Section 3-1001. ADOPTION OF BALLOT LANGUAGE

 

1001.1Within twenty (20) calendar days of the date on which the Board accepts the initiative or referendum measure, the Board shall prepare and formally adopt the following at a public meeting:

 

(a)An abbreviated and impartial summary statement not exceeding one hundred (100) words in length expressing the chief purpose of the proposed measure;

 

(b)A short title for the measure not exceeding fifteen (15) words in length by which it will be readily identifiable and distinguishable from other measures which may appear on the ballot; and

 

(c)The proper legislative form of the initiative or referendum measure, where applicable, similar to the form of an act that has completed the course of the legislative process within the District of Columbia government before transmittal to Congress.

 

1001.2For the purposes of this section, the following rules shall apply to the counting of words in the summary statement and short title:

 

(a)Punctuation is not counted;

 

(b)Each word shall be counted as one (1) word except as specified in this subsection;

 

(c)All geographical names shall be considered as one (1) word; for example, "District of Columbia" shall be counted as one (1) word;

 

(d)Each abbreviation for a word, phrase, or expression shall be counted as one (1) word;

 

(e)Hyphenated words that appear in any generally available dictionary shall be considered as one (1) word. Each part of all other hyphenated words shall be counted as a separate word;

 

(f)Dates consisting of a combination of words and digits shall be counted as two (2) words.  Dates consisting only of a combination of digits shall be counted as one (1) word; and

 

(g)Any number consisting of a digit or digits shall be considered as one (1) word. Any number which is spelled, such as "one," shall be considered as a separate word or words. "One" shall be counted as one (1) word whereas "one hundred" shall be counted as two (2) words.  The number one hundred "100," shall be counted as one (1) word.

 

1001.3Within five (5) days of formally adopting the summary statement, short title, and legislative text, the Board shall do the following:

 

(a)Notify the proposer of the measure of the adopted language by certified mail; and

 

(b)Submit the adopted language to the D.C. Register for publication.

 

1001.4Within ten (10) days from the date of its publication in the D.C. Register, any registered qualified elector who objects to the adopted language formulated by the Board may petition the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for review.  If no review in the Superior Court is sought, the adopted language shall be considered to be certified at the expiration of the ten (10) day period for review.

 

1001.5The certified short title shall be the title of the measure furnished with the petition, the title printed on the ballot, and the title used in any other proceedings relating to the measure.

 

 

authority

D.C. Official Code § 1-1001.05 (a)(14).

source

Final Rulemaking published at 43 DCR 103-4 (January 12, 1996); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 61 DCR 625 (January 24, 2014).

EditorNote

Section 11717 of Title XI of the National Capital Revitalization and Self Government Improvement Act of 1997 amended section 101 of the District of Columbia Self-Government Reorganization Act by striking "District of Columbia Self Government and Governmental Reorganization Act" and inserting "District of Columbia Home Rule Act." Therefore, all reference, to the "District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act" shall mean the "District of Columbia Home Rule Act."