Californians who started receiving their printed State Voter Information Guides in the mail this week may notice something odd: Some gubernatorial candidates have a photo and statement included, while others do not.

In the primary election voter guide, a handful of the top gubernatorial candidates have statements, including Democrats Katie Porter, Betty Yee, and Tony Thurmond, as well as Republican Chad Bianco. Then, there’s the wide pool of candidates who have no statements, including Democrats Xavier Becerra, Matt Mahan, Tom Steyer, and Republican Steve Hilton.

On Thursday, April 16, Hilton took to X to address his supporters’ concerns about his absence from the guide.

“The reason my photo and candidate statement don’t appear is that, unlike some other candidates in the race, I am actually serious about winning in November,” Hilton wrote. “I therefore refused to accept the state’s strict spending limits, which are a prerequisite for having a statement printed in the guide.”

Hilton is referring to California’s law, enacted by Proposition 34, that includes voluntary spending limits for statewide candidates.

Here’s a deeper dive into California’s voluntary spending limits for candidates.

Proposition 34 and what it means for gubernatorial candidates

“Proposition 34 established voluntary spending limits for candidates running for statewide office, the State Senate, and the State Assembly,” according to the California Secretary of State.

The proposition, passed by voters in November 2000 by about a 20-percentage-point margin, overhauled California’s campaign finance laws for state offices. The law, however, does not apply to federal offices or local races. Though the proposition created spending limits, they are voluntary, not mandatory.

So, under California law, statewide candidates — such as governor and lieutenant governor — can purchase space for a 250-word statement in the voter guide should they agree to those voluntary spending limits.

Therefore, any candidate who did not accept the voluntary spending cap would not be eligible to buy space for a statement in the voter guide.

All candidates, however, are still listed by name and party preference in the voter guide. (Voters can look to page 8 in the June 2026 primary guide for this list of candidates.)

The 2026 June primary spending limit for governor is $11,767,000, while the cap for the November general election, should candidates advance, is $19,611,000.

When did voter guides start being mailed?

The California Secretary of State has begun mailing State Voter Information Guides and will continue to do so through Tuesday, May 12. An online version of the guide, available in multiple languages, can be found on the California Secretary of State’s website.

Key dates for June primary

Some key dates for the June primary include:

May 5: Ballot drop‐off locations open

May 18: Last day to register for the June primary

May 23: Voting centers open for Voters’ Choice Act counties for early in-person voting

June 2: Primary election day: Polls from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

How to check if you’re registered to vote in June primary

To check if you are a registered voter, you can do so online through the California Secretary of State’s website.

You will be prompted to enter personal information, such as your name and birthdate, as well as your driver’s license number and the last four digits of your Social Security number.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Why don’t all gubernatorial candidates have statement in CA voter guide?