CaliforniaCalifornia candidates must keep voter guide statements about qualifications
Candidates must focus voter guide statements on their own qualifications and sign a declaration that the statements are true and correct.
What it does
Candidates must use voter guide statements to describe their own education, work, public service, community involvement, and qualifications. They must sign a declaration that the statement is true and correct.
After the filing deadline, elections officials must remove certain prohibited material from candidate statements. They print the remaining text only if it stands on its own without misleading voters; otherwise, they omit the whole statement.
Candidates get their fee back if their entire statement is omitted. If any part appears in the guide, the fee is nonrefundable.
Registered voters may ask a court to change or remove material in a candidate statement in either a state or county guide. County elections officials may also challenge statements in their county’s guide.
Argument forTruth declarations and court challenges may help voters address false or misleading claims in candidate statements.
Argument againstCandidates could lose parts of their statements over disputed content, which may leave voters with less information about them.
More detail
Candidates must limit statements to their own background and qualifications, and sign a declaration that the statement is true and correct. These rules apply to statements in both state and county voter information guides. Statements may not refer to other candidates, direct voters to outside content except the candidate’s campaign website, or include vulgar or violent content or material unrelated to the candidate’s qualifications. The declaration must be signed by the candidate.
Elections officials must omit certain prohibited portions of candidate statements and print the rest if it stands alone without misleading voters. These rules apply to statements in state and county voter information guides. This removal rule covers references to other candidates, outside links or references, vulgar or violent content, and material unrelated to qualifications; it does not cover false statements or misleading claims. If the remaining text cannot reasonably be printed on its own, officials must omit the whole statement. Officials must make reasonable attempts to notify candidates and allow revisions when notified, but notification cannot delay printing or distribution. Officials decide what to omit after the statement filing deadline. Candidates may withdraw a statement until 5 p.m. on the next working day after the submission deadline.
A candidate’s statement fee is nonrefundable if any part appears in the guide, and refunded if the whole statement is omitted. This applies to fees for statements in state and county voter information guides. Paying the fee acknowledges that the statement is final after the filing deadline and that officials may omit prohibited content.
Registered voters may ask a court to change or remove candidate statement material; county elections officials may also bring a county-guide case. Any registered voter may challenge a statement in a state or county guide. A county elections official may challenge a statement in the county guide for their county. A court may grant relief only with clear and convincing proof that the material is false, misleading, or inconsistent with this section, and that the order will not substantially interfere with printing or distribution of election materials. A county elections official may challenge a statement in a county guide issued by that county. Challenges must be filed during the public examination period: 20 calendar days for the state guide and 10 calendar days for a county guide.
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 27Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 554, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Sep 27Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 10Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 30Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 63. Noes 10. Page 6864.).Major
- Vote recorded AB 1853 Pellerin Concurrence in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 28From committee: That the Senate amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (August 28).Minor
- Vote recorded With recommendation: That Senate amendments be concurred in. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 26Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 6621.)
- Aug 26Re-referred to Com. on ELECTIONS. pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.2.Minor
- Aug 25In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading AB1853 Pellerin et al. By Wiener. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 25Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 31. Noes 0.).Passed Senate
- Aug 24Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 21Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Aug 17Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 13Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 13From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (August 13).Major
- Aug 3In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Jul 2Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Jul 1From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (June 30).Major
- Jun 30
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 22From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD.Major
- Jun 22Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Jun 16From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on RLS. (Ayes 3. Noes 1.) (June 16). Re-referred to Com. on RLS.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Rules]. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 8From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on E. & C.A.Major
- May 6Referred to Com. on E. & C.A.Minor
- Apr 9In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Vote recorded AB 1853 Pellerin Consent Calendar Second Day. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 9Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 64. Noes 0. Page 4556.)Passed Assembly
- Mar 26Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.Minor
- Mar 25From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (March 25).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 23Referred to Com. on ELECTIONS.Minor
- Feb 12From printer. May be heard in committee March 14.
- Feb 11Read first time. To print.Introduced
Civil Rights & VotingCriminal JusticeConsumer Protection