Proposition 14, on the California June 2010, proposes a top-two open primary. Several county elections officials have recently been asked to estimate whether, if passed, the measure would increase costs to taxpayers. San Diego County estimates an additional cost per election of $.75 per voter, and Sacramento County estimates an additional cost of $1.85 per voter.
One reason the costs will increase is that the counties would still need to print up separate primary ballots, intended only for members of each party, for county central committee elections. Another cost is that the implementing measure requires that each primary ballot have at the top, “Voter-Nominated and Nonpartisan Offices” in 24-point boldface gothic capital type. Then, in smaller type, the ballots must say, “All voters, regardless of the party preference they disclosed upon registration, or refusal to disclose a party preference, may vote for any candidate for a voter-nominated or nonpartisan office. Voter-Nominated Offices. The party preference, if any, designated by a candidate for a voter-nominated office is selected by the candidate and is shown for the information of the voters only. It does not constitute or imply an endorsement of the candidate by the party indicated, and no candidate nominated by the qualified voters for any voter-nominated office shall be deemed to be the officially nominated candidate of any political party. Nonpartisan Offices. A candidate for a nonpartisan office may not designate a party preference on the ballot.”
This verbiage must appear on each ballot card. It is so lengthy, it will require the counties to print more ballot cards than they would have otherwise. Also, each candidate may have next to his or her name, “My party preference is the ____ Party,” as well as the candidate’s occupation (California ballots already show the occupation of each candidate). In some counties these must be printed in multiple languages.
