Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in California
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Note: This article is not intended to serve as an exhaustive guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.
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In order to get on the ballot in California, a candidate for president of the United States must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A presidential candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.
There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for president of the United States.
- An individual can seek the nomination of a political party. Presidential nominees are selected by delegates at national nominating conventions. Individual states conduct caucuses or primary elections to determine which delegates will be sent to the national convention.[1]
- An individual can run as an independent. Independent presidential candidates typically must petition in each state in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.[1]
- An individual can run as a write-in candidate.[1]
The information on this page applies only to presidential candidates. For additional information about ballot access requirements for state and congressional candidates, see this page.
Year-specific filing information
2024
The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in California in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in California, click here.
Presidential primary candidates
| Filing requirements for presidential primary candidates in California, 2024[2] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Party | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| California | Democratic | 26,000 | From each congressional district, 1% of registered party members or 500, whichever is fewer | N/A | N/A | 12/15/2023 | Source |
| California | Republican | 52,863 | 1% of registered party members[3] | N/A | N/A | 12/15/2023 | Source |
Independent presidential candidates
| Filing requirements for independent candidates in California, 2024 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| California | 219,403 | 1% of the total number of registered voters in the state | N/A | N/A | 8/9/2024 | Source |
For filing information from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.
2020
The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in California in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in California, click here.
Presidential primary candidates
| Filing requirements for presidential primary candidates in California, 2020[4] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Party | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| California | Democratic | 26,500 | From each congressional district, 1% of registered party members or 500, whichever is fewer | N/A | N/A | 12/13/2019 | Source |
| California | Republican | 47,938 | 1% of registered party members | N/A | N/A | 12/13/2019 | Source |
Independent presidential candidates
| Filing requirements for independent candidates in California, 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| California | 196,964 | 1% of the total number of registered voters in the state | N/A | N/A | 8/7/2020 | Source |
2016
The calendar below lists important filing deadlines in California for the 2016 presidential election. For information about campaign finance reporting deadlines, see below.
| Dates and requirements for presidential candidates in 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline | Event type | Event description | |
| January 9, 2016 - March 31, 2016 | Ballot access | Announcement of selected presidential candidates for the Democratic Party | |
| On or before February 8, 2016 | Ballot access | Announced of selected presidential candidates for the Republican, American Independent, Green, Libertarian, and Peace and Freedom parties | |
| March 25, 2016 | Ballot access | Filing deadline for Republican, American Independent, Green, Libertarian, and Peace and Freedom party candidates not selected by the secretary of state | |
| March 26, 2016 | Ballot access | Filing deadline for Democratic primary candidates not selected by the secretary of state | |
| June 7, 2016 | Election date | Presidential primary election | |
| August 12, 2016 | Ballot access | Filing deadline for independent candidates | |
| November 8, 2016 | Election date | General election | |
| Source: California Secretary of State, "Key Dates and Deadlines: June 7, 2016, Presidential Primary Election," accessed September 4, 2015 | |||
Qualifications
Article 2, Section 1, of the United States Constitution sets the following qualifications for the presidency:[5]
| “ | No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.[6] | ” |
| —United States Constitution | ||
Article 2, Section 4, of the United States Constitution says an individual can be disqualified from the presidency if impeached and convicted:
| “ | The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.[6] | ” |
| —United States Constitution | ||
The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution says an individual can also be disqualified from the presidency under the following conditions:
| “ | No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.[6] | ” |
| —United States Constitution | ||
Party nomination processes
- See also: Primary election and Caucus
| Hover over the terms below to display definitions. | |
| Ballot access laws | |
| Primary election | |
| Caucus | |
| Delegate | |
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A political party formally nominates its presidential candidate at a national nominating convention. At this convention, state delegates select the party's nominee. Prior to the nominating convention, the states conduct presidential preference primaries or caucuses. Generally speaking, only state-recognized parties—such as the Democratic Party and the Republican Party—conduct primaries and caucuses. These elections measure voter preference for the various candidates and help determine which delegates will be sent to the national nominating convention.[1][7][8]
The Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee, the governing bodies of the nation's two major parties, establish their own guidelines for the presidential nomination process. State-level affiliates of the parties also have some say in determining rules and provisions in their own states. Individuals interested in learning more about the nomination process should contact the political parties themselves for full details.
