Propositions can be placed on the ballot either through the exercise of the initiative power by the voters or by a vote of the state legislature.
The state initiative power was added to the California constitution in 1911 as part of the ethics reform instituted by Governor Hiram Johnson in the early 1910s.
Until 1960, citizen-led initiative measures appeared on general election ballots only.
From 1960 to 2012, initiative measures appeared on primary, general, and special election ballots.
[2] Some notable propositions which have received a great deal of attention include: