LA County Measure A and Measure E both lead by wide margins in the unofficial count from the Nov. 3 election. Measure A bars strikes by some public safety workers and sends contract impasses to binding arbitration. Measure E writes the county ethics commission into the charter.
LA County Measure A: arbitration and strike limits
Measure A had 62.74% yes, or 1,542,196 votes, against 915,907 no votes, in the LA County Registrar-Recorder results page as of Nov. 6 at 10:59 p.m. It needed a simple majority, according to LAist.
The measure amends the county charter. If talks reach an impasse, a three-member panel issues a binding decision. The county picks one member, the union picks one, and the two sides agree on the third. The rule covers nearly 17,000 employees, including firefighters, sheriff’s deputies and lifeguards. It also bars strikes by district attorney investigators, medical examiners, lifeguards and some civilian staff.
The covered unions backed the measure, and the Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 to place it on the ballot. LAist reports no organized opposition. However, accountability advocates warned that arbitration for law enforcement can limit transparency. A former acting county CEO also raised concerns about costs, since county salaries and benefits topped $23 billion last year.
Measure E and the county ethics commission
Measure E had 74.57% yes, or 1,812,928 votes, against 618,170 no votes. It builds on 2024’s Measure G, which created an independent ethics commission. Measure E would write that independence into the charter and give the panel power to investigate county officials, candidates, lobbyists and contractors. It could issue subpoenas and fine violators up to $15,000 per offense, per LAist.
The measure also restores a 10% general fund set-aside for community investment and alternatives to incarceration. Voters approved that rule in 2020 as Measure J, but Measure G accidentally undid it. Supporters include the League of Women Voters of LA County and Supervisor Lindsey Horvath. The Daily News editorial board opposed Measure E because it bundles the Measure J funding with ethics reforms. The measure guarantees at least $14.3 million a year for the commission.
What happens next
The county has until Dec. 3 to certify. LAist says Measure A takes effect 10 days after the results are tallied, and it gives no effective date for Measure E. So expect county staff to describe the timeline once certification ends. Meanwhile, the city measures from the same ballot are covered in our charter amendment results. For more, see the Los Angeles and California hub. This article is general information, not legal advice.
Sources
- results.lavote.gov/text-results/4348
- laist.com/news/politics/voter-guides/2026-election-california-general-your-la-county-measure-a
- laist.com/news/politics/voter-guides/2026-election-california-general-la-county-measure-e
- patch.com/california/los-angeles/la-county-voters-back-major-ethics-public-safety-changes