The ballot pamphlet shall contain as to each state measure to be voted upon, the following in the order set forth in this section:

(a) (1) Upon the top portion of the first page and not exceeding one-third of the page shall appear:

Ask a business law question, get an answer ASAP!
Thousands of highly rated, verified business lawyers.
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

(A) The identification of the measure by number and title.

(B) The official summary prepared by the Attorney General.

(i) For a statewide referendum measure, the official summary prepared by the Attorney General shall precede all of the following in the order set forth in this clause:

(I) A blank horizontal line.

(II) After the text “TOP FUNDERS OF PETITION TO OVERTURN THE LAW:” a listing of the three persons who made the most aggregated contributions and expenditures of $50,000 or more to qualify the referendum as of the last day petitions are filed with an elections official. A person who is required to be listed after the official summary pursuant to this clause is a “top funder.”

(III) If a person that is a primarily formed ballot measure committee within the meaning of § 82047.5 of the Government Code or a general purpose committee within the meaning of § 82027.5 of the Government Code is one of the persons who made the most aggregated contributions and expenditures to qualify the referendum as of the last day petitions are filed with an elections official, the primarily formed committee or general purpose committee shall not be listed as a top funder pursuant to subclause (II), and, instead, the highest contributors to the primarily formed committee or general purpose committee within the prior 90 days shall be listed as top funders pursuant to subclause (II) if their contributions to the primarily formed committee or general purpose committee, combined with all other contributions and expenditures to qualify the referendum, qualify the person or persons as top funders.

(ii) The name of a top funder may be shortened at the discretion of the Secretary of State by using acronyms, abbreviations, or by leaving out words in the entity’s name, as long as doing so would not confuse or mislead voters about the identity of a top funder.

(iii) Each top funder shall be printed in a font size that is the same as a majority of the text on the page and separated by a semicolon.

(iv) The Secretary of State shall determine the list of top funders no later than the date a referendum qualifies for the ballot.

(C) The total number of votes cast for and against the measure in both the State Senate and Assembly if the measure was passed by the Legislature.

(2) The space in the title and summary that is used for an explanatory table prepared pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) of § 9087 of the Elections Code and Section 88003 shall not be included when measuring the amount of space the information described in paragraph (1) has taken for purposes of determining compliance with the restriction prohibiting the information described in paragraph (1) from exceeding one-third of the page.

(b) Beginning at the top of the right page shall appear the analysis prepared by the Legislative Analyst, provided that the analysis fits on a single page. If it does not fit on a single page, then the analysis shall begin on the lower portion of the first left page and shall continue on subsequent pages until it is completed.

(c) Immediately below the analysis prepared by the Legislative Analyst shall appear a printed statement that refers voters to the Secretary of State’s internet website for a list of committees primarily formed to support or oppose a ballot measure, and information on how to access the committee’s top 10 contributors.

(d) Arguments for and against the measure shall be placed on the next left and right pages, respectively, following the page on which the analysis of the Legislative Analyst ends. The rebuttals shall be placed immediately below the arguments.

(e) If no argument against the measure has been submitted, the argument for the measure shall appear on the right page facing the analysis.

(f) The complete text of each measure shall appear at the back of the pamphlet. The text of the measure shall contain the provisions of the proposed measure and the existing provisions of law repealed or revised by the measure. The provisions of the proposed measure differing from the existing provisions of law affected shall be distinguished in print, so as to facilitate comparison.

(g) The following statement shall be printed at the bottom of each page where arguments appear: “Arguments printed on this page are the opinions of the authors and have not been checked for accuracy by any official agency.”

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 162, Sec. 10. (AB 421) Effective September 8, 2023.)