Currently, most local bond proposals require a two-thirds vote of the public to be approved. If voters pass Proposition 5, that threshold would be lowered to 55% for bonds that support low-income housing, road and transit expansion, parks, wildfire resilience and other public infrastructure projects.

The supermajority vote currently required to approve local bonds dates back to a set of tax limitations in the California Constitution that were put into place in 1978 with the passage of Proposition 13.

Prior ballot measures have already lowered the approval threshold for local school construction bonds to 55 percent.

If Prop. 5 passes, it will affect all future local bond campaigns covered by the measure, including those on the November ballot at the same time.

Most notably, Bay Area officials are asking voters in November to approve a $20 billion bond to fund a variety of affordable housing programs in the region. Largest housing bond in state historyIf Prop. 5 is approved, Bay Area legislation would only need 55 percent of voters' support to pass, instead of two-thirds.