Posted by James V. Lacy at 12:00 am on Jan 20, 2010 2 Comments
In just a few weeks, candidates who will appear on the ballot in
the upcoming June, 2010 primary election in California will submit
their paperwork to the various county elections officials across
the state, officially declaring their candidacies, and they will
submit their names and proposed ballot designations for the
ballot. In some cases they may also be allowed to pay for a
short "candidate statement" to appear in the advance ballot
materials sent to all voters.
In California, a candidate is allowed
to have their name, including a "nick-name," and up to three words
describing the "principal" "profession, vocation, or occupation"
printed on the ballot. Incumbents get additional words if
they want, describing the official title they hold. There is
sometimes litigation over whether the chosen "profession, vocation,
or occupation" of the candidate is a "principal" endeavor, since
the underlying requirement of the name and ballot designation is
that it must not be misleading to the voter. Sometimes there
is even litigation over whether the candidate’s name is misleading
or not. The… Read More