Voting in San Francisco isn’t just a civic duty — it’s a law school entrance exam. No fewer than 25 propositions appear on the 2026 ballot: 14 of them are statewide measures; 11 are city-specific. Plus, voters are asked to weigh in on races from governor to congressmember to supervisor to appellate district justices — so many justices.
To vote responsibly requires a master’s in city planning and a monastic level of patience — either that, or a really great ballot guide. That’s what The Standard has created with our first-ever San Francisco Voters Guide: a nonpartisan, no-BS companion for city voters with a lot on their minds and no time to spare.
The product of months of research and reporting by The Standard’s political and news teams, in partnership with Eli Cohen, the creator of Mad Props and a grad student at UC Berkeley’s School of Journalism, this guide aims to give you the context you need to make informed decisions about the issues of the day — from a labor union’s 5% tax on billionaires to Mayor Daniel Lurie’s efforts at charter reform.
It also tells the backstories behind this year’s most vexing proposals, tracks the largest donors backing candidates, tallies meaningful endorsements across the political spectrum, and lays out the latest polling and campaign finance disclosures.
Yes, it’s still a lot of information. But this is the least painful path to Election Day. Explore the voter guide here:
