2023 California Code › Elections Code - ELEC › DIVISION 13 - BALLOTS, SAMPLE BALLOTS, AND VOTER PAMPHLETS › CHAPTER 2 - Forms of Ballots: Ballot Order › Section 13111.

13111. Candidates for each office shall be printed on the ballot in accordance with the following rules:
(a) The names of presidential candidates to whom candidates for delegate to the national convention are pledged, and the names of chairpersons of groups of candidates for delegate expressing no preference, shall be arranged on the primary election ballot by the Secretary of State by the names of the candidates in accordance with the randomized alphabet as provided for in Section 13112 in the case of the ballots for the First Assembly District. Thereafter, for each succeeding Assembly district, the name appearing first in the last preceding Assembly district shall be placed last, the order of the other names remaining unchanged.
(b) The names of the pairs of candidates for President and Vice President shall be arranged on the general election ballot by the Secretary of State by the names of the candidates for President in accordance with the randomized alphabet as provided for in Section 13112 in the case of the ballots for the First Assembly District. Thereafter, for each succeeding Assembly district, the pair appearing first in the last preceding Assembly district shall be placed last, the order of the other pairs remaining unchanged.
(c) In the case of all other offices, the candidates for which are to be voted on throughout the state, the Secretary of State shall arrange the names of the candidates for the office in accordance with the randomized alphabet as provided for in Section 13112 for the First Assembly District. Thereafter, for each succeeding Assembly district, the name appearing first in the last preceding Assembly district shall be placed last, the order of the other names remaining unchanged.
(d) If the office is that of Representative in Congress or member of the State Board of Equalization, the Secretary of State shall arrange the names of candidates for the office in accordance with the randomized alphabet as provided for in Section 13112 for that Assembly district that has the lowest number of all the Assembly districts in which candidates are to be voted on. Thereafter, for each succeeding Assembly district in which the candidates are to be voted on, the names appearing first in the last preceding Assembly district shall be placed last, the order of the other names remaining unchanged.
(e) If the office is that of State Senator or Member of the Assembly, the county elections official shall arrange the names of the candidates for the office in accordance with the randomized alphabet as provided for in Section 13112, unless the district encompasses more than one county, in which case the arrangement shall be made pursuant to subdivision (i).
(f) If the office is to be voted upon wholly within, but not throughout, one county, as in the case of municipal, district, county supervisor, and county central committee offices, the official responsible for conducting the election shall determine the order of names in accordance with the randomized alphabet as provided for in Section 13112.
(g) If the office is to be voted on throughout a single county, and there are not more than four Assembly districts wholly or partly in the county, the county elections official shall determine the order of names in accordance with the randomized alphabet as provided for in Section 13112 for the first supervisorial district. Thereafter, for each succeeding supervisorial district, the name appearing first for each office in the last preceding supervisorial district shall be placed last, the order of the other names remaining unchanged.
(h) If there are five or more Assembly districts wholly or partly in the county, an identical procedure shall be followed, except that rotation shall be by Assembly district, commencing with the Assembly district which has the lowest number.
(i) Except as provided in subdivision (d) of Section 13112, if the office is that of State Senator or Member of the Assembly, and the district includes more than one county, the county elections official in each county shall conduct a drawing of the letters of the alphabet, pursuant to the same procedures specified in Section 13112. The results of the drawing shall be known as a county randomized ballot and shall be used only to arrange the names of the candidates when the district includes more than one county.
(j) If the office is that of Justice of the California Supreme Court or a court of appeal, the appropriate elections officials shall arrange the names of the candidates for the office in accordance with the randomized alphabet as provided for in Section 13112. However, the names of the judicial candidates shall not be rotated among the applicable districts.
(Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 784, Sec. 100. Effective January 1, 2003.)