Elections and Reapportionment

Political Reform
Elections
Reapportionment

Political Reform

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SB 130 (Battin-R) Fair Political Practices Commission
Requires the members of the Fair Political Practices Commission, other than the chairman, to be compensated at the same rate as the members of the California Medical Assistance Commission. Requires the Chairman of the Fair Political Practices Commission to work full time in that capacity and the remaining members to work part time in their capacities.
(Died in Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

SB 131 (Battin-R) Fair Political Practices Commission
Requires that any communications between the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) and an alleged violator regarding resolution of a violation must be treated by the FPPC as confidential and shall not be disclosed to a third party. Provides, however, that a stipulated order approved by the FPPC may be released to the public.
(Died in Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
A similar bill was SB 1239 (Battin-R) which died in Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee.

SB 217 (Cogdill-R) Political Reform Act of 1974: conflict-of-interest codes
Transfers the responsibility for reviewing the conflict-of-interest codes of non-county local agencies that are related to education from county boards of supervisors to other government entities, as specified.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 497 (Ackerman-R) Political Reform Act of 1974: conflict of interest
Allows a local filing officer to permit or to require public officers, candidates for office, and employees to file statements disclosing their investments, interests in real property, and other sources of economic interests electronically in accordance with regulations to be adopted by the Fair Political Practices Commission and requirements established by the local filing officer.
(Died in Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

SB 536 (Simitian-D) Political Reform Act of 1974: Insurance Commissioner
Enacts the Insurance Commissioner Election Accountability Act of 2007 which authorizes eligible Insurance Commissioner candidates, as defined, to obtain public financing from a fund made up of fees collected from insurers, reimbursements, and interest according to specified procedures and requirements, provided that certain thresholds of public support are shown.
(Died in Senate Banking, Finance and Insurance Committee)

SB 1204 (Denham-R) Political Reform Act of 1974: electronic filing
Allows the state or local agencies that handle Statements of Economic Interests to allow, but not require, electronic filing of these statement until 1/1/12 and require these agencies that adopt electronic filing to report to the Legislature on the safety, security, and effectiveness of the electronic filing process.
(Died on Assembly Floor)

SB 1444 (Maldonado-R) Political Reform Act of 1974: reporting bribes
Requires an elected state officer, elected officer of a local government agency, or other specified individual who is offered a bribe to report the bribe with the Fair Political Practices Commission, as specified.
(Died in Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Committee)

SB 1602 (Scott-D) Political Reform Act of 1974: behested payments
Requires elected state officers to file a report of behested payments electronically with the Secretary of State, if that officer is already subjected to online filing requirements and requires the Secretary of State to make the information available to the public on its internet web site.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 1772 (Assembly Rules Committee) Political Reform Act of 1974: behested payments: PUC members
Requires the members of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to disclose any behested payments to the Fair Political Practices Commission as presently done by elected officeholders.
Chapter 418, Statutes of 2008

SCA 9 (Ashburn-R) Political reform
Creates an independent citizens commission to draw legislative and Board of Equalization districts, modifies term limits, revises campaign contributions, prohibits the Legislature from being paid if the budget bill is not passed by July 1, and provides for greater oversight of the Legislature by the public.
(Died at Assembly Desk)

AB 65* (Dymally-D) The Political Reform Act of 1974: legislative caucuses
Allows a member of the Senate or Assembly to make expenditures of campaign funds to recognized legislative caucuses. Defines a "recognized legislative caucus" as a group of Assembly Members, Senators, or both Assembly Members and Senators that is organized to pursue its collective interests in legislative action through the legislative process, and that is recognized by the passage of a House Resolution (in the case of a caucus that has only Assembly Members), a Senate Resolution (in the case of a caucus that has only Senators), or a concurrent resolution (in the case of a caucus that has both Assembly Members and Senators). Provides that a caucus is not a committee for the purposes of the Political Reform Act.
(Died on Assembly Inactive File)

AB 78 (Torrico-D) Political Reform Act of 1974
Requires every candidate-controlled committee to either pay $5,000 to the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) no later than 90 days after the election for which the committee is formed, or remit to the state, at least quarterly, the interest on the average daily balance in its financial accounts. Requires monies received to be deposited into the newly established Interest for Fair Political Practices Account, and continuously appropriates these funds to the FPPC for regulatory provisions of the Political Reform Act related to the impact on elections and government operations of political contributions, gifts, and expenditures. Requires monies received from committee accounts containing only contributions related to ballot propositions be deposited in the newly established the Interest for Fair Political Practices Account-Fair Election Practices Subaccount, and continuously appropriates monies in the subaccount to the FPPC for those provisions of the Political Reform Act that regulate electoral and campaign processes relating to ballot propositions.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 108 (Benoit-R) Political Reform Act of 1974
Requires in the case of a candidate for elective state office who is simultaneously running for a local elective office, that contributions to all committees controlled by the candidate be aggregated and that those contributions may not exceed the applicable elective state office limits. Provides an exception for those committees whose primary activity is the support or opposition of one or more ballot measures, committees established for a candidate's legal defense account, and officeholder accounts.
(Died in Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 517 (Horton-R) Political Reform Act of 1974: elective state office
Prohibits a candidate for elective state office from soliciting or receiving a contribution during the last 30 days that the Legislature is in session in a given year or during a special session convened during the interim recess.
(Died in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)

AB 583 (Hancock-D) Political Reform Act of 1974: California Fair Elections Act
Enacts the California Fair Elections Act of 2008 to authorize candidates for the office of Secretary of State to obtain public funds for campaign purposes, and provides for its submission to the voters for approval at the 6/8/10 statewide primary election. Sunsets on 1/1/19. Provides for a tax checkoff where taxpayers may designate to the Voters Fair Elections Fund which is created by the bill.
Chapter 735, Statutes of 2008

AB 1361 (Karnette-D) Political Reform Act of 1974: civil actions
Limits to 50 the number of civil actions that an individual may file within a 12-month period to enforce certain provisions of the Political Reform Act of 1974.
(Died in Senate Judiciary Committee)

AB 1369 (Adams-R) Political Reform Act of 1974: campaign statements: Internet
Amends the Political Reform Act to require city and county clerks who, under current law, file campaign statements and other related documents for local elections to make these documents available on the Internet.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1682 (Benoit-R) Political Reform Act: State Compensation Insurance Fund
Specifies that the governance of the State Compensation Insurance Fund is subject to the Political Reform Act of 1974.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1998 (Silva-R) Political Reform Act of 1974 (LAFCOs)
Amends the Political Reform Act to make contribution and expenditure reporting requirements related to a petition filed to support or oppose a local agency formation commission proposal subject to enforcement under the Political Reform Act and requires committees formed to support or oppose a local agency formation commission proposal to submit monthly, rather than quarterly campaign statements until the measure is placed on the ballot.
Chapter 192, Statutes of 2008

AB 2506 (Feuer-D) Political Reform Act of 1974: advertisements
Requires any communication designed to influence legislatures or administrative action to enter a disclosure statement identifying any person who contributes $50,000 or more towards the committee.
(Died on Assembly Inactive File)

AB 2552 (Krekorian-D) Political Reform Act of 1974
Requires a committee that supports or opposes one or more ballot measure, when it is required to identify the names of persons from whom the committee received its three highest cumulative contributions of $50,000 or more in the 12-month period prior to a independent expenditure on a broadcast or mass mailing advertisement, to list the names or descending order based on the amount of contributions made by the donor to the committee.
(Failed passage on Senate Floor)

AB 2607 (Davis-D) Political Reform Act of 1974: electronic filing
Establishes a pilot project which permits Los Angeles, Merced, Orange, and Stanislaus counties to permit electronic filing of a statement of economic interest in accordance with regulations adopted by the Fair Political Practices Commission.
Chapter 498, Statutes of 2008

AB 2624 (Strickland-R) Ethics in government
Provides that the special motion to strike shall not apply to a cause of action brought pursuant to the provision authorizing a person to sue for injunctive relief to enjoin violations of, or to compel compliance with, the provisions imposing ethical standards on elected officials and candidates for elective or judicial office
(Died in Assembly Judiciary Committee)