In California, qualified political parties conduct presidential preference primaries. To learn more about the criteria a party must meet in order to be ballot-qualified, see this article. Specific filing requirements vary from party to party and are included in state statutes. The sections below summarize the primary filing processes for California's qualified political parties as of October 2023.[9]
Democratic Party
- See also: Democratic Party
The secretary of state selects candidates for placement on the Democratic presidential primary ballot. State law stipulates that the secretary of state may place a name on the ballot when he or she has "determined that the candidate is generally advocated for or recognized throughout the United States or California as actively seeking the nomination of the Democratic Party for President of the United States." The secretary of state must announce the names of these candidates no later than the 88th day preceding the presidential primary.[10]
A candidate who is not selected by the secretary of state may petition for placement on the Democratic primary ballot. The petition must contain signatures "equal in number to not less than 1 percent or 500, whichever is fewer, in each congressional district of the number of persons registered as members of the Democratic Party in the report of registration issued by the Secretary of State on the 135th day preceding the presidential primary election." Petition signatures must be filed with the county elections official of the county in which they were collected at least 73 days prior to the primary.[10][11][12]
Republican Party
- See also: Republican Party
The secretary of state selects candidates for placement on the Republican presidential primary ballot. State law stipulates that the secretary of state may place a name on the ballot when he or she has "determined that the candidate is generally recognized throughout the United States or California as a candidate for the nomination of the Republican Party for President of the United States." The secretary must announce the names of the selected candidates on or before the 120th day preceding the presidential primary.[13]
A candidate who is not selected by the secretary of state may petition for placement on the Republican primary ballot. The petition, which can only be signed by registered Republicans, must contain signatures equaling at least 1 percent of the "number of persons registered as members of the Republican Party, as reflected in the report of registration issued by the Secretary of State on the 135th day preceding the presidential primary election." Petition signatures must be filed with the county elections official of the county in which they were collected at least 74 days prior to the primary.[13][14]
American Independent Party
- See also: American Independent Party
The secretary of state selects candidates for placement on the American Independent presidential primary ballot. State law stipulates that the secretary of state may place a name on the ballot when he or she has "determined that the candidate is generally advocated for or recognized in the news media throughout the United States or California as actively seeking the nomination of the American Independent Party for President of the United States." The secretary must announce the names of the selected candidates on or before the 120th day preceding the presidential primary.[15]
A candidate who is not selected by the secretary of state may petition for placement on the American Independent primary ballot. The petition, which can only be signed by registered party members, must contain signatures equaling at least 1 percent of "the number of persons registered as members of the American Independent Party as reflected in the report of registration issued by the Secretary of State on the 135th day preceding the presidential primary election." Petition signatures must be filed with the county elections official of the county in which they were collected at least 74 days prior to the primary.[15][16]
Peace and Freedom Party
- See also: Peace and Freedom Party
The secretary of state selects candidates for placement on the Peace and Freedom presidential primary ballot. State law stipulates that the secretary of state may place a name on the ballot when he or she has "determined that the candidate is generally advocated for or recognized throughout the United States or California as actively seeking the presidential nomination of the Peace and Freedom Party or the national party with which the Peace and Freedom Party is affiliated." The secretary must announce the names of the selected candidates on or before the 120th day preceding the presidential primary.[17]
A candidate who is not selected by the secretary of state may petition for placement on the Peace and Freedom primary ballot. The petition, which can only be signed by registered party members, must contain signatures equaling at least 1 percent of "the number of persons registered as members of the Peace and Freedom Party as reflected in the report of registration issued by the Secretary of State on the 135th day preceding the presidential primary election. Petition signatures must be filed with the county elections official of the county in which they were collected at least 74 days prior to the primary."[17][18]
These same filing procedures apply to the Libertarian and Green parties.[19]
General election requirements
The president of the United States is elected not by popular vote, but by the Electoral College. The Electoral College comprises a total of 538 electors. Each state is allocated a number of electors equal to the size of its congressional delegation. The Office of the Federal Register administers the Electoral College process:[20][21]
| “ | On Election Day, the voters in each State choose the Electors by casting votes for the presidential candidate of their choice. The Electors’ names may or may not appear on the ballot below the name of the candidates running for President, depending on the procedure in each State. The winning candidate in each State—except in Nebraska and Maine, which have proportional distribution of the Electors—is awarded all of the State’s Electors.[6] | ” |
