Los Angeles County Measures A and E Lead at 10:30 p.m.

At 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, early returns from Los Angeles County showed Measure E leading with 73.4% voting yes and 26.6% voting no. Measure A was also leading, with 65.9% voting yes and 34.1% voting no. The figures include all mail-in and vote-center ballots cast before Election Day.

Both proposals amend the Los Angeles County charter, a document that functions similarly to a state constitution. Voters must approve each measure by a majority of votes for them to pass.

Measure A creates a binding arbitration process for labor disputes between county management and specific public safety employees. Covered groups include firefighters, deputy sheriffs, law enforcement managers, district attorney investigators, lifeguards, and civilians working for the Fire Department, Sheriff's Department, and Medical Examiner's Department. These employees currently cannot strike.

If Measure A passes, the county chief executive officer is removed from the negotiation process. A three-member Board of Arbitrators would replace the CEO in settling disputes. Each side appoints one arbitrator, and the two appointees select the third. If the appointees cannot agree, either side can request a list of seven arbitrators from the State Mediation and Conciliation Service. The board's final decision is binding.

Supporters Manuel Calderon, a firefighter, Wendy Ichikawa, a sheet metal worker, and David Gaisford, a deputy sheriff, argued the measure provides a new option when the county CEO refuses to negotiate. They stated the process allows unions to seek fair pay and benefits while keeping the public protected. David Levitus, executive director of LA Forward, disagreed, calling the measure a solution in search of a problem that may cause fiscal issues.

The Yes on A group raised $8.5 million in contributions as of Oct. 17. The Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, the main union for L.A. County deputy sheriffs, was the largest contributor with $5.1 million.

Measure E strengthens ethics oversight bodies and reinstates Measure J, which voters approved in 2020. Measure J requires 10% of the county's locally generated unrestricted revenues in the general fund to fund alternatives to incarceration, including mental health and substance abuse treatment. The 2024 Measure G accidentally overrode Measure J.

Under Measure E, the Ethics Commission gains the power to audit, issue subpoenas, and impose penalties for violations of campaign finance, lobbying, and conflict-of-interest laws. The measure guarantees annual funding for the commission and its staff, preventing supervisors from cutting funds or removing commissioners. Supporters Fatima Malik, Lindsey Horvath, Trent Lange, Darius Kemp, and Alton Wang said the change gives the commission real power to investigate and punish violators. The Communities for Good Government Supporting Yes on Measure E received $70,649 in contributions as of Oct. 17.