AB 2795 (Blakeslee-R) Political Reform Act of 1974
Amends the Political Reform Act to prohibit a lobbyist employer from making gifts to state candidates, elected state officers, legislator officials, agency official and staff thereof of more than $10 per month, with specified exemption.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 3003 (Hayashi-D) Fair Political Practices Commission: pilot project
Establishes a three-year pilot project allowing the Fair Political Practices Commission to provide, upon request, written opinions on specified provisions of state law (Section 1090 of the Government Code and related provisions) that prohibit public officials and employees from having a financial interest in a contract made by them in their official capacity, or made by any body or board of which they are members.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

ACA 1 (Nunez-D) Campaign contributions
Prohibits a Member of the Legislature or the Governor from accepting a campaign contribution from any lobbyist employer, as defined by the Political Reform Act of 1974, from May 15 until the date of enactment of a budget bill for the ensuing fiscal year.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

Elections

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SB 37 (Migden-D) Electoral college: interstate compact
Ratifies an interstate compact whereby the state agrees to award its electoral votes to the Presidential ticket that received the most popular votes nationwide, if certain conditions are met. Ratifies the Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote.
Vetoed

SB 173 (Harman-R) Elections: voting identification
Requires a voter to present proof of his/her identity to a member of the precinct board before receiving a ballot.
(Failed passage in Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

SB 381 (Calderon-D) Voter registration
Allows for voter registration over the Internet for persons with a valid California drive's license or state identification card.
Chapter 613, Statutes of 2008

SB 448 (Margett-R) Election procedures
Prohibits a place that is the residence of a registered sex offender, as described, from being used as a polling place, and prohibits a registered sex offender from working in any capacity at the polls.
(Died in Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

SB 536 (Simitian-D) Insurance Commissioner Election Accountability Act
Enacts the Insurance Commissioner Election Accountability Act of 2007 which authorizes eligible Insurance Commissioner candidates, as defined, to obtain public financing from a fund made up of fees collected from insurers, reimbursements, and interest according to specified procedures and requirements, provided that certain thresholds of public support are shown.
(Died in Senate Banking, Finance and Insurance Committee)

SB 653 (Calderon-D) Elections: false or misleading information: penalties
Makes it a felony, punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for 16 months, two or three years, for every person who acts under color of law and who knowingly or with reckless disregard for the truth provides, distributes, produces, disseminates, sponsors, authorizes, or finances the provision, distribution, or dissemination of any false or misleading information regarding either the time, place, or manner of any election, or the qualifications for, or restrictions on, voter eligibility for any election, as specified.
(Died in Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

SB 967 (Simitian-D) Election precincts
Permits an elections official to subtract the number of permanent absentee voters from the total number of voters when creating precincts provided that the number of voters in the precinct does not exceed the percentage of non permanent absentee voters in the jurisdiction on the 88th day prior to election, multiplied by 1,000 voters.
Vetoed

SB 1070* (Senate Budget And Fiscal Review Committee) Ballot pamphlets
Changes the priority and mailing requirements regarding the voter Information Guide "ballot pamphlet" to allow the Secretary of State to determine the appropriate size and paper weight to be used, and to mail only one ballot pamphlet to each household.
Chapter 133, Statutes of 2008

SB 1208 (Ducheny-D) Elections: initiative title and summary: fiscal estimate
Requires the Legislative Analyst's office, instead of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the Department of Finance, to prepare a fiscal estimate for a proposed state initiative measure upon request by the Attorney General.
Vetoed

SB 1235 (Oropeza-D) Polling places
Requires notice of a change of a polling place to be placed at the former polling place location informing voters of the new location even when there is time to mail out a notice of the change.
Vetoed

SB 1465 (Alquist-D) Elections officials: political activities
Places restrictions on elections officials and the Secretary of State regarding political activities, as specified.
(Died in Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

SB 1686 (Denham-R) Improper signature-gathering tactics
Makes it a crime for a person, company, organization, company official, or other organizational officer in charge of a person who circulates an initiative, referendum, or recall petition, to knowingly direct or permit the person to make a false affidavit concerning an initiative, referendum, or recall petition or the signatures appended thereto.
Vetoed

