Find the results for all local races in Santa Cruz County’s 2026 general election here. Lookout will update this page as new results come in.
Election 2026: County ballot measures
Lookout news and Community Voices opinion coverage of ballot measures before Santa Cruz County residents on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Measures E and D: Countywide voters showing support for temporary general sales tax and protections for coastline
Both Measure E and Measure D, a countywide temporary general sales tax and an initiative to strengthen coastline protections, respectively, are heading toward voter approval as of early Wednesday.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
A Lookout View: Yes on Scotts Valley’s Measure G
Lookout’s editorial board supports the Scotts Valley hotel tax, Measure G. It makes sense for the city, given its looming budget deficit, and is only a modest increase for visitors.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
A Lookout View: Yes on Measure E
What happens when the safety net we all depend on begins to fray? With hospitals under pressure and federal cuts threatening essential services, Santa Cruz County faces hard choices. Measure E isn’t a golden ticket to solving all our county’s needs, but Lookout’s editorial board believes the temporary tax is a necessary investment in the care and services that hold our community together.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
A Lookout View: Yes on Measure D
Our ocean is our home in Santa Cruz County and we need to do all we can to protect it. Measure D takes a modest step in that direction by giving local communities a measure of control over decisions about our coast. The Lookout Editorial Board endorses it with a yes vote.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Scotts Valley voters deserve more answers before raising the hotel tax to 13%
Measure G would give Scotts Valley the highest hotel tax rate in Santa Cruz County, writes Santa Cruz County Hotel & Lodging Association President Bijal Patel. Patel says the city moved forward with the new tax proposal without an independent economic study or meaningful dialogue with local hotels, which supported a smaller increase to 12%. Higher taxes might help the city, but they could hurt hotel workers, local businesses and tourism, he writes. Also, he worries the revenue will go into the city’s general fund without a specified purpose.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: Vote yes on D to keep control over drilling in local hands
In a letter to the editor, a Santa Cruz resident urges a yes vote on countywide Measure D to oppose oil, gas and mineral drilling off the Central Coast.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County Measure E: What to know about the proposed temporary half-cent sales tax
Santa Cruz County’s Measure E would impose a five-year, half-cent sales tax increase expected to raise about $27 million annually to help address a worsening budget outlook and potential losses in healthcare and other safety-net funding.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Medida E del condado de Santa Cruz: lo que hay que saber sobre el aumento temporal propuesto de medio centavo en el impuesto sobre las ventas
La Medida E del condado de Santa Cruz impondría un aumento de medio centavo en el impuesto sobre las ventas durante cinco años. Se espera que genere aproximadamente 27 millones de dólares al año para ayudar a enfrentar el empeoramiento de las perspectivas presupuestarias y las posibles pérdidas de fondos destinados a la atención médica y otros programas de protección social.
