballot initiatives to voters for approval or rejection. As AB 807 would repeal Proposition 12, the bill requires a public vote as a referred statute.

On February 15, 2017, AB 807 was introduced into the state legislature. Asm. Kansen Chu (D-25) and Asm. Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-80) sponsored AB 807.

The California State Assembly approved the bill 92 to 9, with nine members not voting, on June 1, 2017. The Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee voted 8 to 1, with two members not voting, to amend AB 807 on July 10, 2017. The amendment to AB 807 changed the legislative explanation in the introduction of the bill. The bill was moved to the legislature's inactive file on September 14, 2017.

On May 25, 2018, AB 807 was ordered out of the inactive file and ordered to the floor of the state Senate. On June 14, 2018, the state Senate voted 26 to nine, with four members absent, to approve AB 807.

The California State Assembly concurred with the state Senate's changes to AB 807 on June 21, 2018. The vote was 68 to six with six members not voting.

On June 28, 2018, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed AB 807, certifying the measure for the election on November 6, 2018.

Vote in the California State Senate May 25, 2018
Requirement: Simple majority vote of all members in each chamber
Number of yes votes required: 20  a
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	26	9	4
Total percent	66.67%	23.08%	10.26%
Democrat	20	3	3
Republican	6	6	1

Vote in the California State Assembly June 21, 2018
Requirement: Simple majority vote of all members in each chamber
Number of yes votes required: 41  a
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	68	6	6
Total percent	85.0%	7.50%	7.50%
Democrat	51	1	3
Republican	17	5	3

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in California

Poll times

All polls in California are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

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On October 10, 2015, California Governor Jerry Brown (D) signed into law Assembly Bill No. 1461, also known as the New Motor Voter Act. The legislation, which took effect in 2016, authorized automatic voter registration in California for any individuals who visit the Department of Motor Vehicles to acquire or renew a driver's license.

Automatic registration

California automatically registers eligible individuals to vote when they complete a driver's license, identification (ID) card, or change of address transaction through the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

California has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

California allows same-day voter registration.

Californians must be registered to vote at least 15 days before Election Day. If the registration deadline has passed for an upcoming election, voters may visit a location designated by their county elections official during the 14 days prior to, and including Election Day to conditionally register to vote and vote a provisional ballot. The state refers to this process as Same Day Voter Registration.

Residency requirements

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Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

California's constitution requires that voters be U.S. citizens. When registering to vote, proof of citizenship is not required. Individuals who become U.S. citizens less than 15 days before an election must bring proof of citizenship to their county elections office to register to vote in that election.

Verifying your registration

The site Voter Status, run by the California Secretary of State's office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

California does not require voters to present photo identification. However, some voters may be asked to show a form of identification when voting if they are voting for the first time after registering to vote by mail and did not provide a driver license number, California identification number, or the last four digits of their social security number.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of March 2023. Click here for the California Secretary of State page to ensure you have the most current information.

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Current and valid photo identification provided by a third party in the ordinary course of business that includes the name and photograph of the individual presenting it. Examples of photo identification include, but are not limited to, the following documents: driver's license or identification card of any state; passport; employee identification card; identification card provided by a commercial establishment; credit or debit card; military identification card; student identification card; health club identification card; insurance plan identification card; or public housing identification card. Any of the following documents, provided that the document includes the name and address of the individual presenting it, and is dated since the date of the last general election…: utility bill; bank statement; government check; government paycheck; document issued by a governmental agency; sample ballot or other official elections document issued by a governmental, agency dated for the election in which the individual is providing it as proof, of residency or identity; voter notification card issued by a governmental agency; public housing identification card issued by a governmental agency; lease or rental statement or agreement issued by a governmental agency; student identification card issued by a governmental agency; tuition statement or bill issued by a governmental agency; insurance plan card or drug discount card issued by a governmental agency; discharge certificates, pardons, or other official documents issued to the individual by a governmental agency in connection with the resolution of a criminal case, indictment, sentence, or other matter; public transportation authority senior citizen and disabled discount cards issued by a governmental agency; identification documents issued by governmental disability agencies; identification documents issued by government homeless shelters and other government temporary or transitional facilities; drug prescription issued by a government doctor or other governmental health care provider; (R) property tax statement issued by a governmental agency; vehicle registration issued by a governmental agency; or vehicle certificate of ownership issued by a governmental agency.

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See also

2018 measures

• 2018 ballot measures
• Time standards on the ballot
• 2018 legislative sessions

California

• California ballot measures
• California ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• Assembly Bill 807