Voter Information Pamphlets
Overview
One of the most commonly used tools for voter education is the voter information pamphlet. These pamphlets provide a great deal of information about ballot issues-and sometimes about candidates, as well. Voters may peruse the pamphlet at their leisure, and may even take it with them into the voting booth. Clearly, voter information pamphlets are a worthy voter education effort.
Voter information pamphlets are required by statute in 14 of the initiative states. In all states except Colorado, the pamphlets are printed by the state's chief election official and generally include the text of the measure, an impartial analysis or summary, a fiscal impact statement, and arguments for and against the proposed initiative. In Colorado, the Legislative Council is responsible for writing and assembling the pamphlet, which includes a detailed, impartial analysis of each proposed measure and arguments for and against. The table below contains detailed information about the production and contents of voter information pamphlets in the initiative states.
Voter Information Pamphlets
|
|
Who Prepares and Distributes |
Contents of Pamphlet |
|
Alaska |
Lt. Governor |
Full text
Ballot title and summary from petition
Neutral summary prepared by Legislative Affairs Agency
Statements for and against (limited to 500 words each)
*Also published in full on Lt. Governor's homepage
www.gov.state.ak.us/ltgov/elections/homepage.html |
|
Arizona |
Secretary of State prepares; county boards of supervisors distribute |
Title
Text
Arguments for and against
Analysis (prepared by Legislative Council).
Summary of fiscal impact statement
*Also published in full on Secretary of State's homepage http://www.sosaz.com/election |
|
Arkansas |
N/A |
Text of measures published online at http://sosweb.state.ar.us/elect.html |
|
California |
Secretary of State |
Text
Copy of specific constitutional or statutory provision that would be repealed or revised
Arguments and rebuttals for and against
Analysis (prepared by Legislative Analyst)
Fiscal impact estimate
Art work, graphics and other materials that the Secretary of State determines will make pamphlet easier to understand
*Also published in full on Secretary of State's homepage http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections.htm |
|
Colorado |
Legislative Council |
Title
Text
Impartial analysis, including description of major provisions of proposal and comments on proposal's application and effect (Legislative Council prepares)
Summary of major arguments for and against (Legislative Council prepares)
Fiscal impact statement
*Also published on the Legislative Council's Web page, and hyperlinked from the Secretary of State's page
http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/main.htm
|
|
Florida |
Up to individual counties to prepare if they choose |
Varies from county to county
Information also available online at
http://election.dos.state.fl.us/initiatives/initiativelist.asp |
|
Idaho |
Secretary of State |
Title
Text
Ballot number
Arguments and rebuttals for and against
*Also published in full on Secretary of State's homepage http://www.idsos.state.id.us/elect/eleindex.htm |
|
Illinois |
None |
N/A |
|
Maine |
Secretary of State |
Title
Text
Summary of intent and content
Explanation of significance of a "yes" or "no" vote
*Text of measures published in full on Secretary of State's http://www.state.me.us/sos/cec/elec/ |
|
Massachusetts |
Secretary of Commonwealth |
Title
Text
Summary prepared by Attorney General
Fair and neutral one-sentence statement of the effects of a "yes" or "no" vote (prepared by Attorney General and Secretary of Commonwealth)
Arguments for and against.
*Also published in full at Secretary of Commonwealth's homepage www.state.ma.us/sec/ele/eleidx.htm |
|
Michigan |
N/A |
Text of each proposal is published online at
www.sos.state.mi.us/election/elecadmin/index.html |
|
Mississippi |
Secretary of State |
Text
Ballot title (Attorney General drafts)
Ballot summary (Attorney General drafts)
300-word argument for and 300-word argument against
Fiscal analysis (drafted by Legislature's chief budget officer)
*Text of proposals are published online at www.sos.state.ms.us/elections/elections.html |
|
Missouri |
Secretary of State |
Text
"Plain language" explanation
Fiscal impact statement(State Auditor drafts)
*Also published in one newspaper in each county and online at www.sos.state.mo.us |
|
Montana |
Secretary of State prepares; county officials distribute |
Title
Text
Impartial summary prepared by Secretary of State
Fiscal impact estimate
Proponent and opponent arguments and rebuttals
*Also published online at
www.sos.state.mt.us/css/ELB/Contents.asp |
|
Nebraska |
Secretary of State prepares; county clerks distribute |
Title
Text
Arguments for and against(Secretary of State drafts)
General Election Voter Information Pamphlet published on Secretary of State's Web site at
www.sos.state.ne.us/elections/election.htm |
|
Nevada |
Secretary of State publishes; county clerks distribute |
Title
Text
Summary
Arguments for and against
Fiscal impact statement
*Also published online by Secretary of State at www.sos.state.nv.us/nvelection/ |
|
North Dakota |
N/A |
Text of proposals are published online at www.state.nd.us/sec/Elections/Elections.htm |
|
Ohio |
Secretary of State |
Ballot title
Impartial statement (prepared by Secretary of State)
Explanation (prepared by Ohio Ballot Board)
Arguments for and against
Information also available online at www.state.oh.us/sos/ |
