Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.
All ballots used in all elections shall be governed by this chapter unless otherwise specifically provided.
Chapter 2 - Forms of Ballots: Ballot Order
California Elections Code — §§ 13100-13121
Sections (29)
Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 806, Sec. 41. (SB 286) Effective January 1, 2018.
(a)In the case of the prevention of an election in any precinct by the loss or destruction of the ballots intended for that precinct, the inspector or other precinct officer for that precinct shall make an affidavit setting forth the fact and transmit it to the Governor. Upon receipt of the affidavit, the Governor may, and upon the application of any candidate for any office to be voted for by the voters of that precinct the Governor shall, order a new election in that precinct.
(b)This section does not apply to elections conducted using vote centers.
Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 497, Sec. 106. (AB 991) Effective January 1, 2020.
(a)All voting shall be by ballot. There shall be provided, at each polling place, at each election at which public officers are to be voted for, but one form of ballot for all candidates for public office, except that, for partisan primary elections, one form of ballot shall be provided for each qualified political party as well as one form of nonpartisan ballot, in accordance with subdivision (b).
(b)At partisan primary elections, each voter not registered disclosing a preference for any one of the political parties participating in the election shall be furnished only a nonpartisan ballot, unless the voter requests a ballot of a political party and that political party, by party rule duly noticed to the Secretary of State, authorizes a person who has declined to
disclose a party preference to vote the ballot of that political party. The nonpartisan ballot shall contain only the names of all candidates for nonpartisan offices, voter-nominated offices, and measures to be voted for at the primary election. Each voter registered as preferring a political party participating in the election shall be furnished only a ballot for which the voter disclosed a party preference in accordance with Section 2151 or 2152 and the nonpartisan ballot, both of which shall be printed together as one ballot in the form prescribed by Section 13207.
(c)A political party may adopt a party rule in accordance with subdivision (b) that authorizes a person who has declined to disclose a party preference to vote the ballot of that political party at the next ensuing partisan primary election. The political party shall notify the party chair immediately upon adoption of that party rule. The party chair shall provide written notice
of the adoption of that rule to the Secretary of State not later than the 135th day before the partisan primary election at which the vote is authorized.
(d)The county elections official shall maintain a record of which political party’s ballot was requested pursuant to subdivision (b), or whether a nonpartisan ballot was requested, by each person who declined to disclose a party preference. The record shall be made available to any person or committee who is authorized to receive copies of the printed roster for primary and general elections pursuant to Section 2184. A record produced pursuant to this subdivision shall be made available in either a printed or electronic format, as requested by the authorized person or committee.
Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.
Every ballot shall contain all of the following:
(a)The title of each office, arranged to conform as nearly as practicable to the plan set forth in this chapter.
(b)The names of all qualified candidates, except that:
(1)Instead of the names of candidates for delegate to the national conventions, there shall be printed the names of the presidential candidates to whom they
are pledged or the names of candidates for chairmen of party national convention delegations.
(2)Instead of the names of candidates for presidential electors, there shall be printed in pairs the names of the candidates of the respective parties for President and Vice President of the United States. These names shall appear under the title “President and Vice President.”
(c)The titles and summaries of measures submitted to vote of the voters.
Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 72, Sec. 2. (SB 437) Effective January 1, 2024.
(a)If a candidate changes their name within one year of any election, the new name shall not appear upon the ballot unless the change was made by either of the following:
(1)Marriage.
(2)Decree of any court of competent jurisdiction.
(b)This section does not apply to candidates for the offices of President and Vice President of the United States.
Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 676, Sec. 14. (AB 1219) Effective January 1, 2024.
(a)In the case of a candidate for a voter-nominated office in a primary election, a general election, or a special election to fill a vacancy in the office of United States Senator, Member of the United States House of Representatives, State Senator, or Member of the Assembly, immediately to the right of and following the name of the candidate, or immediately below the name if there is not sufficient space on the same line to the right of the name, there shall be identified in at least 8-point type, as specified by the Secretary of State, the designation made by the candidate pursuant to Section 8002.5. The identification shall be in substantially the following form:
(1)In the case of a
candidate who designated a political party preference pursuant to Section 8002.5, “Party Preference: ______.”
(2)In the case of a candidate who did not state a preference for a political party pursuant to Section 8002.5, “Party Preference: None.”
(b)In the case of candidates for President and Vice President, the name of the party shall appear to the right of and equidistant from the pair of names of these candidates and on the same line as the name of the candidate for President, or immediately below the name of the vice presidential candidate if there is not sufficient space to the right of the name.
(c)If for a general election any candidate for President of the United States or Vice President of the United States has
received the nomination of any additional party or parties, the name(s) shall be printed to the right of the name of the candidate’s own party, or immediately below the name if there is not sufficient space to the right of the name. Party names of a candidate shall be separated by commas. If a candidate has qualified for the ballot by virtue of an independent nomination, the word “Independent” shall be printed instead of the name of a political party in accordance with the above rules.
Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.
No title or degree shall appear on the same line on a ballot as a candidate’s name, either before or after the candidate’s name, in the case of any election to any office.
Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 479, Sec. 9. (AB 1762) Effective January 1, 2024.