SB 1694 (Florez-D) Primary election ballots
Requires polling place workers to provide each decline-to-state voter with a notice identifying the ballots that the voter is eligible to cast at a primary election.
Vetoed

SB 1749 (Oropeza-D) Precinct board members
Allows the Secretary of State to adopt uniform standards for online training of precinct board members, as specified.
Vetoed

SCA 29 (Ducheny-D) Initiatives
Prohibits an initiative measure that results in a net increase in state government costs from being submitted to the electors or having any effect unless, and until, the Legislative Analyst and the Director of the Department of Finance jointly determine that the initiative measure provides for additional revenues in an amount that meets or exceeds the net increase in costs.
(Died in Senate Rules Committee)

SJR 18 (Wyland-R) Citizenship and voting
Requests Congress and the President of the United States to amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to require all election and ballot information to be printed in the English language.
(Died in Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 9 (Huff-R) Voter identification: proof of identity
Requires a person who desires to vote in person at a polling place to present proof of identity to a member of the precinct board at the time of voting. Requires a precinct board member to visually confirm the photograph and signature of the person desiring to vote and to record in the roster of voters the identifying number and the form of identification presented. Provides that any violation or attempted violation of the identification requirement shall constitute fraud, a felony punishable by imprisonment for 16 months, two or three years. Permits a voter, who desires to vote in person, to vote a provisional ballot if he/she is unable to present one of the forms of photo identification required, and requires such a voter to provide valid photo identification to the county registrar of voters within five business days of voting.
(Died in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)

AB 46 (Tran-R) Elections: right to vote
Increases the punishment from an alternate felony/misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in the county jail, or by 16 months, two, or three years in state prison, to a felony punishable by 16 months, two, or three years in state prison for any person who knowingly challenges a person's right to vote without probable cause or on fraudulent or spurious grounds, engages in mass, indiscriminate, and groundless challenging of voters solely for the purpose of preventing voters from voting or delaying the process of voting, fraudulently advises any person that he/she is not eligible to vote or is not registered, or violates any of the statutory conditions regarding an oral challenge to a person attempting to vote on election day.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 88* (Assembly Budget Committee) 2008 Supplemental Budget Bill: Secretary of State
Enacts the 2008 Supplemental Budget Bill which, among other provisions, appropriates $5 million for costs associated with the November 2008 statewide general election.
Chapter 269, Statutes of 2008 -- Item Veto

AB 157 (Plescia-R) Elections: Presidential primary elections
Requires that the Presidential primary election be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in February in any year evenly divisible by the number four, and provides that the February Presidential primary not be consolidated with the statewide direct primary election.
(Died in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)

AB 355 (Price-D) Elections: voter registration: provisional ballots
Permits a person who qualifies to vote under state law, and can provide proof of current residence pursuant to regulations to be adopted by the Secretary of State, to cast a ballot at their precinct or at the office of the county elections official in the same manner as a person who was registered to vote prior to election day.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 583 (Hancock-D) California Fair Elections Act
Enacts the California Fair Elections Act of 2008 to authorize candidates for the office of Secretary of State to obtain public funds for campaign purposes, and provides for its submission to the voters for approval at the 6/8/10 statewide primary election. Sunsets on 1/1/19. Provides for a tax checkoff where taxpayers may designate to the Voters Fair Elections Fund which is created by the bill.
Chapter 735, Statutes of 2008

AB 643 (Brownley-D) Voting devices
Requires county elections officials to provide at least a five-day public notice of the time and place of the test or series of tests of ballot tabulating devices and the preparation and operation of those devices and the programming and testing of those devices.
(Died in Senate Rules Committee)

AB 852 (Krekorian-D) Elections: voting systems
Enacts the Secure, Accurate, Fair Elections Act prohibiting the Secretary of State from approving a voting system unless the details of its operating system and specifications are publicly disclosed.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 943 (Charles Calderon-D) Initiative petitions
Requires that legislative committees which hold public hearings on proposed initiatives and referendums to hold these hearings on the subject of the measure at least 30 days prior to the measure's placement on the ballot.
(Died in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)