|
Oklahoma |
House Research, Legal and Fiscal Divisions |
Ballot title
Background
Text |
|
Oregon |
Secretary of State |
Title
Text
Fiscal impact estimate
Explanatory statement (written by committee of five citizens-two members from opponents selected by Secretary of State, two members appointed by proponent's committee, fifth member selected by other four)
Arguments for and against
*Also published in full on Secretary of State's homepage at www.sos.state.or.us/elections/other.info/irr.htm |
|
South Dakota |
Secretary of State |
Ballot title
Text
Explanation and effect (prepared by Attorney General)
Arguments pro and con
*Also published in full on Secretary of State's homepage at www.state.sd.us/sos/sos.htm |
|
Utah |
Lt. Governor |
Ballot number
Ballot title
Final vote cast by Legislature if it is a measure submitted by the Legislature
Fiscal impact estimate
Impartial analysis (prepared by Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel)
Arguments and rebuttals in favor of and against
Text
*Also published online at www.elections.utah.gov/ |
|
Washington |
Secretary of State |
Ballot number
Official title
Brief statement of law as it presently exists
Brief statement explaining effect of proposed law (Attorney General prepares)
Total votes for and against by house & senate if measure has been passed by Legislature
Arguments for and against
Names and addresses of those writing arguments
Full text of each measure
*Also published in full on Secretary of State's homepage at www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/ |
|
Wyoming |
N/A |
Text of proposals published in full online at www.soswy.state.wy.us/election/election.htm |
Source: National Conference of State Legislatures, May 2002.
Voter information pamphlets should be user-friendly. They should group related measures, and should use charts and other graphic elements to facilitate comparisons. The information provided or each ballot measure should include the ballot title, an impartial summary, fiscal analysis, arguments for and against each measure, and the text of the proposed law. Some states also include in their ballot pamphlets statements that point out conflicting measures, explaining what will happen if both are adopted. Other states' ballot pamphlets list programs or services that a measure containing an appropriation would take money away from.
Costs associated with the production, printing and distribution of voter information pamphlets vary from year to year. Much of the cost depends upon how many pages are in the pamphlet, whether there is a need to print a supplemental ballot pamphlet (sometimes the case in California), and whether the pamphlet must be available in languages other than English.
Costs of Voter Information Pamphlets (Selected States)
|
|
Printing |
Postage |
Total Printed/Mailed |
Sent to |
|
Arizona (00) |
$443,376 |
$190,000 |
1.3 million/1.1 million |
Every registered voter household; county offices |
|
California
(02)* |
$4.3 million |
$2.7 million |
12.8 million/10.9 million |
See summary |
|
Colorado (00) |
$283,000 |
$192,000 |
1.6 millioin/1.6 million |
Every registered voter household; county offices |
|
Colorado (01) |
$96,000 |
$209,000 |
1.6 million/1.6 million |
Every registered voter household; county offices |
|
Nebraska (02) |
$165 - $250 |
$335 - $750 |
500/500 |
Each county office |
|
Oregon (00) |
$1.9 million |
$870,417 |
1.6 million/1.6 million |
Every residential household |
* California amounts are per election (they have initiatives in both the primary and general elections).
Source: National Conference of State Legislatures, April 2002.
Each state requires the inclusion of different material, such as title, summary, and text of measures; arguments pro and con; and candidate information. In Nebraska, for instance, the ballot pamphlet contains information only about measures-candidates are not included. In Oregon, information about both measures and candidates is included, as well as voter registration materials (which qualified the pamphlet for nonprofit postage status and saved the state $750,000 in postage). The Oregon ballot pamphlet for the November 2000 election comprised two volumes and more than 400 pages.
Postage costs are determined by state requirements for the distribution of pamphlets. The pamphlet is mailed only to county offices in Nebraska. In Colorado, it is mailed to each registered voter household. California also mails a pamphlet to each registered voter household, and to all city election officials, each member of the Legislature, the proponents of each ballot measure, public libraries, high schools, and institutions of higher learning.
In Colorado and Nebraska, the text and title of each measure also must be published in a newspaper. This is a significant expense in Nebraska, where the publication cost per measure is $75,000.
Arizona, California and Colorado are required to print voter information pamphlets in languages other than English. California currently prints in five languages in addition to English, and Colorado and Arizona in two additional languages. Translation costs in Arizona for the November 2000 election were $20,000, which included audio tapes in Navajo. In Colorado, translation costs for 2000 were $25,000. California directly mails 278,519 translated versions of the voter information guide.
Jennie Drage Bowser tracks initiatives and referendums, and may be reached at 303-364-7700 or elections-info@ncsl.org.
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