Elections: ballot language.

The California Assembly Committee on Elections has put forward legislation to standardize how ballot measures appear before voters across all local government elections. The bill establishes uniform requirements for presenting "Yes" and "No" voting options on ballots used in school districts, water districts, cities, counties and other local jurisdictions.

Under the proposed changes, ballots must display "Yes" and "No" choices on separate lines with clear voting targets, positioned either to the right of or below the measure's text. This standardization applies to a wide range of local ballot measures, including proposals to establish or modify districts, change governing board structures, approve bonds, transfer territories, and adopt new election methods.

The legislation amends multiple sections across California's Education, Government, Health and Safety, Public Resources, Public Utilities, Streets and Highways, and Water codes to implement these uniform ballot formatting requirements. The changes affect how voters see and mark their choices on measures ranging from school board reorganizations to water district contracts to city boundary changes.

While the bill creates no new appropriations or fiscal obligations, local election officials will need to update ballot templates and printing processes to comply with the standardized format. The measure aims to provide consistency in how voters encounter and indicate their preferences on local ballot measures throughout California.