This ordinance proposes to raise the fees for filing and for each word in paid ballot arguments in San Francisco's Municipal Elections Code. It is currently awaiting action from the committee.
Ordinance amending the Municipal Elections Code to increase the filing fee and per word fee for paid ballot arguments.
How it got here
The legislation to amend the Municipal Elections Code regarding ballot argument fees originated from a proposal by the Department of Elections to address outdated fee structures.
The Department of Elections submitted a memorandum to the Board of Supervisors proposing to increase the filing fee for paid ballot arguments from $200 to $1,000 and the per-word fee from $2 to $10, citing rising production costs since the last fee adjustment in 1997.
The Board of Supervisors received the proposed amendment from the Department of Elections for consideration.
A public hearing was scheduled for December 10, 2025, to discuss the proposed ordinance amending the Municipal Elections Code regarding ballot argument fees.
The Budget and Finance Committee held a public hearing to consider the proposed ordinance, during which public testimony was received regarding the potential impact of the fee increases.
The ordinance is currently pending committee action following the public hearing, with discussions ongoing regarding the proposed fee increases.
Reconstructed from attached documents & the official record