AB 970 (Levine-D) Election campaigns: candidates' debates
Requires the Secretary of State to create the California Gubernatorial Debate Commission to invite candidates for Governor to a series of three debates and hold those debates in selected locations, and to establish the rules and formats of each debate.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 984 (Price-D) Vote by mail voter's ballots: postage
Requires local county elections officials to notify voters when excess postage is necessary to mail a ballot.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 1292 (Mendoza-D) Vote by mail voters: ballot materials
Requires ballots that are sent to vote by mail voters to be accompanied by candidate's statements, as specified.
Vetoed

AB 1408 (Villines-R) Affidavits of registration: cancellation
Requires the superior court clerk, 32 days before every statewide election, to provide the county elections official with a statement showing information on persons who have been convicted of felonies and requires the elections official to cancel those individuals' names from the voter rolls.
(Died in Assembly Judiciary Committee)

AB 1653 (Horton-R) Insurance Commissioner: election
Provides that the Office of Commissioner of the Department of Insurance shall be non-partisan.
(Died in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)

AB 1662 (Garcia-R) Special absentee voters: voting overseas
Requires county election officials to prepare a special runoff ballot for special absentee voters (military voters residing overseas) to be counted if there is a runoff election for any of the offices on the ballot.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 1730 (Assembly Elections And Redistricting Committee) Partisan Presidential primaries
Makes four technical non-substantive changes to provisions of the Elections Code governing the process for selecting delegates to the Democratic National Convention.
(Died in Senate Rules Committee)

AB 1808 (Huff-R) Ballot statements: federal offices
Allows candidates for federal office to purchase space for candidate statements within official voting materials.
Chapter 137, Statutes of 2008

AB 1819 (Price-D) Registering to vote
Authorizes a person who is 16 years of age to pre-register to vote, and requires the county registrar of births and deaths to notify the county elections officials of all deceased persons 16 years of age and over.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 1828 (Huff-R) Poll workers: jury service exemption
Extends for one year an exemption for citizens who volunteer as poll workers from jury service.
(Failed passage in Assembly Judiciary Committee)

AB 1862 (Benoit-R) Voter registration
Enacts the Reliable Voter Polls Act requiring every county to conduct an alternate residency confirmation process annually for voters who have not voted in the previous four years.
(Died in Assembly Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

AB 1914 (Torrico-D) Initiative, referendum, and recall petitions
Makes a proponent of an initiative, referendum, or recall petition civilly liable for unlawful conduct by circulators of that initiative or petition, unless the proponent notifies the Secretary of State or county elections official within one day after obtaining knowledge of the potential violation.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 1928 (Anderson-R) Elections: vote by mail ballots
Requires elections officials to deliver a notice to each vote by mail voter that a vote by mail ballot must actually be received by the elections official before the polls close on election day in order for the ballot to be counted and that an envelope postmarked by the day of the election is not sufficient. Allows this notice to be included on the vote by mail ballot identification envelope or in instructions to the voter.
Vetoed

AB 1992 (DeVore-R) Campaign activities: use of public resources
Prohibits an organization or association that represents local agencies and that is funded in part by payments made by local agencies from using the organization's or association's resources, whether derived from public funds or not, for a campaign activity, or a personal or other purpose not authorized by law.
(Died in Assembly Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

AB 2209 (Niello-R) Elections: ballot titles
Requires the Legislative Analyst, instead of the Attorney General, to prepare the title and summary for state initiatives and referenda, and the ballot title for state measures that will appear on the ballot.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

AB 2218 (Gaines-R) Elections: assessment ballots
Imposes new restrictions on cities and counties when conducting assessment or fee ballot proceedings pursuant to Proposition 218.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 2227 (Furutani-D) Voting: inducement of voters
Makes it a felony, punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for 16 months, two, or three years, for a person, political party, or controlled campaign committee to give anything of value to a voter to either induced the voter to vote at an election, or reward the voter for having voted at an election.
(Died in Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 2317 (Walters-R) Voter registration: citizenship
Requires the person to provide proof of citizenship in order to register to vote.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

