Principal Professions, Vocations, or Occupations
All candidates, excluding some judicial candidates, may choose to use no more than three* words designating either (Cal. Elec. Code §13107(a)(3)):
• their current principal professions, vocations, or occupations of the candidate, or • their previous principal professions, vocations, or occupations during the calendar year immediately preceding the filing of nomination documents if the candidate is not currently engaged in principal professions, vocations, or occupations. A candidate may engage in multiple principal professions, vocations, or occupations, and may designate multiple principal professions, vocations, or occupations. If a candidate proposes a ballot designation including multiple principal professions, vocations or occupations, the proposed ballot designation must (Cal. Code of Regulations §20714(e)):
• comply with the three* word limitation, • each independently qualify as “principal,” • be separately considered by the elections official, and • be separated by a slash (“/”).
*For purposes of determining the word count of a ballot designation, the following shall be considered as one word (Cal. Elec. Code §13107(d)):
• all California geographical names, •
hyphenated words that appear in any generally available standard reference dictionary, published in the United States at any time within the 10 calendar years immediately preceding the election.
Definition for “Principal”
California Code of Regulations §20714(b) defines the word “principal” as substantial involvement of time and effort such that the activity is one of the primary, main or leading professional, vocational or occupational endeavors of the candidate. The term “principal” precludes any activity which does not entail a significant involvement on the part of the candidate. Involvement, which is only nominal, pro forma, or titular in character does not meet the requirements of the statute. If a candidate is licensed by the State of California to engage in a profession, vocation or occupation, the candidate is entitled to consider it one of their “principal” professions, vocations or occupations if: • the candidate has maintained his or her license current at the time they file candidacy documents, and • the candidate’s licensure status is not inactive, suspended or revoked at the time they file candidacy documents.
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