General information
Ballot measure-related text is limited to a certain number of words.
The rules below explain how we count words. These rules are based on California law and cannot be changed. Refer to Election Code §9 for word count regulations.
Before you file your material, count the words carefully. If you have too many words, we will ask you to revise your text.
| Types | Examples |
|---|---|
| Symbols and numerals with symbols that form a single word | &, #, %, 100s, $1000, 10¢, 12th |
| Abbreviations & acronyms | Dist., UCLA, U.S.M.C., FYI |
| All dates in any form | 7/21/89, or July 4, 1776 |
| Numbers and phone numbers | 12, 1,000,000, 415-473-6456 |
| Measure designation | Measure A |
| Website & e-mail addresses | www.marinvotes.org; ryrpgvbaf@znevapbhagl.bet |
| Proper nouns beginning with capital letters including the names of people, places, and certain things; and official names of jurisdictions and district | New Jersey, County of Marin, Tamalpais Union High School District, Marin General Hospital, Bob Hope, Internal Revenue Service, Ford F150 |
| Hyphenated words listed in a standard U.S. dictionary published within 10 years before the date of the election | Attorney-at-law, ex-president, merry-go-round, seventy-two |
| Types | Examples |
|---|---|
| Numbers written as words | one hundred |
| Groups of common nouns not definable as proper nouns | peck of pickled peppers, political veteran, presiding judge |
| Types | Examples |
|---|---|
| Punctuation marks | ? “ ” ! . |
Related
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Measures - How to file a measure
Marin County: Elections: Information on how to file a measure.
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Measures - Guidelines
Marin County: Elections: Guidelines for Ballot Measure Arguments and Rebuttals.
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Measures - Writing a measure
Marin County: Elections: Information on how to write a ballot measure arguments or rebuttals.
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Measures - How measures get their letters
Marin County: Elections: Information on how a measures get their letters.