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Elections department asks Rules Committee to let San Francisco opt out of listing supporters and opponents on local ballot labels
Summary
Elections staff asked the committee to allow the county to opt out of printing supporters’ and opponents’ names on local measure ballot labels to avoid exceeding six ballot cards in November; staff warned each extra card could cost roughly $800,000–$850,000 and slow counting.
The Department of Elections told the Rules Committee on June 10 it seeks authority to opt out of printing the names of supporters and opponents on local ballot labels to avoid producing ballots longer than six cards for the expected heavy November 2024 ballot.
Director Arndt said the Municipal Elections Code amendment would allow the county to avoid listing supporters and opponents for local measures unless printing those names would not prevent the ballot from exceeding six cards. The department estimates that including names could reduce the number of measures per card by roughly 33% and, if a ballot exceeded six cards, that would add substantial operational complexity and costs associated with printing, USPS handling and manual processing.
When asked, Elections staff estimated incremental costs around $800,000–$850,000 per additional ballot card and said that if opting out still produces ballots larger than six cards, the department would print supporters/opponents’ names as required by law. The committee voted to recommend the opt-out ordinance to the full Board unanimously.