| —The Office of the Federal Register | ||
Typically, electors are selected by state parties. Federal law does not require electors to vote "according to the results of the popular vote in their states." Some states and political parties have enacted policies requiring their electors to vote in accordance with the popular vote. According to the Office of the Federal Register, "throughout our history as a nation, more than 99 percent of electors have voted as pledged."[20][21]
California was allocated 54 electoral votes in the 2024 presidential election, one less than it was allocated in the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential contests.[22]
Political parties
California state law stipulates that "the secretary of state shall cause the names of the candidates for president and vice president of the several political parties to be placed upon the ballot for the ensuing general election." The state chairs of the Democratic and Republican parties must submit to the secretary of state a list of their designated presidential electors by October 1 in the year of the election. There are no explicit statutory deadlines for other qualified political parties.[23][24][25][26][27]
Independent candidates
An independent presidential candidate must petition for placement on the general election ballot. The petition must contain signatures equaling at least 1 percent of the total number of registered voters in the state at "the time of the close of registration prior to the preceding general election." Petitions must be delivered to county elections officials for examination by 5:00 p.m. 88 days prior to the election. County elections officials are response for forwarding petitions to the secretary of state for final processing.[28]
Sore loser laws
Some states bar candidates who sought, but failed, to secure the nomination of a political party from running as independents in the general election. These restrictions are sometimes called sore loser laws. Under California state law, "a candidate whose name has been on the ballot as a candidate of a party at the direct primary who has been defeated for that nomination" cannot run as an independent.[29][30][31]
Richard Winger, publisher of Ballot Access News, has argued that, generally speaking, "sore loser laws have been construed not to apply to presidential primaries." His analysis of state sore loser laws and their applicability in presidential elections can be accessed here.[32]
Write-in requirements
California state law stipulates that a group of individuals desiring to be write-in candidates for presidential electors "pledged to a particular candidate" must file declarations of candidacy. Each prospective elector must file this form with the secretary of state no later than the 14th day prior to the election.[33]
Historical information
According to Richard Winger, publisher of Ballot Access News, between 1892 and 2012 there were 401 instances in which a state required an independent or unqualified party candidate to collect more than 5,000 signatures in order to appear on the general election ballot. In California, there were 31 such instances during this period. See the table below for further details. The first column lists the state, the second lists the year, and the third lists the signature requirement. Columns four through nine list candidates and/or parties that met the requirement.[32]
| Filing requirements for independent and minor party candidates, 1894-2012 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Year | Requirement | Successful parties or candidates | |||||
| California | 1892 | 12,115 | People's | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1896 | 8,537 | National Democratic | Socialist Labor | National | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1900 | 8,612 | Socialist | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1904 | 9,131 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1908 | 9,358 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1912 | 11,570 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1916 | 27,800 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1920 | 20,651 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1924 | 28,962 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1928 | 12,125 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1932 | 14,449 | Liberty | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1936 | 23,610 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1940 | 26,960 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1944 | 22,643 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1948 | 27,597 | Progressive | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1952 | 38,458 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1956 | 41,017 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1960 | 53,661 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1964 | 59,297 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1968 | 66,059 | American | Peace and Freedom | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1972 | 66,334 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1976 | 99,284 | Libertarian | Socialist Workers | Communist | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1980 | 101,297 | Libertarian | Citizens | Anderson | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1984 | 115,591 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1988 | 65,000 | New Alliance | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1992 | 134,781 | R. Perot | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 1996 | 89,007 | Reform | Natural Law | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 2000 | 149,692 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 2004 | 153,035 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 2008 | 158,372 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California | 2012 | 172,859 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Campaign finance requirements
