2020 California Proposition 25

Proposition 25

November 3, 2020 (2020-11-03)

Referendum to Overturn a 2018 Law That Replaced Money Bail System with A System Based on Public Safety Risk
Results
Choice
Votes %
Yes 7,232,380 43.59%
No 9,358,226 56.41%
Valid votes 16,590,606 93.28%
Invalid or blank votes 1,194,545 6.72%
Total votes 17,785,151 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 22,047,448 80.67%

Proposition 25, officially the Referendum to Overturn a 2018 Law That Replaced Money Bail System with A System Based on Public Safety Risk, is a California ballot proposition that appeared on the ballot for the general election on November 3, 2020.[1] The "no" side prevailed, resulting in retention of the system of cash bail in the state.[2]

The proposition was a veto-referendum that was placed on the ballot by the American Bail Coalition.[3] Placed on the ballot via petition, it is a referendum on 2018's Senate Bill 10, which would have replaced the state's cash bail system with a risk assessment-based bail system, which uses an algorithm to determine whether a suspect should be released.[4] SB 10 had been signed into law in August 2018, and had been scheduled to take effect on October 1, 2019.[5]

A "yes" vote on Proposition 25 was to uphold the contested legislation to replace cash bail with risk assessments, and a "no" vote was to repeal the contested legislation, and continue the system of cash bail.[3]

  1. ^ "The fate of California's cash bail industry will now be decided on the 2020 ballot". Sacramento Bee. August 17, 2019.
  2. ^ Prop. 25, which would have abolished California’s cash bail system, is rejected by voters
  3. ^ a b "California Proposition 25, Replace Cash Bail with Risk Assessments Referendum (2020)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  4. ^ "Qualified Statewide Ballot Measures". Secretary of State of California. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  5. ^ The fate of California’s cash bail industry will now be decided on the 2020 ballot