2016 Los Angeles Voter Guide

Election Day is here, and while there are plenty of game-changing state propositions on the ballot worthy of your full attention, there are local ones that have the potential to transform the communities in which we live, work, and play.

Some of the measures on the ballot in Los Angeles County touch on development, others on public transportation, affordable housing, homelessness. They have the power to reshape the character of LA's neighborhoods, drastically change how we move around, and might help ensure everyone, especially those with lower incomes and the homeless, has a place to live.

Of course, not everyone agrees on the impact of each of these measures. So, we're taking a close look, exploring how they might shake up the status-quo and who supports them and why. It's not too late to cram before casting a vote; polls close at 8 p.m. So study up, then cast your vote.

Measure A

Safe, Clean Neighborhood Parks, Open Space, Beaches, Rivers Protection, and Water Conservation Measure

Measure A would institute a 1.5 cent per square foot parcel tax to help pay to build new parks and maintain existing ones across Los Angeles County. The passage of this measure would net the county about $94.5 million yearly. Like the sales tax hike proposed by Measure M, this tax would not have an expiration date.

Explore who supports Measure A and who opposes it and why.

Measure HH

Hilton Condominium Tower Initiative

If approved by Beverly Hills voters, this initiative would allow for two already-approved mid-rise condo towers slated to rise next to the Beverly Hilton to be replaced by a single 26-story structure and a 1.7-acre public park.

Measure HHH

Homelessness Reduction and Prevention, Housing, and Facilities Bond

The proposal asks voters to approve a $1.2-billion general obligation bond, basically a type of loan, to finance the construction of supportive and affordable housing for homeless people in the city of Los Angeles.

Take a deeper dive into how this measure will address homelessness in Los Angeles.

Measure JJJ

Build Better L.A.

Measure JJJ would require developers to add affordable units to new residential buildings and would also require developers to hire local construction workers. The requirements would apply to all residential projects with 10 or more units needing special approval from the city because they’re taller and/or bigger than what zoning codes allow. Perhaps just as importantly, the measure is seen as a counter to a March ballot measure that would place a two-year moratorium on most major development in the city of Los Angeles.

Find out who's trying to get this measure passed.

Measure LV

Land Use Voter Empowerment or LUVE

The goal of Measure LV is to rein in high-rise development in Santa Monica by requiring that voters—not city planners and elected officials—approve any new building taller than 32 feet, the maximum height as zoned for in the city’s code right now.

Dig into why some Santa Monica residents want to limit high-rise towers.

Measure M

Los Angeles County Traffic Improvement Plan

Measure M would hike the sales tax in Los Angeles County by a half cent to pay for some major public transit projects, including extending light rail to LAX and bringing the subway to Westwood. Revenue would also fund street and sidewalk repairs throughout the county, new bike paths, and earthquake retrofits for bridges.

See which transit projects are at stake under Measure M.