(a)With the exception of candidates for Justice of the State Supreme Court or court of appeal, immediately under the name of each candidate, and not separated from the name by any line, unless the designation made by the candidate pursuant to Section 8002.5 must be listed immediately below the name of the candidate pursuant to Section 13105, and in that case immediately under the designation, may appear at the option of the candidate only one of the following designations:
(1)Words designating the elective city, county, district, state, or federal office which the candidate holds at the time of filing the nomination documents to which the candidate was elected by vote of the
people.
(2)The word “incumbent” if the candidate is a candidate for the same office which the candidate holds at the time of filing the nomination papers, and was elected to that office by a vote of the people. A candidate shall not use the word “incumbent” if the candidate was elected to their office in an at-large election and is a candidate in a district-based election.
(3)No more than three words designating either the current principal professions, vocations, or occupations of the candidate, or the principal professions, vocations, or occupations of the candidate during the calendar year immediately preceding the filing of nomination documents.
(4)The phrase “appointed incumbent” if the candidate holds an
office by virtue of appointment, and the candidate is a candidate for election to the same office, or, if the candidate is a candidate for election to the same office or to some other office, the word “appointed” and the title of the office. In either instance, the candidate may not use the unmodified word “incumbent” or any words designating the office unmodified by the word “appointed.” However, the phrase “appointed incumbent” shall not be required of a candidate who seeks reelection to an office which the candidate holds and to which the candidate was appointed, as a nominated candidate, in lieu of an election, pursuant to Sections 5326 and 5328 of the Education Code or Section 7228, 7423, 7673, 10229, or 10515 of this code.
(b)(1) Except as specified in paragraph (2), for candidates for judicial office,
immediately under the name of each candidate, and not separated from the name by any line, only one of the following designations may appear at the option of the candidate:
(A) Words designating the city, county, district, state, or federal office held by the candidate at the time of filing the nomination documents.
(B) The word “incumbent” if the candidate is a candidate for the same office that the candidate holds at the time of filing the nomination papers.
(C) No more than three words designating either the current principal professions, vocations, or occupations of the candidate, or the principal professions, vocations, or occupations of the candidate during the calendar year immediately preceding the filing of
nomination documents.
(2)For a candidate for judicial office who is an active member of the State Bar employed by a city, county, district, state, or by the United States, the designation shall appear as one of the following:
(A)Words designating the actual job title, as defined by statute, charter, or other governing instrument.
(B)One of the following ballot designations: “Attorney,” “Attorney at Law,” “Lawyer,” or “Counselor at Law.” The designations “Attorney” and “Lawyer” may be used in combination with one other current principal profession, vocation, or occupation of the candidate, or the principal profession, vocation, or occupation of the candidate during the calendar year immediately preceding the
filing of nomination documents.
(3)A designation made pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) or paragraph (2) shall also contain relevant qualifiers, as follows:
(A)If the candidate is an official or employee of a city, the name of the city shall appear preceded by the words “City of.”
(B)If the candidate is an official or employee of a county, the name of the county shall appear preceded by the words “County of.”
(C)If the candidate is an official or employee of a city and county, the name of the city and county shall appear preceded by the words “City and County.”
(D)If the
candidate performs quasi-judicial functions for a governmental agency, the full name of the agency shall be included.
(c)A candidate for superior court judge who is an active member of the State Bar and practices law as one of the candidate’s principal professions shall use one of the following ballot designations as the candidate’s ballot designation: “Attorney,” “Attorney at Law,” “Lawyer,” or “Counselor at Law.” The designations “Attorney” and “Lawyer” may be used in combination with
one other current principal profession, vocation, or occupation of the candidate, or the principal profession, vocation, or occupation of the candidate during the calendar year immediately preceding the filing of nomination documents.
(d)For purposes of this section, all California geographical names shall be considered to be one word. Hyphenated words that appear in any generally available standard reference dictionary, published in the United States at any time within the 10 calendar years immediately preceding the election for which the words are counted, including a generally available standard reference dictionary published online, shall be
considered as one word. Each part of all other hyphenated words shall be counted as a separate word.
(e)The Secretary of State and any other elections official shall not accept a designation of which any of the following would be true:
(1)It would mislead the voter.
(2)It would suggest an evaluation of a candidate, such as
outstanding, leading, expert, virtuous, or eminent.
(3)It abbreviates the word “retired” or places it following any word or words which it modifies.
(4)It uses a word or prefix, such as “former” or “ex-,” which means a prior status. The only exception is the use of the word “retired.”
(5)It uses the name of any political party, whether or not it has qualified for the ballot.
(6)It uses a word or words referring to a racial, religious, or ethnic group.
(7)It refers to any activity prohibited by law.
(f)If,
upon checking the nomination documents and the ballot designation worksheet described in Section 13107.3, the elections official finds the designation to be in violation of any of the restrictions set forth in this section, the elections official shall notify the candidate by registered or certified mail return receipt requested, addressed to the mailing address provided on the candidate’s ballot designation worksheet.
(1)The candidate shall, within three days, excluding Saturday, Sunday, and state holidays, from the date the candidate receives notice by registered or certified mail, or from the date the candidate receives actual notice of the violation, whichever occurs first, appear before the elections official or, in the case of the Secretary of State, notify the Secretary of State by telephone, and provide a designation that complies with
subdivision (a) or (b).
(2)If a candidate fails to provide a designation that complies with subdivision (a) or (b) within the three-day period specified in paragraph (1), a designation shall not appear after the candidate’s name.
(g)A designation given by a candidate shall not be changed by the candidate after the final date for filing nomination documents, except as specifically requested by the elections official as specified in subdivision (f) or as provided in subdivision (h). The elections official shall maintain a copy of the ballot designation worksheet for each candidate that appears on the ballot in the county for the same period of time as applied to nomination documents pursuant to Section 17100.
(h)The designation shall remain the same for all purposes of both primary and general elections, unless the candidate, at least 98 days before the general election, requests in writing a different designation which the candidate is entitled to use at the time of the request.
(i)In all cases, the words so used shall be printed in a manner consistent with the space requirements of Sections 13207 and 13211.
(j)If a foreign language translation of a candidate’s designation is required under the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. Sec. 10101 et seq.), as amended, to appear on the ballot in addition to the English language version, it shall be as short as possible, as consistent as is practicable with this section, and shall employ abbreviations and
initials wherever possible in order to avoid undue length.
Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 547, Sec. 3. (AB 1572) Effective January 1, 2010.
(a)A candidate who submits a ballot designation pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 13107 shall file a ballot designation worksheet that supports the use of that ballot designation by the candidate, in a format prescribed by the Secretary of State.
(b)The ballot designation worksheet shall be filed with the elections official at the same
time that the candidate files his or her declaration of candidacy.
(c)In the event that a candidate fails to file a ballot designation worksheet in accordance with subdivision (a), no designation shall appear under the candidate’s name on the ballot.
Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 364, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2003.
(a)A candidate’s ballot designation as “community volunteer” shall constitute a valid principal vocation or occupation for purposes of subdivision (a) of Section 13107, if not otherwise in violation of any of the restrictions set forth in that section, and subject to the following conditions:
(1)A candidate’s community volunteer activities constitute his or her principal profession, vocation, or occupation.
(2)A
candidate is not engaged concurrently in another principal profession, vocation, or occupation.
(3)A candidate may not use the designation of “community volunteer” in combination with any other principal profession, vocation, or occupation designation.
(b)The Secretary of State shall by regulation define what constitutes a community volunteer for purposes of this section.
Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 887, Sec. 1. (AB 1752) Effective January 1, 2015.
(a)At the first elections for Representative in Congress, State Senator, Member of the Assembly, and Member of the Board of Equalization in each congressional, senatorial, Assembly, and Board of Equalization district following
the adjustment of the boundary lines of the congressional, senatorial, Assembly, and Board of Equalization districts by the Citizens Redistricting Commission pursuant to Section 6 of Article IV, Section 17 of Article XIII, and Section 1 of Article XXI, of the California Constitution, that candidate who shall be deemed the incumbent in a given district for purposes of the election shall be that candidate who is running for the same office that he or she then holds, and who is running for reelection in a district that has the identical boundaries and number as the district from which he or she was last elected.
(b)In the event there is no candidate to whom subdivision (a) applies, the incumbent shall be that candidate who is running for the same office that he or she then holds, and who is running for reelection in a district
that has the identical boundaries as the district from which he or she was last elected, but that has a different number.
(c)In the event there is no candidate to whom subdivision (a) or (b) apply, the incumbent shall be that candidate who is running for the same office that he or she then holds, and who is running for reelection in a district that contains some portion of the territory previously contained within the district from which he or she was last elected. However, in a new district that contains portions of the territory of more than one former district, the incumbent shall be that candidate the greater portion of the population, as determined by the most recent federal decennial
census, of whose former district is included within the new district.
(d)In the event there is no candidate to whom subdivision (a), (b), or (c) apply, the incumbent shall be that candidate who is running for the same office that he or she then holds, and who is running for reelection in a district that has the identical number as the district from which he or she was last elected. However, a candidate for the office of Member of the Assembly shall be considered the incumbent in this case only if the district bearing the same number is located in the same county as the district that previously bore that number.
(e)If there is no candidate in a given district to which any of the above provisions apply, the incumbent shall be the person who is a candidate
for the same office that he or she then holds who fulfills the residency requirements of law for candidacy within the district.
Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 784, Sec. 99. Effective January 1, 2003.
The order of precedence of offices on the ballot shall be as listed below for those offices and measures that apply to the election for which this ballot is provided. Beginning in the column to the left:
(a)Under the heading, PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT:
Nominees of the qualified political parties and independent nominees for President and Vice President.
(b)Under the heading, PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES:
(1)Names of the presidential candidates to whom the delegates are pledged.
(2)Names of the chairpersons of unpledged delegations.
(c)Under the heading, STATE:
(1)Governor.
(2)Lieutenant Governor.
(3)Secretary of State.
(4)Controller.
(5)Treasurer.
(6)Attorney General.
(7)Insurance Commissioner.
(8)Member, State Board of Equalization.
(d)Under the heading, UNITED STATES SENATOR:
Candidates or nominees to the United States Senate.
(e)Under the heading, UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE:
Candidates or nominees to the House of Representatives of the United States.
(f)Under the heading, STATE SENATOR:
Candidates or nominees to the State Senate.
(g)Under the heading, MEMBER OF THE STATE ASSEMBLY:
Candidates or nominees to the Assembly.
(h)Under the heading,
COUNTY COMMITTEE:
Members of the County Central Committee.
(i)Under the heading, JUDICIAL:
(1)Chief Justice of California.
(2)Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
(3)Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal.
(4)Associate Justice, Court of Appeal.
(5)Judge of the Superior Court.
(6)Marshal.
(j)Under the heading, SCHOOL:
(1)Superintendent of Public Instruction.
(2)County Superintendent of Schools.
(3)County Board of Education Members.
(4)College District Governing Board Members.
(5)Unified District Governing Board Members.
(6)High School District Governing Board Members.
(7)Elementary District Governing Board Members.
(k)Under the heading, COUNTY:
(1)County Supervisor.
(2)Other offices in alphabetical order by the title of the office.
(l)Under the heading, CITY:
(1)Mayor.
(2)Member, City Council.
(3)Other offices in alphabetical order by the title of the office.
(m)Under the heading, DISTRICT:
Directors or trustees for each district in alphabetical order according to the name of the district.
(n)Under the heading, MEASURES SUBMITTED TO THE VOTERS and the appropriate heading from subdivisions (a) through (m), above, ballot measures in the order, state through district shown above, and within each jurisdiction, in the order prescribed by the official certifying them for the ballot.
(o)In order to allow for the most efficient use of space on the ballot in counties that use a voting system, as defined in Section 362, the county elections official may vary the order of subdivisions (j), (k), (l), (m), and (n) as well as the order of offices within these subdivisions. However, the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction shall always precede any school, county, or city office, and state measures shall always precede local measures.
Added by Stats. 2009, Ch. 1, Sec. 47. (SB 6) Effective January 1, 2010. Operative January 1, 2011, pursuant to Sec. 67 of Ch. 1.
Notwithstanding anything in Section 13109 to the contrary, and to facilitate compliance with Section 13206, the elections official may list the offices specified in subdivision (h) of Section 13109 directly after the offices specified in subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 13109, when the offices specified in those subsections are on the ballot, or at the end of the ballot in elections at which the
offices specified in subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 13109 are not listed on the ballot.
Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 316, Sec. 2. (AB 1495) Effective January 1, 2022. Repealed on date prescribed by its own provisions.
(a)(1) Notwithstanding Section 13109, for a period of three years commencing with the date that the county elections official for the County of Los Angeles declares that the voting system modernization project underway in 2018 is complete and ready for operation, the county elections official for the County of Los Angeles shall conduct elections using the alternate ballot order described in Section 13109.8.
(2)When a special election to fill a
vacancy in the State Senate, State Assembly, United States House of Representatives, or United States Senate is consolidated with the regularly scheduled election for that office for the term following the term in which the vacancy occurred, the County of Los Angeles shall conduct elections using the alternate ballot order described in Section 13109.10.
(b)The county elections official shall prepare a report regarding the effect of using the alternate ballot order for elections conducted during the time period described in subdivision (a). The report shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:
(1)Statistics and information on the cost of transitioning to the use of the alternate ballot order.
(2)The overall turnout of voters in the jurisdiction for each election
conducted using the alternate ballot order.
(3)For different contests listed on the ballot, including, but not limited to, local offices and local ballot measures, state offices and state ballot measures, and federal offices, the following information:
(A)The turnout of voters for each contest.
(B)The number of overvotes and undervotes for each contest.
(C)The dropoff rates for each contest.
(4)Legislative recommendations.
(c)The report described in subdivision (b) shall, whenever possible, compare an election conducted pursuant to this section and using the alternate ballot order described in Section 13109.8 to similar
elections conducted using the ballot order described in Section 13109 in the same jurisdiction or in a comparable jurisdiction.
(d)Three years after the declaration date described in subdivision (a), the county elections official shall submit the report described in subdivision (b) to the Secretary of State and to the Legislature in accordance with Section 9795 of the Government Code. The county elections official shall also post a publicly accessible copy of the report on the internet website of the county elections official.
(e)Notwithstanding any other law, the county elections official may adjust ballot instructions to the extent necessary to comply with this
section.
(f)Immediately after making the declaration described in subdivision (a), the county elections official shall post the declaration on the county election official’s internet website and send the declaration to the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Senate, the Chief Clerk of the Assembly, and the Legislative Counsel.
(g)This section shall remain in effect only until the first January 1 that occurs at least four years after the declaration date described in subdivision (a), and as of that date is repealed.
Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 927, Sec. 2. (SB 25) Effective January 1, 2019.
For the purposes of Sections 13109.7 and 13109.9, the order of precedence of offices on the ballot shall be as listed below for those offices and measures that apply to the election for which the ballot is provided. Beginning in the column to the left:
(a)Under the heading, CITY/LOCAL:
(1)Mayor.
(2)Member, City Council.
(3)Unified School District Board Members.
(4)High School District Board Members.
(5)Elementary School District Board Members.
(6)College District Governing Board Members.
(7)Other offices in alphabetical order by the title of the office.
(8)Candidates or nominees to the State Senate.
(9)Candidates or nominees to the State Assembly.
(10)Candidates or nominees to the House of Representatives of the United States.
(11)City local initiatives and ballot measures.
(12)Local school district initiatives and ballot measures.
(b)Under the heading, DISTRICT:
(1)Directors or trustees for each district in alphabetical order according to the name of the district.
(2)District initiatives and ballot measures.
(c)Under the heading, COUNTY:
(1)County Supervisor.
(2)Sheriff.
(3)Assessor.
(4)County Superintendent of Schools.
(5)County Board of Education.
(6)Other offices in alphabetical order by the title of the office.
(7)Judge of the Superior Court.
