Elections and Reapportionment

Political Reform
Elections

Political Reform

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SB 739 (Strickland-R) Fundraising
Provides that a spouse or domestic partner of an elected officer or a candidate should not receive compensation from campaign funds held by a controlled committee of the officer or candidate for elective office for services rendered in connection with fundraising for the benefit of the elected officer or candidate.
Chapter 360, Statutes of 2009

AB 7 (Krekorian-D) Political reform: advertisements
Requires, with specified exceptions, a broadcast or mass mailing advertisement supporting or opposing a candidate or ballot measure that is paid for by an independent expenditure to include a statement or phrase that clearly identifies the economic or other special interest of the major donors of $50,000 or more, listing the economic or other special interest in descending order based on the amount of contributions made by the respective donor to the committee, except for a general interest committee. Requires a committee that files electronically with the Secretary of State to list the Secretary of State's Internet Web site in its disclosure statement.
(On Senate Third Reading File)

AB 9 (John Perez-D) Political reform: expenditures
Provides that a payment of public monies by a state or local government agency can be a contribution or an independent expenditure for the purposes of the Political Reform Act, if certain conditions are met.
Chapter 363, Statutes of 2009

AB 528 (Silva-R) Political reform: local government: reorganization
Conforms the reporting and disclosure requirements of campaigns associated with local boundary changes in the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Act with the requirements of the Political Reform Act.
Chapter 113, Statutes of 2009

AB 741 (Bill Berryhill-R) Political reform: campaign funds
Prohibits funds held by a ballot measure committee from being used for a candidate's or elected officer's attorney's fees or other costs in connection with administrative, civil, or criminal litigation.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee; reconsideration granted)

AB 1149 (Davis-D) Political reform: electronic filing
Provides that the pilot project authorized by AB 2607 (Davis-D), Chapter 498, Statutes of 2008, which allows Los Angeles, Merced, Orange and Stanislaus Counties to permit Statement of Economic Interests to be filed electronically, shall be effective for the reporting years of 2008 to 2010, instead of 2008 to 2011, and moving up the deadline for the Legislative Analyst's Office to provide a report to the Legislature evaluating the pilot project authorized by AB 2607 from 3/1/12 to 2/1/12.
Chapter 139, Statutes of 2008

AB 1181 (Huber-D) Political reform: statements and reports
Lowers the monetary thresholds which trigger mandatory electronic reporting of campaign contributions and expenditures by candidates, officeholders, committees, major donors, and slate mailer organizations. Eliminates the requirement that Members of the Legislature and the Board of Equalization, court of appeal justices, superior court judges, and candidates for those offices file paper copies of campaign reports with the elections official of the county with the largest number of registered voters in the districts affected and instead requires candidates for the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System to file campaign reports online or electronically with the Secretary of State.
(On Senate Third Reading File)

AB 1257 (Hagman-R) Political reform: independent expenditure reports
Increases the expenditure threshold amount for reporting independent expenditure reports from $100 to $400, and requires the Fair Political Practices Commission to adjust this amount periodically.
(Died in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)

AB 1262 (Audra Strickland-R) Ethics in government
Exempts from the anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) Law speech-related lawsuits under the Political Reform Act.
(In Assembly Judiciary Committee)

AB 1274 (Huber-D) Political reform: lobbyists
Requires lobbyists who file periodic reports with the Secretary of State to include the specific bill numbers lobbied on during the reporting period. Requires the Secretary of State to post the reports on its Internet Web site.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 1322 (Huffman-D) Political reform: campaign disclosures
Amends the Political Reform Act to require, when an advertisement supporting or opposing a candidate and paid for by an independent expenditure is required to contain a statement that the independent expenditure was not authorized by a candidate or committee controlled by a candidate, that the statement identify the name of the independent expenditure committee that purchased the advertisement. For a mass mailing advertisement other than a radio broadcast, it must be in a specified format. Requires that the disclosure statement identify an Internet Web site address where the committee's donors are listed. Authorizes the Secretary of State to include information on how voters can determine who is funding campaigns and campaign-related communications on the ballot pamphlet, as long as it can be included without increasing the number of pages and also to include a statement describing the types of campaign contributions, applicable contributions limits, and the role of independent expenditures.
(Failed passage on Senate Floor; reconsideration granted)

