Judge: California Proposition 14 language–increases right to participate, reforms primary process, encourages participation
By Nancy Hanks | Related entries in NewsThis just in:
BALLOT LABEL
ELECTIONS. INCREASES RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN PRIMARY ELECTIONS.
Reforms the primary election process for congressional, statewide, and legislative races. Allows all voters to choose any candidate regardless of the candidate’s or voter’s political party preference. Ensures that the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes will appear on the general election ballot regardless of party preference. Fiscal Impact: The data are insufficient to identify the amount of any increase or decrease in costs to administer elections will increase.
BALLOT TITLE AND SUMMARY
ELECTIONS. INCREASES RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN PRIMARY ELECTIONS.
Encourages increased participation in elections for congressional, legislative, and statewide offices by reforming the procedure by which candidates are selected in primary elections.
Gives voters increased options in the primary by allowing all voters to choose any candidate regardless of the candidate’s or voter’s political party preference.
Provides that candidates may choose not to have a political party preference indicated on the primary ballot.
Provides that only the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes in the primary will appear on the general election ballot regardless of party preference.
Does not change primary elections for President, party committee offices and nonpartisan offices.
Summary of Legislative Analyst’s Estimate of Net State and Local Government Fiscal Impact:
The data are insufficient to identify the amount of any increase or decrease in costs to administer elections will increase.
Fiscal Effect
Minor Costs and Savings. This measure would change how elections officials prepare, print, and mail ballot materials. In some cases, these changes could increase these state and county costs. For instance, under this measure, all candidates- regardless of their party preference – would be listed on each primary election ballot. This would make these ballots longer. In other cases, the measure would reduce election costs. For example, by eliminating in some instances the need to prepare different primary ballots for each political party, counties sometimes would realize savings. For general election ballots, the measure would reduce the number of candidates (by only having the two candidates who received the most votes from the primary election on the ballot). This would make these ballots shorter. The direct costs and savings resulting from this measure may would be relatively minor and may would tend to offset each other. However, the data are insufficient to determine whether state and local costs to administer elections will increase or decrease. Accordingly, we estimate that the measure’s fiscal effects would not be significant for state and local governments.
Indirect Fiscal Effects Impossible to Estimate. In some cases, this measure would result in different individuals being elected to offices that under current law. Different officeholders would make different decisions about state and local government spending and revenues. These indirect fiscal effects of the measure are unknown and impossible to estimate.
Sources:
The Hankster 646-567-6641 [email protected]
Californians for an Open Primary/Yes on 14 [email protected], 818-823-1108
Sarah Lyons at IndependentVoting.org, 212-962-1824
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