2024 California Proposition 3

Proposition 3

November 5, 2024 (2024-11-05)
Constitutional Right to Marry Amends California Constitution to recognize fundamental right to marry, regardless of sex or race. Removes language in California Constitution stating that marriage is only between a man and a woman.
Results
Choice Votes % Yes 9,477,435 62.62% No 5,658,187 37.38% Total votes 15,135,622 100.00% Registered voters/turnout 22,595,659 66.98%
County results Congressional district results Yes   80–90%   70–80%   60–70%   50–60% No   60–70%   50–60%
Source: Statement of Vote at the Wayback Machine (archived February 10, 2025)

Proposition 3, titled Constitutional Right to Marry, was a California ballot proposition that passed by vote in the 2024 general election on November 5, 2024. ^{[1] [2]} The proposition repealed Proposition 8, passed during the 2008 general election, and amended the state constitution to protect same-sex marriage. It also ensured that same-sex couples would have the right to marry in California in case the United States Supreme Court ever overturns Obergefell v. Hodges , thus making it a symbolic gesture until then. ^{[3] [4]}

Text

The proposition amended Article I, Section 7.5 of the Constitution of California to read:

"Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. (a) The right to marry is a fundamental right. (b) This section is in furtherance of both of the following: (1) The inalienable rights to enjoy life and liberty and to pursue and obtain safety, happiness, and privacy guaranteed by Section 1. (2) The rights to due process and equal protection guaranteed by Section 7."

Support

Supporters of the proposition argued that "although marriage equality for same-sex couples has been the law of the land in the United States for years, California’s Constitution still says that same-sex couples are not allowed to marry [and that] recent threats against fundamental rights have made it clear California must be proactive in protecting the freedom to marry regardless of gender or race"

Supporters

Statewide officials

• Gavin Newsom, Governor of California (2019–present) ^[5]

State legislators

• Toni Atkins, state senator from the 39th district (2016–present) and former president pro tempore (2018–2024) ^[6]
• Scott Wiener, state senator from the 11th district (2016–present) ^[7]
• Evan Low, state assemblyman from the 26th district (2014–2024) ^[7]
• Chris Ward, state assemblyman from the 78th district (2020–present) ^[6]

Local officials

• Todd Gloria, mayor of San Diego (2020–present) ^[6]

Political parties

• California Democratic Party ^[1]
• Libertarian Party of California ^[8]
• Peace and Freedom Party ^[9]
• Green Party of California ^[10]

Newspapers

• Bakersfield Californian ^[11]
• Long Beach Press-Telegram ^[12]
• Los Angeles Times ^[13]
• Pasadena Star-News ^[14]
• San Gabriel Valley Tribune ^[15]
• The Mercury News ^[16]
• The Orange County Register ^[17]
• The Sacramento Bee ^[18]
• The San Diego Union-Tribune ^[19]
• San Francisco Chronicle ^[20]

Organizations

• ACLU of Northern California ^[1]
• Equality California ^[21]
• Human Rights Campaign ^[1]
• Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California ^[1]
• TransLatina Coalition ^[1]

Opposition

Opponents of the proposition argued that it "removes ALL protections on marriage, including limits on children, close relatives, and three or more people marrying each other" as well as "[overriding] all laws on marriage [and a] 'fundamental right' to marry [meaning] it would remove protections against child marriages, incest, and polygamy" and that "changing the definition of marriage, this measure also suggests that children don’t need both a mom and a dad [as Prop 3] goes against years of research showing that kids do best when raised by their mother and father in a stable, married home [and that] children without a mother or father are more likely to have emotional issues, take part in risky behaviors, struggle in school, and face financial problems."

Opponents

Organizations

• The American Council for Evangelicals ^[7]
• California Capitol Connection ^[1]
• California Family Council ^[1]
• Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee ^[1]
• Freedom in Action ^[1]
• Real Impact ^[1]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size [a]	Margin of error	Support	Oppose	Undecided
Public Policy Institute of California [22]	October 7–15, 2024	1,137 (LV)	± 3.7%	67%	32%	1%
Public Policy Institute of California [23]	August 29 – September 11, 2024	1,071 (LV)	± 3.7%	68%	31%	1%
USC/CSU Long Beach/ Cal Poly Pomona [24]	January 21–29, 2024	1,416 (LV)	± 2.6%	73%	20%	7%

Results

On November 5, 2024, at 8:00 PM PT, polls in California closed. With 62.6% in favor, Proposition 3 was approved. ^[25]