AB 2371 (Coto-D) Voter registration
Provides for automatic voter registration when a voter applies for a driver's license or state identification card or files a personal income tax return, unless the person opts-out.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 2584 (Mendoza-D) Elections
Clarifies that a voter is not required to attach a petition declaration to a written request for the removal of his/her signature from an initiative, referendum, or recall petition. Requires that the Secretary of State be named as a real party in interest in any proceeding concerning specific measures and candidates.
Vetoed

AB 2628 (Adams-R) County election officials: property requirements
Requires county election officials to report to the Secretary of State, no later than 30 days following the official canvas, all election incidences and irregularities that occur during the preparation for and canvass of a statewide election.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 2633 (Torrico-D) Election precincts
Prohibits more than six polling places from being placed at the same location at a statewide direct primary, presidential primary, or general election. Requires that the polling place be used for a special election precinct of consolidated election precinct comply with all requirements under state and federal law regarding access for individuals with disabilities.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 2634 (Torrico-D) Election Day: public holidays
Makes the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each year in which a statewide or national election is held a state holiday.
(Failed passage in Assembly Governmental Organization Committee)

AB 2758 (Krekorian-D) Voting systems
Modifies the requirement to place a copy of the source code for all voting systems into an escrow facility. Specifically, this bill (1) requires the source code to be placed in the escrow facility within 10 business days following the Secretary of State's approval of the voting system, and (2) clarifies and expands regulations that the Secretary of State is required to adopt regarding source codes and the escrow facility.
Chapter 198, Statutes of 2008

AB 2786 (Salas-D) Elections: ballots
Extends the sunset, from 1/1/09 to 1/1/11, on a provision allowing special absentee (overseas) voters to return their ballot by facsimile transmission.
Chapter 252, Statutes of 2008

AB 2826 (Mendoza-D) Advisory election: immigration
Calls an election for the purpose of placing before the voters of the state an advisory question asking whether Congress and the President of the United States shall create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who have worked in this country for at least five years, have no felony convictions, have learned to speak English, and have paid all taxes for which they are responsible.
(Died in Assembly Judiciary Committee)

AB 2858 (Garrick-R) Elections: recounts
Imposes new restrictions on recounts of votes cast for presidential electors, statewide constitutional officers, and members of the Legislature.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

AB 2892 (Swanson-D) Voters consent: pesticide spraying
Requires two-thirds voter approval in an affected urban area prior to aerial application of pesticides, and requires local elected officials to conduct that election.
(Failed passage in Assembly Agriculture Committee)

AB 2953 (Feuer-D) Elections; decline-to-state voters
Requires polling place workers to notify each decline-to-state voter that he/she may request a partisan ballot at a primary election. Requires a member of a precinct board, prior to furnishing a ballot to a decline-to-state voter at a partisan primary election, to inform the voter the he/she may request a ballot for a political party that has adopted a party rule allowing decline-to-state voters to vote the ballot of that political party at that primary election.
Vetoed

AB 2958 (Karnette-D) Elections: permanent voters
Requires elections officials to notify each permanent vote by mail voter of the location of the voter's polling place, and of the requirement that the ballot be received before the close of the polls on elections day, as specified.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 2959 (Brownley-D) Elections: voter requested recounts
Requires elections officials to estimate and account for expenditures involved in a requested election recount, as specified.
Vetoed

AB 2964 (Levine-D) Elections: vote by mail ballots
Requires elections officials to establish procedures that allow vote by mail voters to confirm if their vote by mail ballot was counted. Specifically requires the elections official of each county to establish a free access system that allows a vote by mail voter to find out whether or not his/her vote by mail ballot was counted and, if not, the reason it was not counted.
Vetoed

AB 3014 (Mullin-D) Voting compartments
Repeals a provision of law pertaining to new defunct lever voting machines that limits a voter to five minutes in a voting booth or compartment while marking his/her ballot and adds a provision that allows a voter to inform precinct board members when he/she need more than 10 minutes to mark his/her ballot.
Vetoed

