Proposition 3 is among the 10 statewide ballot measures that San Diego County voters will get to weigh in on this fall. Here’s what you need to know about it.

What would it do?

Prop. 3 would repeal outdated language in the state constitution and officially declare marriage a “fundamental right,” regardless of race or sexual orientation.

It’s an effort to enshrine same-sex marriage in the constitution, regardless of possible future U.S. Supreme Court rulings.

Why is this on the ballot?

California voters enacted a same-sex marriage ban back in 2008, when they passed Proposition 8 and updated the state constitution to define marriage as being between a man and a woman.

That ban has not been in effect for more than a decade — in 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for same-sex marriage to return to California, and in 2015 the justices legalized it nationwide.

But the now-moot language from Prop. 8 still remains in the state constitution. Prop. 3 aims to remove that language and replace it with language explicitly protecting same-sex couples’ right to marry.

It’s prompted by recent developments in the 16 years since Californians passed Prop. 8 — the growing public acceptance of same-sex marriage in California, and the Supreme Court’s growing conservative tilt.

Who supports it, and why?

San Diego’s most prominent LGBTQ+ elected officials are pushing hard for Prop. 3, among them Mayor Todd Gloria and state Sen. Toni Atkins. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the California Democratic Party and many other prominent elected Democrats also support it.

Atkins and other local leaders have specifically voiced concerns about the court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and its protection of abortion rights. In an opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that the court should also reconsider other rulings that relied on similar legal reasoning, such as the one that protects same-sex marriage.

Who opposes it, and why?

Several conservative and evangelical Christian groups oppose it, including the California Capitol Connection and the California Family Council, which argues replacing the outdated language with something it calls “open-ended” could “lead to the normalization of polygamy” and more.

Where can I read more?

‘We must be proactive’: Local and state leaders push for same-sex marriage ballot measure

Same-sex marriage to follow abortion as big California ballot measure