California law allows candidates running for a federal or state office to have a candidate statement included in the state Voter Information Guide, on the Secretary of State website, or in certain cases, in the voter information portion of the county sample ballot.
Statewide candidates, who choose to keep their campaign spending under a specified limit, may purchase space in the state Voter Information Guide for a 250-word candidate statement (Government Code section 85601(a)). Statewide offices covered are Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner, Controller, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Board of Equalization (BOE).
The Secretary of State allows all qualified candidates running for President and Vice President of the United States to submit a 250-word candidate statement for inclusion on the state Voter Information Guide portion of the Secretary of State's website (Elections Code section 9084(k)). For more information, please contact vigfeedback@sos.ca.gov.
Candidates running for the United States Senate may purchase space for a 250-word statement in the state Voter Information Guide. The statement may not make any reference to any opponent of the candidate (Elections Code section 9084(i)).
Candidates running for the United States House of Representatives may purchase space for a 250-word statement in the voter information portion of the county sample ballot. The statement may not make any reference to any opponent of the candidate (Elections Code section 13307.5).
State Senate and Assembly legislative candidates, who choose to keep their campaign spending under a specified limit, may purchase space in the voter information portion of the county sample ballot for a 250-word candidate statement (Government Code section 85601(c)).
Proposition 34 established voluntary spending limits for candidates running for statewide office, the state Senate and the state Assembly. Candidates, who choose to accept the spending limits, are allowed to purchase space for a 250-word candidate statement in either the state Voter Information Guide or in the voter information portion of the county sample ballot.
To accept the spending limits, candidates running for statewide office or state Senate or state Assembly, must file a Candidate Statement of Intention (Form 501) with the Secretary of State's Political Reform Division indicating whether they intend to abide by the spending limits prior to submitting a candidate statement.
| Prop. 34 Voluntary Expenditure Limit (For elections held on or after January 1, 2013) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Office | 250-word Candidate Statement Location |
Primary/Special Election | General/Special Runoff Election |
| President and Vice President of the United States |
Secretary of State Website |
N/A | N/A |
| United States Senate | State Voter Information Guide |
N/A | N/A |
| United States Representative | County Voter Information Pamphlet |
N/A | N/A |
| Governor | State Voter Information Guide |
$8,166,000 | $13,610,000 |
| Lieutenant Governor | State Voter Information Guide |
$5,444,000 | $8,166,000 |
| Secretary of State | State Voter Information Guide |
$5,444,000 | $8,166,000 |
| Controller | State Voter Information Guide |
$5,444,000 | $8,166,000 |
| Treasurer | State Voter Information Guide |
$5,444,000 | $8,166,000 |
| Attorney General | State Voter Information Guide |
$5,444,000 | $8,166,000 |
| Insurance Commissioner | State Voter Information Guide |
$5,444,000 | $8,166,000 |
| Superintendent of Public Instruction |
State Voter Information Guide |
$5,444,000 | $8,166,000 |
| Member, State Board of Equalization |
State Voter Information Guide |
$1,361,000 | $2,041,000 |
| State Senator | County Voter Information Pamphlet |
$817,000 | $1,225,000 |
| Member of the State Assembly | County Voter Information Pamphlet |
$544,000 | $953,000 |
