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ELECTION RIGHTS OF POLITICAL PARTIES.
Legislative Constitutional Amendment

THE QUESTION

Should the California Constitution be amended to include the right of a political party participating in a primary election to also participate in the general election for that office?

THE SITUATION

California generally holds two statewide elections to elect a candidate to public office, a primary election (in March) and a general election (in November). Some public offices, such as Governor and members of the Legislature, are partisan, which means that a candidate represents a political party in an election. For partisan offices, the primary election determines each political party’s nominee for the office. The candidate receiving the most votes among a party’s candidates is that party’s nominee for the general election. In the general election, voters then choose among the nominees for each party as well as any independent candidates.

THE PROPOSAL

Proposition 60 places into the State Constitution a requirement that all parties participating in a primary election be able to advance their top vote-getting candidate to the general election. This requirement is met by the current election process as described above.

Proposition 62 on this ballot also contains provisions affecting which primary candidates advance to the general election ballot. The State Constitution provides that if the provisions of two approved propositions are in conflict, only the provisions of the measure with the higher number of yes votes will take effect.

FISCAL EFFECT

This measure would not require any changes to election procedures. As a result, the measure would have no fiscal effect on state and local governments.

WHAT A YES OR NO VOTE MEANS

A YES vote means any political party that participates in a primary election would have the constitutional right to have its nominee on the subsequent general election ballot.

A NO vote means that the California Constitution would not address the right of political parties to appear on a general election ballot.

SUPPORTERS SAY

• Proposition 60 protects voter choice by guaranteeing that every political party that nominates a candidate for partisan office in a primary election will then be able to compete in the subsequent general election.
• Proposition 60 gives voters a simple, straightforward alternative to Proposition 62, which is a radical plan to eliminate the current primary election system.

OPPONENTS SAY

• Proposition 60 does not spell out what type of primary election California will have, leaving the door open for special interest changes that will harm our electoral system.
• Proposition 60 is a “poison pill” measure designed to kill Proposition 62’s open primary initiative by rendering it unconstitutional.

For more information:

Supporters: Committee to Preserve Voter Choice, Yes on 60, www.yeson60.com.

Opponents: No contact information available

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