SSB 5225
In CommitteeSenate
Candidates w/ similar names
Providing clarity where candidates for the same office have similar names.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill changes how candidates file for office by requiring signature petitions or fee waivers for higher-level races, splitting filing fees into two payments, and adding new rules to prevent misleading candidate names. It also strengthens penalties for deceptive filing practices.
- For candidates running for state legislature, U.S. House, U.S. Senate, or statewide offices, half the filing fee must be submitted when filing, and the remaining half plus a signature petition must be submitted by the end of the filing week.
- Signature petitions are required for certain candidates: 500 signatures for state legislature, 750 for U.S. House, and 1,000 for U.S. Senate and statewide offices.
- Candidates who cannot afford the filing fee may instead submit a filing fee petition with a number of signatures equal to the dollar amount of the fee (e.g., 25 signatures for a $25 fee).
- Candidates who file as write-ins within 18 days of an election or primary must pay a flat $25 fee for offices earning $1,000 or less, or 1% of the office’s annual salary for higher-paying offices.
- It is now a class B felony to file for office using a false name, a fictitious name, or a name similar to an incumbent’s with intent to mislead voters.
- Election officials must differentiate confusingly similar candidate names on the ballot using additional information like occupation or incumbent status.
Who is affected
- Candidates for state and federal offices — Must now submit either a signature petition (with 500–1,000 signatures depending on office) or a filing fee petition (with signatures equal to the filing fee amount in dollars) when running for state legislature, U.S. House, U.S. Senate, or statewide offices.
- Voters — Will see changes to ballot formatting if multiple candidates have confusingly similar names, to help voters distinguish between them.
- County and state election officials (e.g., county auditors, Secretary of State) — Must verify signatures on petitions and may increase filing fees by rule to cover verification costs.
- Individuals attempting to run for office under false or deceptive names — Could face criminal penalties (a class B felony) for filing under a false, fictitious, or misleadingly similar name.
Pro/Con Analysis
Potential Benefits (4)
Criminalizing deceptive candidate names (e.g., using an incumbent’s name or a confusingly similar surname) with class B felony penalties helps protect ballot integrity and voter confidence by reducing intentional voter confusion or impersonation attempts.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 2 & Sec. 3Requiring election officials to differentiate confusingly similar names on the ballot (e.g., with occupation or incumbent status) improves ballot clarity and reduces the risk of voter error—especially for non-English speakers or less politically engaged voters.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 3The filing fee petition option (signatures equal to fee amount) preserves the right to run for office for low-income individuals who cannot afford the fee, though it replaces a cash cost with a time and labor cost—still an improvement over a pure fee barrier.
Rights & LibertiesPeopleRef: Sec. 1(4)Splitting filing fees into two payments may ease short-term cash flow for candidates, especially those with irregular income or limited savings—though this benefit is modest, as most candidates already budget for filing costs.
Business & EmploymentLean peopleRef: Sec. 1(2)
Potential Concerns (5)
The requirement for signature petitions (500–1,000 signatures) and/or filing fee petitions (signatures equal to fee amount) creates a significant administrative and logistical barrier for low-income and first-time candidates, especially those without access to volunteer networks or campaign infrastructure—effectively favoring candidates with existing political networks, resources, or personal wealth.
Business & EmploymentPeopleRef: Sec. 1(2), (3)(a)(i-iii)The filing fee petition option—requiring signatures equal to the dollar amount of the fee—may be more burdensome than paying the fee outright for many low-income candidates, since gathering 25–100+ signatures is time-intensive and may require door-to-door outreach, which is not feasible for people with inflexible work schedules or caregiving responsibilities.
Rights & LibertiesPeopleRef: Sec. 1(4)Allowing the Secretary of State to increase filing fees to cover signature verification costs may shift administrative burdens to counties, especially in rural areas with limited election staff, potentially delaying ballot processing or increasing local election costs without additional state funding.
Local GovernmentLean peopleRef: Sec. 1(5)The new signature-petition requirement may inadvertently increase the risk of petition fraud or signature forgery in high-stakes races, as campaigns rush to collect large numbers of signatures quickly—though this is speculative, the scale of required signatures (up to 1,000) raises procedural vulnerabilities.
Public SafetyLean peopleRef: Sec. 1(2), (3)(a)(i-iii)The bill does not fund civic education or outreach to help potential candidates understand and comply with the new requirements, potentially disproportionately affecting first-time or less-educated candidates who lack access to legal or campaign advice.
EducationLean peopleRef: Sec. 1(2), (3)(a)(i-iii)
Who Is Most Affected
Low-income and first-time candidates face a higher barrier to entry due to the time and effort required to collect 500–1,000 signatures or fulfill a filing fee petition—this disproportionately affects people with inflexible jobs, caregiving duties, or limited social capital.
Incumbents benefit from stronger protections against name confusion (e.g., no one can use a confusingly similar surname), preserving name recognition and reducing opportunistic candidacies designed to siphon votes.
County election officials face added verification responsibilities for signature petitions and may need to hire temporary staff or reallocate resources—though the bill allows fee increases to offset costs, many counties lack dedicated funding for such expansions.
Voters gain from clearer ballots and reduced risk of deceptive candidate names, improving electoral integrity—especially in races with multiple similar names, where confusion could dilute votes or cause ballot errors.
Well-resourced or politically connected candidates gain a structural advantage, as they can more easily meet signature or fee requirements—this may reinforce the status quo and reduce candidate diversity over time.