AB 3026 (Saldana-D) Elections: voting systems
Allows elections officials to transmit ballot results via voice telephone connection or facsimile transmission from centers in designated precincts. Prohibits all voting systems from (1) connecting to the Internet, (2) receiving or transmitting electronic data through an exterior communications network when the communication originates from or terminates at a polling place, satellite location, or counting center, or (3) receiving or transmitting wireless communications or data transfers.
Chapter 200, Statutes of 2008

AB 3068 (Assembly Elections And Redistricting Committee) Voting
Makes various minor and technical changes to state law regarding elections by (1) changing references to absent voting to vote by mail voting, (2) allowing a local agency that estimates the cost of a candidate statement, instead of the elections officials, to bill a candidate for any additional costs, as specified, and (3) deleting obsolete language concerning the filing of a candidate's statement by a candidate for judicial office.
Vetoed

AB 3070 (Assembly Elections And Redistricting Committee) Special primary elections
Requires a special primary election held to fill a vacancy in the Legislature or in the office of a Representative in Congress to be held on the ninth Tuesday preceding the day of the special general election if both of the following conditions apply: (1) the ninth Tuesday proceeding the day of the special general election is an established election date, and (2) a statewide or local election occurring wholly or partially within the same territory in which the vacancy exists is scheduled for the ninth Tuesday preceding the day of the special general election.
Chapter 108, Statutes of 2008

ACA 6 (Charles Calderon-D) Initiative measures: legislative review
Increases the signature threshold requirement from 5% to 10% in the case of an initiative amendment to the Constitution.
(Died in Assembly Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

ACA 15 (Mullin-D) Voting age
Allows a person who is at least 17 years of age and will be at least 18 years of age at the time of the next general election to register to vote and to vote at that general election and at any intervening primary election or special election that occurs after the person registers to vote.
(Died on Assembly Floor)

ACA 18 (Adams-R) Election: initiatives and referenda
Transfers from the Attorney General to the Legislative Analyst the duty of preparing the title and summary for a proposed initiative or referendum.
(Died in Assembly Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

ACR 93 (Jeffries-R) Political campaign signs
Requests the League of California Cities, the California State Association of Counties, the Fair Political Practices Commission, a representative of the Democratic Party of California, a representative of the Republican Party of California, and a representative of a bona fide association of citizens agreed upon by the representative of the Democratic Party of California and the representative of the Republican Party of California to jointly develop a model political campaign sign ordinance.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

AJR 43 (Hayashi-D) Voting rights: mental disability
Urges Congress and the President of the United States to amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to ensure that eligible citizens of the U.S. who wish to vote may only be denied the right to vote if they cannot indicate, with or without help, a specified desire to participate in the voting process.
Resolution Chapter 91, Statutes of 2008

HR 34 (Aghazarian-R) Nonpartisan legislative elections
Urges a study relative to adopting a system of nonpartisan legislative elections.
(Died in Assembly being unassigned to a committee)

Reapportionment

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SCA 9 (Ashburn-R) Term limits: reapportionment commission
Creates an independent citizens commission to draw legislative and Board of Equalization districts. Modifies term limits, revises campaign contributions, prohibits the Legislature from being paid if the Budget Bill is not passed by July 1, and provides for greater oversight of the Legislature by the public.
(Died at Assembly Desk)

SCA 10 (Lowenthal-D) Redistricting commission
Repeals apportionment by the Legislature, provisions of law, and provides for an independent redistricting commission composed of 11 members to reapportion congressional, Assembly, Senate, and Board of Equalization districts by February 28 of each year ending in the number one.
(Died at Assembly Desk)

AB 3069* (Nunez-D) Elections: redistricting
Sets forth the procedure to select members of the redistricting commission as provided in ACA 1 (Nunez-D).
(Died in Assembly Election and Reapportionment Committee)

ACA 1 (Nunez-D) Redistricting
Creates a 17-member redistricting commission to reapportion legislative and Board of Equalization districts.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

ACA 4 (Villines-R) Reapportionment
Creates an Independent Citizens' Commission on Redistricting to reapportion Senate, Assembly, Congressional and Board of Equalization District lines.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)
Proposition 11 on the November 2008 General Election ballot would create an Independent Redistricting Commission to draw legislative and Board of Equalization district lines.

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