Proposition 8 - the dialysis measure - has become one of the most contentious, and confusing, items on the ballot.
Tangi Foster is one of about 140,000 Californians who relies on dialysis machines - and the staff who operate them - to stay alive .
"If I die in this chair, I die alone, without my family," Foster said.
The 60-year-old Los Angeles resident is working with the "Yes on 8" campaign. She says the clinics are dirty, and there aren’t enough staff to watch after all the patients.
Prop. 8 would cap what dialysis clinic owners can spend on administration and overhead. The workers’ union pushing the measure says this will force companies to put more money into patient care.
But opponents say this is just a union power play, and that the ballot box isn't the place to address these issues.
Dr. Luis Alvarez, a board member for a clinic group called Satellite Healthcare, says these changes are going to hurt patients, not help them
“These things are going to result in the closure of clinics, and they are going to result in less access for patients to clinics,” Alvarez said. “To me, that is really a terrible, terrible thing.”
Supporters of the prop dispute that argument, saying dialysis companies can handle the spending limits. If the measure passes, it would be up to the courts to decide what spending is allowed.
An assessment from the nonpartisan Legislative Analysts’ Office says certain high-level positions, such as medical director and nurse manager, could be affected.