ARTICLE 1. Distinguishing Number on Ballot [8200. - 8204.]

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC 1.

in effect

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 8200. Section 8200.

In any election at which two or more judges or justices of any court are to be voted for or elected for the same term, it shall be deemed that there are as many separate judicial offices to be filled as there are judges or justices of the court to be elected. Each separate office shall be designated by a distinguishing number not greater than the total number of the offices. The designation shall remain the same for all purposes of both primary and general election and shall be used on all nomination papers, certificates of nomination, ballots, certificates of election, and all election papers referring to the office. After election and the issuance of the certificates of election, the designating number shall have no further significance.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 8201. Section 8201.

(a) A declaration of candidacy for election or a nomination by the Governor, made pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 16 of Article VI of the California Constitution, shall be filed with the officer charged with the duty of certifying nominations for publication in the official ballot. (b) No candidate described in subdivision (a) shall be required to state his or her residential address on the declaration of candidacy. However, in cases where the candidate does not state his or her residential address on the declaration of candidacy, the elections official shall verify whether his or her address is within the appropriate political subdivision and add the notation “verified” where appropriate.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 8202. Section 8202.

The numerically designated offices shall be grouped and arranged on all ballots in numerical order. No person may be a candidate nor have his or her name printed upon any ballot as a candidate for any numerically designated office other than the one indicated by him or her in his or her declaration of intention to become a candidate.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 8203. Section 8203.

(a) In any county in which only the incumbent has filed nomination papers for the office of superior court judge, his or her name shall not appear on the ballot unless there is filed with the elections official, within 10 days after the final date for filing nomination papers for the office, a petition indicating that a write-in campaign will be conducted for the office and signed by at least 0.1 percent of the registered voters qualified to vote with respect to the office, provided that the petition shall contain at least 100 signatures but need not contain more than 600 signatures. (b) If a petition indicating that a write-in campaign will be conducted for the office at the general election, signed by the number of registered voters qualified to vote with respect to the office specified in subdivision (a), is filed with the elections official not less than 83 days before the general election, the name of the incumbent shall be placed on the general election ballot if it has not appeared on the direct primary election ballot. (c) If, in conformity with this section, the name of the incumbent does not appear either on the primary ballot or general election ballot, the elections official, on the day of the general election, shall declare the incumbent reelected. Certificates of election specified in Section 15401 or 15504 shall not be issued to a person reelected pursuant to this section before the day of the general election.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 8204. Section 8204.

(a) If an incumbent of a judicial office dies on or before the last day prescribed for the filing of nomination papers, or files a declaration of intention but for any reason fails to file his or her nomination papers by the last day prescribed for the filing of the papers, an additional five days shall be allowed for the filing of nomination papers for the office. (b) Any person other than the person who was the incumbent, if otherwise qualified, may file nomination papers for the office during the extended period, notwithstanding that he or she has not filed a written and signed declaration of intention to become a candidate for the office as provided in Sections 8023 and 8201.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026