By Sameea Kamal

It’s possible for multiple measures on the same topic to appear on the ballot – even ones that conflict with each other. If one is approved by voters and the others are rejected, it’s simple: The approved one takes effect. And if several pass and they don’t conflict with each other, they all go into effect.

But if multiple measures pass that conflict, the measure or provision of a measure that receives more “yes” votes is the one that goes into effect.

In November 2022, that would have been the case with the big-money battle between competing online sports betting measures, one sponsored by national giants in the industry, the other by some Native American tribes. But voters rejected both measures decisively, though the campaigns spent more than $570 million combined, nearly twice the previous record.

One of the most recent examples was in 2016, when there was Proposition 62 to repeal the death penalty, but also Proposition 66 to speed up the appeals process for capital punishment by putting trial courts in charge. Because 51.1% of voters approved Prop. 66, it superseded Prop. 62, approved by only 46.8%.

In 2010, Prop. 20, a measure adding congressional redistricting to the duties of an independent redistricting commission, competed with Prop. 27, which aimed to disband the commission. Prop. 27 failed.

And on the 1988 ballot, Californians faced five competing initiatives on car insurance reform. Voters passed just one. Also in 1988, Prop. 68 and Prop. 73 went head-to-head on the regulation of political campaign contributions. Prop. 73 received more “yes” votes, and after a legal battle, the California Supreme Court ruled it would take effect – only to be tossed out by another lawsuit.