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the only agency authorized to regulate the financing of presidential and other federal campaigns (i.e., campaigns for the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives). The states cannot impose additional requirements on federal candidates. Federal law requires all presidential candidates to file a statement of candidacy within 15 days of receiving contributions or making expenditures that exceed $5,000. The statement of candidacy is the only federally mandated ballot access requirement for presidential candidates; all other ballot access procedures are mandated at the state level. The candidacy statement authorizes "a principal campaign committee to raise and spend funds" on behalf of the candidate. Within 10 days of filing the candidacy statement, the committee must file a statement of organization with the FEC. In addition, federal law establishes contribution limits for presidential candidates. These limits are detailed in the table below. The uppermost row indicates the recipient type; the leftmost column indicates the donor type.[34][35]
| Federal contribution limits, 2023-2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate committees | Political action committees | State and district party committees | National party committees | Additional national party committee accounts | |
| Individual | $3,300 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $41,300 per year | $123,900 per account, per year |
| Candidate committee | $2,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Multicandidate political action committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | $5,000 per year (combined) | $15,000 per year | $45,000 per account, per year |
| Other political action committee | $3,300 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $41,300 per year | $123,900 per account, per year |
| State and district party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| National party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $3,300 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $3,300 to the same candidate committee for the general election. Source: Federal Election Commission, "Contribution limits," accessed May 8, 2023 | |||||
Presidential candidate committees are required to file regular campaign finance reports disclosing "all of their receipts and disbursements" either quarterly or monthly. Committees may choose which filing schedule to follow, but they must notify the FEC in writing and "may change their filing frequency no more than once per calendar year."[36]
For contribution limits from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.
| Federal contribution limits, 2019-2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate committees | Political action committees | State and district party committees | National party committees | Additional national party committee accounts | |
| Individual | $2,800 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $33,500 per year | $106,500 per account, per year |
| Candidate committee | $2,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Multicandidate political action committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | $5,000 per year (combined) | $15,000 per year | $45,000 per account, per year |
| Other political action committee | $2,800 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $35,500 per year | $106,500 per account, per year |
| State and district party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| National party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $2,800 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $2,800 to the same candidate committee for the general election. Source: Federal Election Commission, "Contribution limits," accessed August 8, 2019 | |||||
| Federal contribution limits, 2015-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate committees | Political action committees | State and district party committees | National party committees | Additional national party committee accounts | |
| Individual | $2,700 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $33,400 per year | $100,200 per account, per year |
| Candidate committee | $2,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Multicandidate political action committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | $5,000 per year (combined) | $15,000 per year | $45,000 per account, per year |
| Other political action committee | $2,700 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $33,400 per year | $100,200 per account, per year |
| State and district party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| National party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $2,700 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $2,700 to the same candidate committee for the general election. Source: Federal Election Commission, "The FEC and Federal Campaign Finance Law," updated January 2015 | |||||
Noteworthy events
2019
On July 30, 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed into law SB 27, requiring presidential and gubernatorial candidates to file copies of their last five federal income tax returns with the California secretary of state in order to qualify for placement on the primary election ballot. The law was set to take immediate effect. In a statement, Newsom said, "The disclosure required by this bill will shed light on conflicts of interest, self-dealing, or influence from domestic and foreign business interest. The United States Constitution grants states the authority to determine how their electors are chosen, and California is well within its constitutional right to include this requirement."[37]
