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Measure E would carve out the independence of — and funding for — a new ethics commission and compliance office for the county government of Los Angeles County.
What to keep in mind about these numbers
- For LAist's charts showing vote counts, we get numbers directly from the L.A. County and Orange County registrars of voters for local races. Totals are updated on our site as soon as possible after the registrars provide new tallies. For statewide races, counts come from the California Secretary of State's Office.
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- In L.A. County, for example, daily updates on the counting are expected to take place at least once a day — usually around 5 p.m. — through Nov. 13. (There will be multiple updates on Nov. 5 and 6.) Then, the once-a-day counts will resume again on Nov. 17, 19, 25 and 27. The office is scheduled to certify election results by Friday, Nov. 27. In Orange County, there will be multiple updates after the polls close, and then daily updates weekdays at 5 p.m. until results are scheduled to be certified on or before Dec. 3.
- The California Secretary of State is scheduled to certify the election results on Dec. 11.
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Wondering how we got here? Here's the backstory to this race:
Measure E would increase the independence of the upcoming County Ethics Commission and Office of Ethics Compliance by granting it the power to investigate misconduct by county officials, candidates, lobbyists and contractors; issue subpoenas; and fine violators up to $15,000 per offense.
It would be funded by a guaranteed minimum budget of $14.3 million a year to protect its independence. It also locks in the county's 10% general fund set-aside for community investment and alternatives to incarceration, restoring language voters approved in 2020 through Measure J, but which county officials accidentally had voters undo in 2024.
Official title on the ballot: Proposed County Charter Amendment. County of Los Angeles Ethics Commission and Community Investment Charter Amendment
Language you’ll see on your ballot:
Shall the measure amending the Los Angeles County Charter to provide greater independence and structure for the County of Los Angeles Ethics Commission, Office of Ethics Compliance, and Ethics Compliance Officer, including appointment processes, qualifications, term, duties and responsibilities, and to continue uninterrupted the County's commitment to community investment and alternatives to incarceration, as specified in the charter amendment ordinance, be adopted?
What your vote means
- A "yes" vote means: You want to create an independent County Ethics Commission with stronger investigative and enforcement power, and to permanently guarantee that at least 10% of the county's unrestricted general fund goes to community investment and alternatives to incarceration.
- A "no" vote means: You do not want these changes. The ethics commission would exist under Measure G, but without locked-in independence, guaranteed funding, or the restored 10% set-aside.
Why it matters
If voters reject this measure, the commission's independence, powers and funding could be weakened by a future Board of Supervisors. Measure E locks its structure, subpoena power and $14.3 million minimum budget into the charter, making it harder for officials under investigation to weaken their own watchdog.
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Why now
In the November 2024 election, voters passed Measure G, a reform package that included creating an independent ethics commission and compliance office by 2026.
The seven-member panel will enforce ethics rules, investigate wrongdoing and issue penalties. Three members will be chosen by elected officials, the rest through a public application process.
Questions have arisen about how independent the commission truly would be. A task force overseeing Measure G's rollout has recommended locking in that independence permanently by writing it into the county charter — a change that requires voter approval, which is why it's on November's ballot.
The measure also would fix an error. Measure G accidentally undid Measure J from 2020, which requires minimum county funding for community investment and alternatives to incarceration. Measure E would restore that requirement.
What supporters say
- Supporters argue Measure E would fulfill the 2024 Measure G mandate by creating L.A. County's first independent Ethics Commission, giving it real investigative and enforcement authority to boost transparency and accountability. They also back restoring the Measure J funding commitment for community investment and incarceration alternatives, arguing it corrects an "administrative error" that accidentally eliminated those voter-approved requirements.
- Notable supporters: League of Women Voters of L.A. County, California Clean Money, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, California Common Cause, AAPI Equity Alliance
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What opponents say
- While calling ethics policy changes “plausibly fine,” the L.A. Daily News editorial board urges voters to vote against the measure because it revives Measure J’s incarceration-alternatives mandate. The editorial board argues locking in spending by ballot initiative ties supervisors' hands regardless of merit. It also criticizes Measure E as bundling a restored bad policy with unrelated ethics-commission reforms.
- Notable opponents: L.A. Daily News editorial board. No opponents are listed in the official ballot info.
Potential financial impact
Measure E guarantees a minimum $14.3 million a year to run the commission and its proposed 54-person staff.
Follow the money
Further reading
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