(8)County Marshall.
(9)Members of the County Central Committee.
(10)County initiatives and ballot measures.
(d)Under the heading, STATE:
(1)Governor.
(2)Lieutenant Governor.
(3)Secretary of State.
(4)Controller.
(5)Treasurer.
(6)Attorney General.
(7)Insurance Commissioner.
(8)Member, State Board of Equalization.
(9)Superintendent of Public Instruction.
(10)Statewide initiatives and ballot measures.
(e)Under the heading, STATE JUDICIAL:
(1)Chief Justice of California.
(2)Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
(3)Presiding Judge, Court of Appeal.
(4)Associate Justice, Court of Appeal.
(f)Under the heading, NATIONAL ELECTION:
(1)Under the subheading, PRESIDENT and VICE PRESIDENT:
(A)Nominees of the qualified political parties and independent nominees for President and Vice President.
(B)Names of the presidential candidates to whom the delegates are pledged.
(C)Names of the chairperson of unpledged delegations.
(2)Candidates or nominees to the United States Senate.
Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 316, Sec. 3. (AB 1495) Effective January 1, 2022.
Notwithstanding Section 13109, the county elections official for the County of Los Angeles may use the alternate ballot order described in Sections 13109.8 and 13109.10 for elections conducted after the completion of the pilot project described in Section 13109.7. Notwithstanding any other law, the county elections official may adjust ballot instructions to the extent necessary to conform to the alternate ballot order.
Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 316, Sec. 4. (AB 1495) Effective January 1, 2022. Repealed on date prescribed by its own provisions.
(a)When a special election to fill a vacancy in the State Senate, State Assembly, United States House of Representatives, or United States Senate is consolidated with the regularly scheduled election for that office for the term following the term in which the vacancy occurred, the order of precedence of offices on the ballot for the County of Los Angeles shall be as listed in this section. Beginning in the column to the left:
(1)Under the heading, REGULAR ELECTION:
Candidates or nominees to the State Senate, State Assembly, United States House of Representatives, or United States Senate, as applicable, for the term following the term in which the vacancy occurred.
(2)Under the heading, SPECIAL ELECTION:
Candidates or nominees to the State Senate, State Assembly, United States House of Representatives, or United States Senate, as applicable, for the remainder of the term in which the vacancy occurred.
(3)All other offices and measures shall be listed after the offices listed pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) according to the alternate ballot order described in Section 13109.8.
(b)This section shall remain in effect only until the first January 1 that occurs at least four years after the declaration date described in subdivision (a) of Section 13109.7, and as of that date is repealed.
Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 1, Sec. 48. (SB 6) Effective January 1, 2010. Operative January 1, 2011, pursuant to Sec. 67 of Ch. 1.
The group of names of candidates for any partisan office, voter-nominated office, or nonpartisan office shall be the same on the ballots of all voters entitled to vote for candidates for that office, except that in partisan primary elections, the names of candidates for nomination to partisan office shall appear only on the ballots of the political party, the nomination of which they seek, and
candidates for election to a political party committee shall appear only on the ballots of the political party for which the candidate seeks election.
Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 784, Sec. 100. Effective January 1, 2003.
Candidates for each office shall be printed on the ballot in accordance with the following rules:
(a)The names of presidential candidates to whom candidates for delegate to the national convention are pledged, and the names of chairpersons of groups of candidates for delegate expressing no preference, shall be arranged on the primary election ballot by the Secretary of State by the names of the candidates in accordance with the randomized alphabet as provided for in Section 13112 in the case of the
ballots for the First Assembly District. Thereafter, for each succeeding Assembly district, the name appearing first in the last preceding Assembly district shall be placed last, the order of the other names remaining unchanged.
(b)The names of the pairs of candidates for President and Vice President shall be arranged on the general election ballot by the Secretary of State by the names of the candidates for President in accordance with the randomized alphabet as provided for in Section 13112 in the case of the ballots for the First Assembly District. Thereafter, for each succeeding Assembly district, the pair appearing first in the last preceding Assembly district shall be placed last, the order of the other pairs remaining unchanged.
(c)In the case of all other offices, the candidates for which are to be voted on throughout the state, the Secretary of State shall arrange the
names of the candidates for the office in accordance with the randomized alphabet as provided for in Section 13112 for the First Assembly District. Thereafter, for each succeeding Assembly district, the name appearing first in the last preceding Assembly district shall be placed last, the order of the other names remaining unchanged.
(d)If the office is that of Representative in Congress or member of the State Board of Equalization, the Secretary of State shall arrange the names of candidates for the office in accordance with the randomized alphabet as provided for in Section 13112 for that Assembly district that has the lowest number of all the Assembly districts in which candidates are to be voted on. Thereafter, for each succeeding Assembly district in which the candidates are to be voted on, the names appearing first in the last preceding Assembly district shall be placed last, the order of the other names remaining unchanged.
(e)If the office is that of State Senator or Member of the Assembly, the county elections official shall arrange the names of the candidates for the office in accordance with the randomized alphabet as provided for in Section 13112, unless the district encompasses more than one county, in which case the arrangement shall be made pursuant to subdivision (i).
(f)If the office is to be voted upon wholly within, but not throughout, one county, as in the case of municipal, district, county supervisor, and county central committee offices, the official responsible for conducting the election shall determine the order of names in accordance with the randomized alphabet as provided for in Section 13112.