Proposition 3

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	9,477,435	62.62
No	5,658,187	37.38
Total votes	15,135,622	100.00
Registered voters/turnout	22,595,659	66.98
Source: [26]

Results by county

	YES		NO		Total Votes [27]
County	#	%	#	%	#
Alameda	484,349	74.9%	162,389	25.1%	646,738
Alpine	521	72.0%	203	28.0%	724
Amador	9,728	45.4%	11,687	54.6%	21,415
Butte	51,240	56.3%	39,753	43.7%	90,993
Calaveras	11,429	44.9%	14,014	55.1%	25,443
Colusa	2,841	42.9%	3,786	57.1%	6,627
Contra Costa	354,545	69.8%	153,595	30.2%	508,140
Del Norte	4,819	47.0%	5,432	53.0%	10,251
El Dorado	56,464	52.7%	50,746	47.3%	107,210
Fresno	155,136	49.3%	159,795	50.7%	314,931
Glenn	4,149	41.6%	5,835	58.4%	9,984
Humboldt	44,423	71.3%	17,921	28.7%	62,344
Imperial	25,454	48.7%	26,829	51.3%	52,283
Inyo	4,658	54.2%	3,940	45.8%	8,598
Kern	119,523	43.4%	155,599	56.6%	275,122
Kings	18,283	45.0%	22,335	55.0%	275,122
Lake	14,540	57.0%	10,949	43.0%	25,489
Lassen	3,766	34.3%	7,224	65.7%	10,990
Los Angeles	2,277,244	65.7%	1,188,271	34.3%	3,465,515
Madera	22,497	42.7%	30,145	57.3%	52,642
Marin	119,254	86.0%	19,470	14.0%	138,724 votes
Mariposa	4,153	45.6%	4,963	54.4%	9,116
Mendocino	25,895	68.6%	11,856	31.4%	37,751
Merced	40,741	49.8%	40,996	50.2%	81,737
Modoc	1,387	35.6%	2,506	64.4%	3,893
Mono	3,926	67.2%	1,918	32.8%	5,844
Monterey	93,834	66.2%	48,009	33.8%	141,843
Napa	43,574	69.7%	18,975	30.3%	62,549
Nevada	37,848	63.1%	22,179	36.9%	60,027
Orange	767,402	57.5%	566,501	42.5%	1,333,903
Placer	121,006	53.4%	105,599	46.6%	226,605
Plumas	4,870	49.5%	4,968	50.5%	9,838
Riverside	488,115	53.8%	418,428	46.2%	906,543
Sacramento	393,738	62.7%	234,223	37.3%	627,961
San Benito	15,863	59.1%	10,987	40.9%	26,850
San Bernardino	368,109	50.1%	365,924	49.9%	734,033
San Diego	929,477	65.6%	488,011	34.4%	1,417,488
San Francisco	327,877	84.7%	59,058	15.3%	386,935
San Joaquin	130,128	51.8%	120,858	48.2%	250,986
San Luis Obispo	87,056	59.7%	58,764	40.3%	145,820
San Mateo	236,724	75.3%	77,562	24.7%	314,286
Santa Barbara	117,376	66.1%	60,284	33.9%	177,660
Santa Clara	505,248	69.8%	218,403	30.2%	723,651
Santa Cruz	103,970	79.9%	26,174	20.1%	130,144
Shasta	34,720	40.9%	50,161	59.1%	84,881
Sierra	763	45.0%	932	55.0%	1,695
Siskiyou	9,955	48.1%	10,762	51.9%	20,717
Solano	111,727	61.2%	70,800	38.8%	182,527
Sonoma	184,233	76.0%	58,225	24.0%	242,458
Stanislaus	77,367	50.3%	76,364	49.7%	153,731
Sutter	17,708	60.8%	11,406	39.2%	29,114
Tehama	12,546	61.4%	7,897	38.6%	20,443
Trinity	2,665	51.0%	2,558	49.0%	5,223
Tulare	56,848	57.9%	41,264	42.1%	98,112
Tuolumne	12,914	55.3%	10,439	44.7%	23,353
Ventura [28]	232,949	62.0%	142,671	38.0%	375,620
Yolo [29]	63,657	70.4%	26,736	29.6%	90,393
Yuba	11,700	61.7%	7,263	38.3%	18,963
Totals	9,477,435	62.6%	5,658,187	37.4%	15,135,622

Analysis

23 counties (Butte, El Dorado, Inyo, Lake, Los Angeles, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura and Yuba) flipped from Yes on Proposition 8 in 2008 to Yes on Proposition 3 in 2024, while no counties flipped in the opposite direction.

