Midterm elections? This is the truly dramatic vote for California residents

California voters are deciding today the fate of the 'billionaire tax' – a one-time 5% levy on the wealth of the state's 250 richest individuals. Opposing it is a counter-proposal, 'poison pill', which threatens to cancel the move. Most billionaires have left the state, but Zuckerberg and Huang remain.

California voters are deciding today in a vote on the 'billionaire tax' – a one-time 5% levy on the wealth of the state's 250 richest individuals. Opposing it is a counter-proposal, number 42, known as the 'poison pill', which seeks to permanently ban the imposition of any new state tax on personal property, including pension and savings accounts. If both proposals receive a majority, the one with more votes will prevail. An aggressive opposition campaign costing about $300 million, funded by billionaires and business groups, has made the battle complex. Most well-known billionaires have left California, but Mark Zuckerberg and Jensen Huang remain in the state.