(g)If the office is to be voted on throughout a single county, and there are not more than four Assembly districts wholly
or partly in the county, the county elections official shall determine the order of names in accordance with the randomized alphabet as provided for in Section 13112 for the first supervisorial district. Thereafter, for each succeeding supervisorial district, the name appearing first for each office in the last preceding supervisorial district shall be placed last, the order of the other names remaining unchanged.
(h)If there are five or more Assembly districts wholly or partly in the county, an identical procedure shall be followed, except that rotation shall be by Assembly district, commencing with the Assembly district which has the lowest number.
(i)Except as provided in subdivision (d) of Section 13112, if the office is that of State Senator or Member of the Assembly, and the district includes more than one county, the county elections official in each county shall conduct
a drawing of the letters of the alphabet, pursuant to the same procedures specified in Section 13112. The results of the drawing shall be known as a county randomized ballot and shall be used only to arrange the names of the candidates when the district includes more than one county.
(j)If the office is that of Justice of the California Supreme Court or a court of appeal, the appropriate elections officials shall arrange the names of the candidates for the office in accordance with the randomized alphabet as provided for in Section 13112. However, the names of the judicial candidates shall not be rotated among the applicable districts.
Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 508, Sec. 7. Effective January 1, 2007.
The Secretary of State shall conduct a drawing of the letters of the alphabet, the result of which shall be known as a randomized alphabet. The procedure shall be as follows:
(a)Each letter of the alphabet shall be written on a separate slip of paper, each of which shall be folded and inserted into a capsule. Each capsule shall be opaque and of uniform weight, color, size, shape, and texture. The capsules shall be placed in a container, which shall be shaken vigorously in order to mix the capsules
thoroughly. The container then shall be opened and the capsules removed at random one at a time. As each is removed, it shall be opened and the letter on the slip of paper read aloud and written down. The resulting random order of letters constitutes the randomized alphabet, which is to be used in the same manner as the conventional alphabet in determining the order of all candidates in all elections. For example, if two candidates with the surnames Campbell and Carlson are running for the same office, their order on the ballot will depend on the order in which the letters M and R were drawn in the randomized alphabet drawing.
(b)(1) There shall be six drawings, three in each even-numbered year and three in each odd-numbered year. Each drawing shall be held at 11 a.m. on the date specified in this subdivision. The results of each drawing shall be mailed immediately to each county elections official responsible for
conducting an election to which the drawing is applicable, who shall use it in determining the order on the ballot of the names of the candidates for office.
(A) The first drawing under this subdivision shall take place on the 82nd day before the April general law city elections of an even-numbered year, and shall apply to those elections and any other elections held at the same time.
(B) The second drawing under this subdivision shall take place on the 82nd day before the direct primary of an even-numbered year, and shall apply to all candidates on the ballot in that election.
(C) (i) The third drawing under this subdivision shall take place on the 82nd day before the November general election of an even-numbered year, and shall apply to all candidates on the ballot in the November general
election.
(ii) In the case of the primary election and the November general election, the Secretary of State shall certify and transmit to each county elections official the order in which the names of federal and state candidates, with the exception of candidates for State Senate and Assembly, shall appear on the ballot. The elections official shall determine the order on the ballot of all other candidates using the appropriate randomized alphabet for that purpose.
(D) The fourth drawing under this subdivision shall take place on the 82nd day before the March general law city elections of each odd-numbered year, and shall apply to those elections and any other elections held at the same time.
(E) The fifth drawing under this subdivision shall take place on the 82nd day before the first Tuesday after the first Monday
in June of each odd-numbered year, and shall apply to all candidates on the ballot in the elections held on that date.
(F) The sixth drawing under this subdivision shall take place on the 82nd day before the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of the odd-numbered year, and shall apply to all candidates on the ballot in the elections held on that date.
(2)In the event there is to be an election of candidates to a special district, school district, charter city, or other local government body at the same time as one of the five major election dates specified in subparagraphs (A) to (F), inclusive, and the last possible day to file nomination papers for the local election would occur after the date of the drawing for the major election date, the procedure set forth in Section 13113 shall apply.
(c)Each
randomized alphabet drawing shall be open to the public. At least 10 days prior to a drawing, the Secretary of State shall notify the news media and other interested parties of the date, time, and place of the drawing. The president of each statewide association of local officials with responsibilities for conducting elections shall be invited by the Secretary of State to attend each drawing or send a representative. The state chairman of each qualified political party shall be invited to attend or send a representative in the case of drawings held to determine the order of candidates on the primary election ballot, the November general election ballot, or a special election ballot as provided for in subdivision (d).
(d)In the case of any special election for State Assembly, State Senate, or Representative in Congress, on the first weekday after the close of filing of nomination papers for the office, the Secretary of State shall conduct a
public drawing to produce a randomized alphabet in the same manner as provided for in subdivisions (a) and (c). The resulting randomized alphabet shall be used for determining the order on the ballot of the candidates in both the primary election for the special election and in the special election.
Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 304, Sec. 9. (AB 1513) Effective January 1, 2026.
