Words You Need to Know

by the Ballot Simplification Committee

Area Median Income (AMI): An income level based on all incomes earned within San Francisco. Half of all households have incomes above this level and half have incomes below it.

Charter (Propositions A, B): The City’s Constitution.

Charter amendment (Propositions A, B): A change to the City’s Charter. The Charter is the City’s Constitution. The Charter can only be changed by a majority of the votes cast.

Citizen advisory committee (Proposition B): A group of appointed individuals who generally make recommendations to City boards, commissions and departments.

Clean power/clean energy (Proposition A): Electricity from eligible renewable energy resources, as defined in State law, including greenhouse-gas-free electricity. San Francisco’s Hetch Hetchy facilities in Yosemite National Park are an example.

Community schools (Proposition G): Public schools that develop partnerships with the community to bring services into schools, including after-school and/or summer enrichment programs; physical and/or mental health care; food programs; tutoring and mentoring; and parent education and engagement programs.

Declaration of policy (Proposition I): A statement or expression of the will of the voters.

Early voting: Voting in person at City Hall before Election Day or mailing a vote-by-mail ballot before Election Day.

Flavored tobacco product (Proposition E): A tobacco product that is flavored by adding tastes or smells. Tobacco products include cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, cigars, little cigars, chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco, shisha and snuff. Tastes or smells include fruit, chocolate, vanilla, honey, candy, cocoa, dessert, alcoholic beverage, menthol, mint, wintergreen, herb and spice.

Gross receipts tax (Propositions C, D): A tax generally based on the total gross revenues a business receives in San Francisco.

Income levels: extremely low-income senior household (Proposition D): A household with at least one member age 62 or over, where the household earns up to 40% of the Area Median Income (AMI). For a one-person family, 40% of AMI is $32,300; for a two-person family, $36,900; for a three-person family, $41,500, and for a four-person family, $46,100.

Income levels: extremely low- to very low-income household (Proposition D): A household qualifies as “extremely low- to very low-income” if it earns up to 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI). For a one-person family, 50% of AMI is $40,350; for a two-person family, $46,150; for a three-person family, $51,900, and for a four-person family, $57,650.

Income levels: middle-income household (Proposition D): A household qualifies as a "middle-income household" if it earns between 70% to 150% of the Area Median Income (AMI). For a one-person family, 70% to 150% of AMI is $56,500 to $121,050; for a two-person family, $64,550 to $138,400; for a three-person family, $72,650 to $155,650, and for a four-person family, $80,700 to $172,950.

Income levels: very low/low/middle-income household (Proposition C): A household qualifies as “middle-income” if it earns up to 200% of the Area Median Income (AMI). For a one-person family, 200% of AMI is $161,400; for a two-person family, $184,500; for a three-person family, $207,500, and for a four-person family, $230,600. A household qualifies as “very low- to low-income” if it earns up to 85% of the State Median Income (SMI). For a one to two-person family, 85% of SMI is $58,728; for a three-person family, $63,240, and for a four-person family, $71,064.

Initiative (Propositions C, F–I): A proposition placed on the ballot by voters. Any voter may place an initiative on the ballot by gathering the required number of signatures of registered voters on a petition.

Ordinance (Propositions C–H): A local law passed by the Board of Supervisors or by the voters.

Para-educator (Proposition G): A person whose duties can include assisting teachers in the classroom, supervising students outside of the classroom and providing administrative support for teaching.

Parcel tax (Proposition G): A tax that is based on a flat fee for each unit of real property that receives a separate tax bill.

Proposition (Propositions A–I): Any measure that is submitted to the voters for approval or disapproval.

Provisional ballot (Frequently asked questions): A ballot cast at a polling place that will not be counted until the Department of Elections verifies the voter’s eligibility to cast that ballot.

Quality early care and education (Proposition C): Educational programs are rated as “quality” based on San Francisco’s Quality Rating and Improvement System. Assessments are based on teacher and administrator qualifications, program environment, teacher-child interactions and child observations.

Referendum (Proposition E): The process by which voters can approve or reject legislation enacted by the Board of Supervisors.

Revenue (Propositions A, C, D, G): Income.

Revenue bond (Proposition B): A bond that the City sells to members of the public as a way of borrowing money, generally to finance constructing public infrastructure.

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (Proposition A): A City agency that provides water, wastewater, and municipal power services to San Francisco.

State Median Income: An income level based on all incomes earned within the State of California. Half of all households in the state have incomes above this level and half have incomes below it.