Several lawsuits were filed in response. On July 30, 2019, Republican presidential candidate Roque De La Fuente filed suit against Secretary of State Alex Padilla (D) in federal district court, alleging that SB 27 violated Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 and the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. Jay Sekulow, an attorney for President Donald Trump (R), also suggested the possibility of further legal action, saying, "The State of California's attempt to circumvent the Constitution will be answered in court." On August 1, 2019, Judicial Watch, on behalf of four California voters, filed a separate federal suit challenging the law. On August 6, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) and his campaign committee filed another separate suit challenging the law, as did the Republican National Committee and the California Republican Party.[38][39][40][41]
Legal professionals differed in their initial assessment of the legality of SB 27. Adam Winkler, a constitutional law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, said, "This new law raises some very interesting and novel constitutional issues. Because it is novel, it is hard to know how the courts would go, but there is plenty of reason to think courts will be hostile to California’s requirements." Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, said, "Although most cases dealing with ballot access have involved state and local elections, the constitutional principles are the same: State governments may set conditions for being listed on the ballot so long as they serve important interests and do not discriminate based on wealth or ideology." Gene Schaerr, a constitutional lawyer who has argued before the Supreme Court of the United States, said, "I see it as a serious problem on both constitutional grounds and especially on policy. You can imagine a host of other disclosures that states might want to adopt. If California could do this, some people would undoubtedly want to know whether candidates have ever been treated for a mental illness or denied insurance."[42][43]
On September 19, 2019, Judge Morrison England, of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, issued a preliminary injunction barring enforcement of SB 27. In his opinion, dated October 1, 2019, England wrote, "[The] Court finds that Plaintiffs are likely to prevail on the merits of their arguments that the Act 1) violates the Presidential Qualifications Clause contained in Article II of the United States Constitution; 2) deprives Plaintiffs of their rights to associate and/or to access the ballot, as guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution; 3) further violates the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause as set forth in the Fourteenth Amendment; and 5) is preempted by the provisions of [the Ethics in Government Act of 1978] in any event." On October 8, 2019, Padilla appealed the ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.[44][45]
On October 14, 2019, the California Supreme Court announced that it would hear oral arguments in a separate challenge, on state constitutional grounds, to SB 27 no later than the week ending November 8, 2019.[46] On November 21, 2019, the state supreme court ruled unanimously that SB 27, as applied to presidential candidates, violated Article II, Section 5(c) of the state constitution, which provides that "the Legislature shall provide for partisan elections for presidential candidates, and political party and party central committees, including an open presidential primary whereby the candidates on the ballot are those found by the Secretary of State to be recognized candidates throughout the nation or throughout California for the office of President of the United States, and those whose names are placed on the ballot by petition, but excluding any candidate who has withdrawn by filing an affidavit of noncandidacy." Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, joined by Associate Justices Goodwin Liu, Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, Carol Corrigan, Leondra Kruger, Ming Chin, and Joshua Groban, wrote the following in the court's opinion: "The Legislature may well be correct that a presidential candidate's income tax returns could provide California voters with important information. But article II, section 5(c) embeds in the state Constitution the principle that, ultimately, it is the voters who must decide whether the refusal of a 'recognized candidate throughout the nation or throughout California for the office of President of the United States' to make such information available to the public will have consequences at the ballot box."[47]
On November 21, in light of the state supreme court's ruling on the matter, Padilla announced he would abandon his appeal to the Ninth Circuit.[48]
Election administration agencies
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in California can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
California County Elections offices
California Secretary of State, Elections Division
- 1500 11th Street, 5th Floor
- Sacramento, California 95814
- Phone: 916-653-6814
- Toll free: 1-800-345-8683
- Fax: 916-653-3214
- Email: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/contact/email-elections-division
- Website: http://www.sos.ca.gov/
California Fair Political Practices Commission
- 1102 Q Street, Suite 3050
- Sacramento, California 95811
- Phone: 916-322-5660
- Fax: 916-322-0886
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.fppc.ca.gov/
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
- Washington, DC 20001
- Phone: 301-563-3919
- Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.eac.gov
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Vote Smart, "Government 101: United States Presidential Primary," accessed October 25, 2023 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "votesmart" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Note: A petition is only required if a candidate is not placed on the ballot by the secretary of state.
- ↑ Based on the Secretary of State's 154 day report.
- ↑ Note: A petition was only required if a candidate was not placed on the ballot by the secretary of state.