(a)In the case of an election of candidates in a special district, school district, charter city (whose charter does not provide to the contrary), or other local government body, occurring on other than one of the election dates specified in subdivision (b) of Section 13112, the official responsible for conducting the election shall, at the same time that the election is called, notify the Secretary of State by electronic delivery of the date of the election, the date of the close of filing, and the last possible date for filing in the event there is an extension of filing due to an incumbent failing to file, and the Secretary of State shall confirm receipt of that information in writing by electronic delivery. The Secretary of State shall conduct a randomized alphabet drawing pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 13112 on the
first weekday following the last possible day of filing in the event there is an extension for the election.
(b)Except as provided for runoff elections in subdivision (d), if two or more drawings for local government elections would occur on the same date, the Secretary of State may use a single randomized alphabet drawing for all of these elections. The Secretary of State shall communicate the results of the drawing by electronic delivery to each respective official responsible for conducting the election who shall use it to determine the order on the ballot of all candidates’ names. Each respective official shall confirm receipt of the drawing results in writing by electronic delivery to the Secretary of State.
(c)All drawings held pursuant to this section shall be open to the public.
(d)If a charter city
conducts a runoff election, it shall use the results of a randomized alphabet drawing separate from the results of the randomized alphabet drawing used for the initial election for that runoff election. The city shall, within three days following the initial election, notify the Secretary of State by electronic delivery of the date of the election and request that the Secretary of State conduct a randomized alphabet drawing for the runoff election. The Secretary of State shall confirm receipt of the request in writing by electronic delivery to the city, and shall immediately conduct a randomized alphabet drawing for the runoff election and communicate the results of the drawing to the elections official responsible for conducting the runoff election who shall use the results to determine the order of all the candidates’ names on the ballot. The results of the randomized alphabet drawing shall be clearly labeled “FOR USE IN A RUNOFF ELECTION ONLY.”
Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.
(a)At any regular meeting of a city council held prior to the date on which the Secretary of State conducts the randomized alphabet drawing applicable to the regular municipal election under Section 13112, or, under Section 13113, applicable to a special election called to fill a vacancy on the city council, the city council may, by resolution, provide for the rotation on the ballot of the names of candidates for any elective city office.
(b)A resolution adopted pursuant to
subdivision (a) shall specify which regular statewide election precincts or, if precincts have been consolidated for purposes of the city election, which consolidated precincts, shall constitute each cluster of precincts for purposes of the rotation of candidates’ names on the ballot.
(c)(1) As used in this section, a “cluster” shall consist of one or more precincts which need not be contiguous. The clusters of precincts shall be numbered in consecutive order for purposes of ballot rotation of candidates’ names, and the resolution shall list the clusters by number and identify which precincts are in each cluster.
(2)No cluster of precincts shall contain a number of registered voters which is more than 10 percent greater or lesser than the average number of registered voters for a cluster as of the most recent estimate by the county elections official of the
number of registered voters in each regular precinct in the city prior to the adoption of the resolution. The resolution shall set forth the total number of registered voters in each cluster.
(d)A resolution adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall specify that, in the cluster designated as cluster number one, the names shall appear on the ballot in the order determined by the Secretary of State’s randomized alphabet drawing. For each successive cluster, the resolution shall specify the manner of determining the order of the candidates’ names by applying the following:
(1)If the number of candidates for an office is equal to or less than the number of clusters, in cluster number two and each successive cluster, the name appearing first in the last preceding cluster shall be placed last, the order of the other names remaining unchanged.
(2)If the number of candidates for an office is greater than the number of clusters, the former shall be divided by the latter. If the resulting quotient is a mixed number and the fractional part of the mixed number is less than one-half, the fraction shall be discarded. If the fractional part of the mixed number is one-half or greater, the quotient shall be raised to the next largest whole number. The whole number that results from this process shall be the number of candidates that, in cluster number two and each successive cluster, shall be taken from the beginning of the list and placed at the end of the list, the order of the other names remaining unchanged.
(e)(1) No city may provide for rotation of candidates’ names on the ballot for a particular election unless the resolution authorizing it, in accordance with this section, is adopted by the city council
at a regular meeting, at which the city elections official has provided cost estimates of this rotation, prior to the date of the randomized alphabet drawing applicable to the election.
(2)A city council resolution that provides for rotation of candidates’ names pursuant to this section for any election which is consolidated with any county or state election shall also provide for the payment of computer programming, formatting, preparation, and all similar related administrative costs associated with development of the ballot on which those names appear.
Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 76, Sec. 57. (AB 383) Effective January 1, 2014.
The order in which all state measures that are to be submitted to the voters shall appear on the ballot is as follows:
(a)Bond measures, including those proposed by initiative, in the order in which they qualify.
(b)Constitutional amendments, including those proposed by initiative, in the order in which they qualify.
(c)Legislative measures, other than those described in subdivision (a) or (b), in the order in which they are approved by the Legislature.
(d)Initiative measures, other than those described in subdivision (a) or (b), in the order in which they qualify.
(e)Referendum measures, in the order in which they qualify.
Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.
(a)In an election at which state, county, city, or other local measures are submitted to a vote of the voters, all state measures shall be numbered in numerical order, as provided in this chapter or division. All county, city, or other local measures shall be designated by a letter, instead of a figure, printed on the left margin of the square containing the description of the measure, commencing with the letter “A” and continuing in alphabetical order, one letter for each of these measures appearing on the ballot.
(b)An elections official may commence designating local measures with any letter of the alphabet following the letter “A,” and continuing in alphabetical order, in order to avoid voter confusion that might result from different local measures carrying the same letter designation in successive elections.
