BILL NUMBER:  SB 288
  VETOED	DATE: 10/12/2009




To the Members of the California State Senate:

I am returning Senate Bill 288 without my signature.

This bill would require a candidate's alphabet-based name to be
phonetically translated if the county is required to provide
translated ballot materials in a character-based language.

This bill is in response to abuse by candidates that try to use a
popular Asian name in order to gain support in that ethnic community.
  This unscrupulous practice should be prevented; however, a change
in state policy is unnecessary.  Under current law, local elections
officials have the authority to address this fraudulent behavior and
to set policies that are appropriate for their unique jurisdictions.
For example, the director of elections in San Francisco has
established a Chinese name translation policy to address concerns
that improper translations were being used by candidates in local
races.

I encourage local elections officials to continue to address the
concerns raised in this bill at the local level.

Sincerely,



Arnold Schwarzenegger