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Secretary proposes using campaign finance filings to set ballot names; committee discusses randomizing alphabetization
Summary
The Secretary of State's office told the committee it wants candidate names on ballots to come from how candidates register in the campaign finance system (matching the consent form) to reduce inconsistencies and clerical errors; senators asked about alphabetization fairness and whether a randomized order or lottery could be implemented.
Secretary of State staff told the Senate committee they plan to use the candidate name as entered and attested in the campaign finance system as the authoritative name for ballot printing, and they asked the committee to make that linkage explicit in statute.
Deputy Secretary Lauren Hibbert said the proposal is to have candidates enter the name they want shown on the ballot into the campaign finance system and attest it matches the consent form; the elections office would then pull that electronically for ballot production so staff do not have to transcribe handwriting from paper forms.
Senators raised fairness concerns about alphabetization on paper ballots: research shows that placement on a ballot can confer modest advantage. Committee members and Hibbert discussed two possible remedies used in other states: Pennsylvania’s lottery for placement and California’s random alphabetization (randomizing the order of letters for ballot order). Hibbert said the office prefers a system implemented within the election management system or the vendor’s system so order could be generated and applied consistently when producing ballots.
Why it matters: aligning the ballot name source and automating alphabetization would reduce transcription errors and create a clear, auditable source for a candidate’s ballot name. Any change to alphabetization carries fairness and implementation considerations for a paper‑ballot state.
Process note: the office said it would consult vendors about implementing a randomized approach in the election management system; no statutory decision was made during the meeting.