(c)Where two or more counties or cities submitting measures to the voters are in close proximity, the elections officials of those counties or cities may mutually agree to use letter designation for ballot measures that will not conflict or confuse the voter.
Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 58, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1997.
(a)Commencing with the November 3, 1998, general election, all state measures in all elections at which state measures are submitted to a vote of the voters shall be numbered in a continuous sequence, commencing with the number “1” and continuing in numerical sequence for a period of 10 years from the year of commencement.
(b)At the completion of a 10-year cycle, the numbering sequence shall recommence with the number “1” at the next election at which state measures are
submitted to a vote of the voters.
Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 863, Sec. 2. (AB 623) Effective January 1, 2020.
The following rules apply when a person who is a candidate for an office believes that another person with a name that is so similar that it may be confused with the candidate’s name has filed or will file a nomination paper for the same office:
(a)The candidate may, at the time of filing the candidate’s nomination paper, or within five days after the time for filing nomination papers has expired, file with the elections official a statement that shall be in substance as follows:
“I ____, believe that another person, whose name is so similar to mine that it may be confused with mine, has filed or will file a nomination paper for the same office for which I have filed a nomination paper, and I therefore request and direct that the elections
official assign a number to each candidate with a similar name to be printed on the ballot as a distinguishing mark.
(b)The distinguishing mark shall be a number, commencing with the number “1” and continuing in numerical sequence until each candidate with a similar name has been assigned a distinguishing number, and shall be printed
at the right of the name on the ballot.
(c)The first candidate who filed the candidate’s nomination papers shall have the number “1” and each subsequent candidate, based on the time of filing the candidate’s nomination papers, shall be assigned the next number in numerical sequence.
(d)In addition to the designated numbers that the elections official shall place on the ballot when the above conditions are met, the elections official shall place on the ballot, immediately preceding the names of the candidates to be voted upon, or on the contest header if there is not sufficient space immediately preceding the name, the following warning:
“Warning! There are two (or applicable number) candidates for this office with identical names.”
This warning shall also be
included, in a prominent manner, on any state voter information guide, county voter information guide, or other mailing sent by the elections official, before the election, to persons eligible to vote for this office.
(e)To determine the order on the ballot for the candidates with similar names, the elections official shall conduct a drawing of the numbers assigned to the candidates in a similar manner as provided for in Section 13112.
Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 863, Sec. 3. (AB 623) Effective January 1, 2020.
(a)The ballots used when voting upon a measure proposed by a local governing body or submitted to the voters as an initiative or referendum measure pursuant to Division 9 (commencing with Section 9000), including a measure authorizing the issuance of bonds or the incurrence of debt, shall have printed on them the words “Shall the measure (stating the nature thereof) be adopted?” To the right or below the statement of the measure to be voted on, the words “Yes” and “No” shall be printed on separate lines, with voting targets. If a voter marks the voting target next to the printed word “Yes,” the voter’s vote shall be counted in favor of the adoption of the measure. If the voter marks the voting target next to the printed word “No,” the voter’s vote shall be counted against its adoption.
(b)If the proposed measure imposes a tax or raises the rate of a tax, the ballot shall include in the statement of the measure to be voted on the amount of money to be raised annually and the rate and duration of the tax to be levied.
(c)The statement of the measure shall be a true and impartial synopsis of the purpose of the proposed measure, and shall be in language that is neither argumentative nor likely to create prejudice for or against the measure.
(d)For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1)“Local governing body” means the governing body of a city, county, city and county, including a charter city or charter county, or district, including a school district.
(2)“Target” means an object designated as the aim for a voter to make a vote selection.
Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 162, Sec. 8. (AB 421) Effective September 8, 2023.
(a)The ballots used when voting upon a county, city, or district ordinance referred to the voters of the respective jurisdiction as a referendum measure pursuant to Division 9 (commencing with Section 9000) shall have printed on them the words “Shall the ordinance (stating the nature thereof, including any identifying number or title) be adopted?” Opposite the statement of the ordinance to be voted on and to its right, or immediately below if there is not sufficient space opposite the statement of the ordinance and to its right, the words “Yes” and “No” shall be printed on separate lines, with voting targets. If a voter marks the voting target next to the printed word “Yes,” the voter’s vote shall be counted in favor of the adoption of the ordinance. If the voter marks the voting target next to the printed word “No,” the voter’s
vote shall be counted against its adoption.
(b)The ballots used when voting upon a state statute referred to the voters of the state as a referendum measure pursuant to Division 9 (commencing with Section 9000) shall have printed on them the words “Shall California keep or overturn a law passed in [enter year statute was enacted] [followed by no more than 15 words stating the general subject or nature of the law]? Opposite the statement of the statute to be voted on and to its right, or immediately below if there is not sufficient space opposite the statement of the statute and to its right, the words “Keep the law” and “Overturn the law” shall be printed on separate lines, with voting targets. If a voter marks the voting target next to the printed words “Keep the law,” the voter’s vote shall be counted in favor of the adoption of the statute. If the voter marks the voting target next to the printed words “Overturn the law,” the voter’s vote
shall be counted against its adoption.
Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, the county elections official conducting any school election shall not be required to provide more than one ballot to the same voter for the purpose of voting on separate propositions at the same election. However, no voter shall be presented with a ballot containing a proposition on which he or she is not entitled to vote by reason of not residing within the district or area affected by the proposition.