While Alpine, Mono and Yolo were the only interior counties to vote against Proposition 8, 20 interior counties (Alpine, Butte, El Dorado, Inyo, Lake, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yolo and Yuba) voted in favor of Proposition 3. While seven coastal counties (Del Norte, Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Solano and Ventura) voted for Proposition 8, Del Norte was the only coastal county to vote against Proposition 3.

See also

• 2008 California Proposition 8
• 2024 Colorado Amendment J
• 2024 Hawaii Amendment 1
• 2024 United States ballot measures
• List of California ballot propositions
• Same-sex marriage in California

Notes

1. Key:
   A – all adults
   RV – registered voters
   LV – likely voters
   V – unclear

References

1. "California Proposition 3, Right to Marry and Repeal Proposition 8 Amendment (2024)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
2. Christopher, Ben (2024-08-14). "California Proposition 3: Same-sex marriage". CalMatters. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
3. "Your guide to Proposition 3, which could add same-sex marriage to the California constitution". San Diego Union-Tribune. August 30, 2024.
4. "Your guide to Proposition 3: Affirming gay marriage in California's Constitution". Los Angeles Times. July 5, 2024.
5. Christopher, Ben (October 3, 2024). "California proposition 3: Same-sex marriage". Calmatters. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
6. Ramirez, Hannah (July 23, 2024). "San Diego Lawmakers, LGBTQ+ Activists Endorse Proposition to Protect Marriage Equality". Times of San Diego . Retrieved October 4, 2024.
7. "California Proposition 3, Right to Marry and Repeal Proposition 8 Amendment (2024)" (PDF). Office of the Secretary of State of California. 2024-08-31. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
8. "2024 CA Proposition Voter Guide". ca.lp.org. Libertarian Party of California. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
9. "Peace & Freedom Party Workers' Voters Guide, general election 2024". peaceandfreedom.us. September 11, 2024. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
10. "The Green Party of California State Voter Guide Nov 2024". cagreens.org. Green Party of California. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
11. "Our View: Vote YES on Propositions 3 and 5; NO on 33". Bakersfield Californian . August 25, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
12. "Endorsement: Yes on Prop. 3 to affirm the state constitutional right to marriage" . Long Beach Press-Telegram . August 27, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
13. "Yes on Proposition 3. Remove same-sex bigotry from the California Constitution". Los Angeles Times . September 30, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
14. "Endorsement: Yes on Prop. 3 to affirm the state constitutional right to marriage" . Pasadena Star-News . August 7, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
15. "Endorsement: Yes on Prop. 3 to affirm the state constitutional right to marriage" . San Gabriel Valley Tribune . August 7, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
16. "California voters should protect same-sex marriage from U.S. Supreme Court assault". The Mercury News . September 13, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
17. "Endorsement: Yes on Prop. 3 to affirm the state constitutional right to marriage" . The Orange County Register . September 18, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
18. "California voters could protect gay marriage rights with Prop. 3" . The Sacramento Bee . October 1, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
19. "Yes on Prop. 3: State should protect same-sex marriage". The San Diego Union-Tribune . September 16, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
20. "California should undo the ugly mistakes of past and protect marriage equality by passing Prop 3" . San Francisco Chronicle . September 11, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
21. "Election Center". eqca.org. Equality California. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
22. Baldassare, Mark; Bonner, Dean; Mora, Lauren; Thomas, Deja (October 23, 2024). "PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government". Public Policy Institute of California . Retrieved September 23, 2025.
23. Baldassare, Mark; Bonner, Dean; Mora, Lauren; Thomas, Deja (September 17, 2024). "PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government". Public Policy Institute of California . Retrieved September 23, 2025.
24. "California Elections and Policy Poll (CEPP) – Conducted, January 21-29, 2024" (PDF). University of Southern California . January 2024. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
25. "California Proposition 3 - November 2024 Election Results". KQED. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
26. "General Election, November 5, 2024 - Statement of Vote" (PDF). Secretary of State of California . December 13, 2024. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
27. "California Proposition 3 - November 2024 Election Results". KQED. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
28. "Election Night Reporting". results.enr.clarityelections.com. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
29. "2024 Nov 5 • General • State Proposition 3 • State of California | Yolo County Elections". Yolo County Elections Elections Database. Retrieved 2025-10-16.