- ↑ The Constitution of the United States of America, "Article 2, Section 1," accessed August 3, 2015
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Everything you need to know about how the presidential primary works," May 12, 2015
- ↑ FactCheck.org, "Caucus vs. Primary," April 8, 2008
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Frequently Asked Questions: Primary Election," accessed October 25, 2023
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 California State Legislature, "Section 6040-6043," accessed October 25, 2023
- ↑ California State Legislature, "Section 6060-6061," accessed October 25, 2023
- ↑ California State Legislature, "Section 6101-6108," accessed October 25, 2023
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 California State Legislature, "Section 6340-6343," accessed October 25, 2023
- ↑ California State Legislature, "Section 6360," accessed October 25, 2023
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 California State Legislature, "Section 6520-6524," accessed October 25, 2023
- ↑ California State Legislature, "Section 6580-6599," accessed October 25, 2023
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 California State Legislature, "Section 6720-6726," accessed October 25, 2023
- ↑ California State Legislature, "Section 6780-6798," accessed October 25, 2023
- ↑ Ballot Access News, "California Bill Setting Up Rules for Green Party Presidential Primary Moves Ahead," August 29, 2015
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Archives.gov, "What is the Electoral College?" accessed August 25, 2015
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Archives.gov, "Who are the Electors?" accessed August 25, 2015
- ↑ Archives.gov, "Distribution of Electoral Votes," accessed October 25, 2023
- ↑ California Elections Code, "Section 7100," accessed October 25, 2023
- ↑ California State Legislature, "Section 7300," accessed October 25, 2023
- ↑ California Elections Code, "Section 7580," accessed October 25, 2023
- ↑ California Elections Code, "Section 7830-7843," accessed October 25, 2023
- ↑ California Elections Code, "Section 6000-6954," accessed October 25, 2023
- ↑ California Elections Code, "Section 8000-8903," accessed October 25, 2023
- ↑ SSRN, "Sore Loser Laws and Democratic Contestation," accessed October 25, 2023
- ↑ Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, "“If You Ain’t First, You’re Last”: How State “Sore-Loser” Laws Make It Impossible For Trump To Run A Successful Third-Party Campaign If He Loses The Republican Primary," accessed October 25, 2023
- ↑ California Elections Code, "Section 8000-8903," accessed October 25, 2023
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 This information comes from research conducted by Richard Winger, publisher and editor of Ballot Access News.
- ↑ California Elections Code, "Section 8650-8653," accessed October 25, 2023
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "The FEC and Federal Campaign Finance Law," updated January 2015
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Quick Answers to Candidate Questions," accessed August 13, 2015
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2016 Reporting Dates," accessed June 17, 2022
- ↑ Office of the California Governor, "Governor Gavin Newsom Signs SB 27: Tax Transparency Bill," July 30, 2019
- ↑ United States District Court for the Southern District of California, "De La Fuente v. Padilla: Civil Complaint for Injunctive and Declaratory Relief," July 30, 2019
- ↑ CNN, "California governor signs bill requiring presidential candidates to submit tax returns," July 30, 2019
- ↑ United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, "Griffin v. Padilla: Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief," August 1, 2019
- ↑ Axios, "Trump, RNC sue California over election law to release tax returns," August 6, 2019
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Can a California law requiring Trump to disclose his tax returns survive legal challenges?" July 31, 2019
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Op-Ed: California’s new law requiring presidential candidates to disclose tax returns is constitutional," July 31, 2019
- ↑ The Los Angeles Times, "Federal judge blocks California law to force disclosure of Trump's tax returns," September 19, 2019
- ↑ U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, "Griffin et al. v. Padilla: Order (2:19-cv-01501-MCE-DB)," October 1, 2019
- ↑ Ballot Access News, "California Supreme Court Expected to Hear Tax Returns-Ballot Case in Early November 2019," October 14, 2019
- ↑ California Supreme Court, "Patterson v. Padilla: Opinion of the Court," November 21, 2019
- ↑ Ballot Access News, "California Secretary of State Will End Appeal in Ninth Circuit in Tax Returns-Ballot Lawsuit," November 22, 2019
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