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Elec. Code, § 20009 · Chapter 1. Endorsements of Candidates

Elec. Code, § 20009

Verbatim from the official edition

Text — As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)

(a) Every simulated ballot or simulated county voter information guide shall bear on each surface or page thereof, in type or lettering at least half as large as the type or lettering of the statement or words or in 10-point roman type, whichever is larger, in a printed or drawn box and set apart from any other printed matter, the following statement:

“NOTICE TO VOTERS “(Required by Law)

“This is not an official ballot or an official county voter information guide prepared by the county elections official or the Secretary of State.

“This is an unofficial, marked ballot prepared by ____ (insert name and address of the person or organization responsible for preparation thereof).”

This section shall not be construed as requiring this notice in any editorial or other statement appearing in a regularly published newspaper or magazine other than a paid political advertisement.

(b) A simulated ballot or simulated county voter information guide referred to in subdivision (a) shall not bear an official seal or the insignia of a public entity, and that seal or insignia shall not appear upon the envelope in which it is mailed or otherwise delivered.

(c) The superior court, in a case brought before it by a registered voter, may issue a temporary or permanent restraining order or injunction against the publication, printing, circulation, posting, or distribution of any matter in violation of this section, and all cases of this nature shall be in a preferred position for purposes of trial and appeal, so as to assure the speedy disposition of cases of this nature.

Notes and commentary — not statutory text

History

Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 422, Sec. 84. (AB 2911) Effective January 1, 2017.

Source of truth

Edition
As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
Official file
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=ELEC&sectionNum=20009.
Text hash
sha256 2d006288d5f559abfc63c2f52e1b7535f6cf7dcb4cf4cf6d44426c79b4955cb3
Composed by
compose_ca.py 2026-10-22: the Legislative Counsel's CAML content files read by a tokenizer (caml_readers.reader_a); an independent xml.etree reading (caml_readers.reader_b) agrees on every section

Cited by 1 provision

Provisions in this library whose text cites Elec. Code, § 20009. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.

Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.