AB 1334 (Blakeslee-R) Political reform: agents of foreign principals
Expands the definition of "lobbyist" to include an individual who acts as an agent or representative of a foreign principal, as defined, and who communicates with any elective state official, agency official, or legislative official for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action.
(In Assembly Elections and Redistrict Committee)

AB 1412 (Torrico-D) Political reform: gifts
Prohibits a lobbyist employer from making gifts to a Member of the Legislature aggregating more than $10 in a calendar month.
(On Assembly Inactive File)

AB 1514 (Hayashi-D) Political reform: reporting
Requires slate mailer organizations to file semi-annual campaign statements regardless of the amount of payments received or expenditures made to produce slate mailers.
(On Senate Inactive File)

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Elections

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SB 6 (Maldonado-R) Elections: open primary
Implements SCA 4 (Maldonado-R), the Top-Two Candidates Open Primary Act. Permits a voter, at the time of registration, to choose whether or not to disclose a party preference. Provides that a voter may vote for the candidate of his/her choosing in the primary election regardless of his/her disclosure or non-disclosure of party preference. Provides for a "voter-nominated election" for each state elective office and congressional office in California, in which a voter may vote at the primary election for any candidate for congressional or state elective office without regard to the political party preference disclosed by either the candidate or the voter. The two candidates receiving the two highest vote totals for each office at a primary election, regardless of party preference, would then compete for the office at the ensuing general election. Provides that a candidate for a congressional or state elective office generally may choose whether to have his/her political party preference indicated upon the ballot for that office in the manner to be provided by statute. This does not change existing law as it relates to presidential primaries.
Chapter 1, Statutes of 2009

SB 34 (Corbett-D) Petitions: compensation for signatures
Makes it a misdemeanor for a person to pay or to receive money or any other thing of value based on the number of signatures collected on a state or local initiative, referendum, or recall petition.
Vetoed

SB 172 (Florez-D) Voter registration
Extends the period of time, from two federal general elections to four presidential elections, between the date that a voter's name is placed on the list of inactive voters and the date that voter's registration is cancelled for failure to appear to vote or offer to vote at any election.
Vetoed

SB 288 (Yee-D) Elections: names of candidates
Requires a candidate's alphabet-based name to be phonetically translated or transliterated if the county is required to provide translated ballot materials in a character-based language, unless certain conditions are met.
Vetoed

SB 370 (Runner-R) Elections: voting
Provides that a person on probation for the conviction of a felony is not eligible to register to vote. Requires that the identification (return) envelope for a vote by mail (VBM) ballot include the last four digits of the voter's California driver's license or identification card number or, if unavailable, the last four digits of the voter's social security number and requires this information be verified before counting the ballot. Provides that a VBM ballot of uniformed services voters or their spouses or dependents must be cast by Election Day but may be received by elections officials up to 21 days after the election. Requires a person who desires to vote at the polls on Election Day to show specified proof of identification and requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to waive the fee for an identification card requested for satisfying this requirement.
(Failed passage in Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee; reconsideration granted)

SB 387 (Hancock-D) Ballots: identifying information
Prohibits a voter from placing personal information, as defined, upon a ballot that identifies the voter, and provides that a ballot that contains personal information is not invalid. Deletes the requirement that a ballot marked in a manner so as to identify the voter is void and, instead, requires a ballot that contains personal information to be segregated in a specified manner, and requires that a duplicate ballot be prepared.
Vetoed

SB 465 (Huff-R) Voter identification: proof of identity
Requires a person desiring to vote to present proof of his/her identity to a member of the precinct board before receiving a ballot. Requires the proof of identity to contain the person's name and photograph, to be either unexpired or expired after the last general election, and to be issued by the United States, the State of California, or a tribal government.
(In Senate Election, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

SB 541 (Pavley-D) Ballot cards and voting systems
Requires voting system vendors and ballot paper manufacturers to notify the Secretary of State of any flaws or defects that they discover in their products. Requires ballot paper manufacturers and finishers to pay the costs associated with facility inspection by the Secretary of State.
Vetoed

SB 582 (Dutton-R) Voting by mail: military personnel
Provides that the vote by mail ballot of a member of the United States Armed Forces who is an "absent uniformed services voter" and which is postmarked or signed and dated by election day may be received by the elections officials up to 21 days after an election.
(Failed passage in Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee; reconsideration granted)

SB 617 (Harman-R) Intervention: initiatives
Provides that the official proponent of a state initiative statute or constitutional amendment, that has been approved by the voters, would have the right to intervene and participate in any court action challenging the constitutionality of the initiative statute or constitutional amendment.
(Failed passage in Senate Judiciary Committee; reconsideration granted)

SB 631 (Walters-R) Voting: felons
Provides that a person on probation for conviction of a felony is also ineligible to register to vote in California and, commencing in 2011, requires county elections officials to cancel the voter registration for these probationers upon notice from the clerk of the superior court.
(Failed passage in Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee; reconsideration granted)

SB 740 (Cedillo-D) Elections: provisional ballots
Requires elections officials to reject a voted provisions ballot if the provisional ballot envelope is not signed by the voter. Requires elections officials to retain voted provisional ballots and their envelopes for 22 months from the date of federal elections and six months for non-federal elections.
Chapter 611, Statutes of 2009

SB 817 (Senate Elections, Reapportionment And Constitutional Amendments Committee) Special vote by mail
Changes the term "special absentee voters" to "special vote by mail voters" in the law relating to the "vote by mail voter."
(On Assembly Inactive File)

SB 2XXX* (Ducheny-D) Special election funding
Increases the Secretary of State election budget by $10 million to cover the cost of the statewide special election held on 3/19/09, and adds Control Section language to ensure the full cost of the special election is covered.
Chapter 2, Statutes of 2009, Third Extraordinary Session

SB 19XXX* (Ducheny-D) Special election: May 19, 2009
Calls a statewide special election to be held on 3/19/09. Places six measures before the voters at that election, including (1) a legislative constitutional amendment relating to budget reform, (2) a legislative constitutional amendment relating to education finance, (3) a legislative measure relating to the California State Lottery, (4) a legislative measurer relating to Proposition 10 approved by the voters at the 11/3/98 statewide general election, (5) a legislative measure relating to Proposition 63 approved by the voters at the 11/20/04 statewide general election, and (6) a legislative constitutional amendment relating to the pay of state officers in the event there is an operating deficit in the state budget. Places before the voters at the 6/8/10 statewide primary election a legislative constitutional amendment relating to open primary elections.
Chapter 7, Statutes of 2009-10, Third Extraordinary Session
A similar bill was AB 11XXX (Evans-D), Chapter 6, Statutes of 2009-10, Third Extraordinary Session. SB 19XXX Chaptered out AB 11XXX.

SCA 4 (Maldonado-R) Elections: open primary
Proposes an amendment to the California Constitution to establish primary elections in which voters may vote for any state or congressional candidate regardless of party registration, with the two candidates receiving the most votes, regardless of party affiliation, advancing to the general election.
Resolution Chapter 2, Statutes of 2009

SCA 10 (Ducheny-D) Initiative measures: legislative amendment
Requires the Secretary of State to transmit qualified initiatives to the Legislature for review and recommendation prior to being placed before the voters.
(On Senate Inactive File)

SCA 14 (Ducheny-D) Initiative measures: funding source
Prohibits an initiative measure that will result in a net increase in state or local 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.
(On Senate Inactive File)

SCA 16 (DeSaulnier-D) Indirect initiatives
Provides an alternate to the initiative process by authorizing a measure to qualify with less signatures, providing that the measure be reviewed by the Legislature prior to its being placed on the ballot.
(On Senate Third Reading File)

SCA 19 (DeSaulnier-D) Initiative measures: fiscal impact
Permits an initiative measure that has a fiscal impact to the General Fund to remain in effect for 15 years, but allows the Legislature to extend its operation for up to an additional 15 years.
(On Senate Third Reading File)

AB 30 (Price-D) Voter registration
Allows a person who is 17 years of age to pre-register to vote, provided he/she will otherwise meet all eligibility requirements.
Chapter 364, Statutes of 2009

AB 67 (Nava-D) Elections: campaign advertisements and communications
Prohibits the use of a minor in a campaign ad without the permission of the minor's parent if the minor is under 12 years of age, or without the permission of the minor if the minor is 12 years of age or older.
(In Assembly Judiciary Committee)

AB 84 (Hill-D) Vote by mail ballots
Requires elections officials to establish procedures that allow a vote by mail (VBM) voter to find out where his/her VBM ballot was counted and, if not, the reason why the ballot was not counted.
Vetoed

AB 101 (Anderson-R) Vote by mail ballots
Requires elections officials to deliver a notice to each vote by mail (VBM) voter that a VBM 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. Requires this notice to be included on the VBM ballot identification envelope or in instructions to the voter.
Vetoed

AB 106 (Price-D) Elections: voter registration
Allows a person to register to vote when they apply for a new or renewed driver's license, state identification card, instruction permit, junior permit, or files a personal income tax return.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 257 (Adams-R) Elections: reporting irregularities
Requires the Secretary of State to establish a uniform format that county elections officials will use to report election incidents and voting irregularities.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 269 (Silva-R) Elections: corruption of voting
Makes it a misdemeanor for a member of the public who is observing the processing of vote by mail ballots, the semi-official canvas, the official canvas, or a recount from willfully doing any of the following: (1) attempting to ascertain the identity and ballot choices of a voter, or having observed or learned the identity of a voter, attempting to ascertain the ballot choices of that voter, (2) opening a provisional or vote by mail ballot envelope containing a voted ballot in order to ascertain the voter's ballot choices, or (3) making or placing a mark or device on any ballot or secrecy envelope in an attempt to ascertain the voter's ballot choices.
Chapter 94, Statutes of 2009

AB 306 (Fuller-R) Elections: voter pamphlets
Requires the Secretary of State to establish a process, whereby voters can opt out of receiving the state ballot pamphlet by mail.
Chapter 98, Statutes of 2009

AB 308 (Cook-R) Special absentee voters
Requires county elections officials to prepare a special runoff ballot for special absentee voters to be counted if there is a runoff election for any of the offices on that ballot.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 319 (Niello-R) Elections: ballot titles
Requires the Legislative Analyst's Office to prepare the title and summary for state initiatives and referenda, the fiscal estimates for proposed state initiative measures, and the ballot titles for state measurers that will appear on the ballot. Makes the bill contingent upon the approval of ACA 20 (Niello-R).
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee; reconsideration granted)

AB 330 (Saldana-D) Elections: voting devices
Requires the county elections official to provide at least a five-day public notice of the time and place of the scheduled tests or programming of tabulating devices. Makes representative attendance subject to existing law.
Vetoed

AB 362 (Miller-R) Political signs: theft and damage
Provides that it is a crime to remove, reuse, damage or possess any political sign without authorization.
Vetoed

AB 436 (Saldana-D) Elections: initiatives
Requires that a new fee paid by proponents of an initiative measure at the time of submitting the draft of the measure to the Attorney General in lieu of current fees. Specifies that fee revenues shall be used for the reimbursement of the costs incurred by the Attorney General for preparing the title and summary of the proposed initiative measure, as specified.
Vetoed

AB 441 (Hall-D) Elections: prohibited activities
Prohibits a person, on election day, or at any time that a voter may be casting a ballot, from soliciting a donation of any kind or engaging in commercial activity within 100 feet from the polling place or an elections official's office.
(In Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 467 (Coto-D) Elections: voting
Specifies that an elections official sending a vote by mail (VBM) ballot and a statement, that there will be no polling place for the election to a voter, must also include with those materials a statement explaining why there will be no polling place for the election and instructions on timely submitting a VBM ballot. Provides that an elections official changing the location of the polling place must mail notice of the change to each voter in the precinct not less than seven days prior to the election. If a change in the polling place is not known in sufficient time to permit a mailing, specifies that the new polling place be within the boundaries of the precinct.
(In Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)

AB 491 (Garrick-R) Political signs: vandalism
Establishes a $1,000 fine for knowingly destroying a campaign sign.
(In Senate Public Safety Committee)

AB 624 (Monning-D) Election precincts
Allows a local elections official to subtract permanent vote by mail votes from the total of an election precinct.
(In Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)

AB 686 (Ruskin-D) Voting: polling place procedures
Repeals a provision of law pertaining to now defunct lever voting machines that limit 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 needs more than 10 minutes to mark his/her ballot.
Vetoed

AB 742 (Saldana-D) Elections: felony conviction statements
Requires the clerk of the superior court in each county, when furnishing the elections official with a list of persons who have been convicted of felonies, to include only persons who have been sentenced to state prison, instead of including all persons who were convicted of felonies, whether or not they were sentenced to prison.
Vetoed

AB 753 (Adams-R) Ballot titles and labels
Standardizes and clarifies terminology and procedures for the preparation of titles, summaries, and ballot labels for state ballot measures, and reorganizes provisions of current law governing the preparation of titles, summaries, and ballot labels for state ballot measures.
Chapter 373, Statutes of 2009

AB 780 (John Perez-D) Elections: failsafe ballots
Allows a voter who is away from his/her precinct on election day, due to unforeseen circumstances, to cast a provisions ballot in a jurisdiction other than where the voter resides.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 787 (Hill-D) Elections: vote by mail ballots
Requires local county elections officials to notify voters when excess postage is necessary to mail a ballot.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 894 (Furutani-D) Ballot measures: fiscal impact statements
Requires the Legislative Analyst's Office to include in his/her analysis of a state ballot measure the measure's estimated impact on the state and an estimated percentage of the General Fund that will be expended due to the measure's passage, if it is estimated that a measure will result in increased costs to the state. Allows for the use of visual aids for the estimated impact and the percentage of General Fund expended.
Chapter 485, Statutes of 2009

AB 895 (Furutani-D) Elections: primary election ballots
Requires an elections official to provide a sufficient number of ballots of each qualified political party in each precinct to reasonably meet the needs of the voters not registered as intending to affiliate with any one of the political parties participating in the election who request a partisan ballot.
(In Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)

AB 909 (Feuer-D) Elections: voting
Requires poll workers to notify each decline-to-state voter at a partisan primary election that they may request the ballot of any of the political parties that have adopted a party rule allowing decline-to-state voters to vote in their party primaries at that election.
(On Senate Inactive File)

AB 1068 (Saldana-D) Petitions: signature gathering
Provides that a contract for circulating a petition or collecting signatures for a proposed state or local initiative, referendum, or recall measure that is to be submitted to voters is void if it makes payment to any person under the contract contingent upon the measure being qualified for the ballot, and provides that this bill applies only to contracts entered into after the effective date of the bill.
Vetoed

AB 1096 (Galgiani-D) Elections: precinct maps
Requires election officials to provide electronic copies of precinct maps to any interested person. Specifically, requires (1) election officials to provide all current precinct boundaries, including the boundaries of any subprecincts, if available, and precinct consolidations to any interested person, and (2) that precinct maps and boundary changes and consolidations be made available in both print and electronic forms.
Vetoed

AB 1121 (Davis-D) Elections: ranked voting
Authorizes the Secretary of State to approve up to 12 counties to use a ranked voting system. Counties that opt to participate will be required to obtain approval of the voters and acquire a voting system that is capable of conducting an election using ranked voting. Sunsets on 1/1/19.
(Failed passage on Senate Floor)

AB 1133 (Niello-R) Gifts for voting
Makes it a felony punishable by 16 months, two or three years in the state prison for a person to offer, give, or receive money or other valuable consideration in exchange for voting or registering to vote, or as an inducement for voting or registering to vote.
(Failed passage in the Assembly Public Safety Committee; reconsideration granted)

AB 1134 (Mendoza-D) Elections: petitions
Clarifies that a voter's written request for removal of a signature from an initiative, referendum, or recall petition does not constitute a petition or paper requiring a declaration of the circulator.
Chapter 510, Statutes of 2009

AB 1228 (Yamada-D) Elections: all-mailed ballot
Creates a pilot program allowing Santa Clara and Yolo Counties to conduct local elections at all-mailed ballot elections on no more than three different dates in each county.
Vetoed

AB 1271 (Krekorian-D) Elections: vote by mail ballots
Allows a vote by mail (VBM) ballot to be picked up or dropped off by any authorized representative of the VBM voter, except candidates and campaign workers.
Vetoed

AB 1278 (Harkey-R) Elections: initiatives
Requires the Legislative Analyst to include additional information in the ballot pamphlet for an election for each state initiative measure that proposes the issuance of a state bond.
(In Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)

AB 1308 (Hagman-R) Elections: registration
Prohibits a person who is on probation for conviction of a felony from voting.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee; reconsideration granted)

AB 1326 (Huffman-D) Voter registration: action to compel registration
Permits a qualified elector, or the county elections official on their behalf, who claims to have completed an affidavit of registration and deposited that affidavit with a third party, as specified, to bring an action in superior court to compel registration.
Vetoed

AB 1335 (Lieu-D) Elections: write-in candidates
Requires write-in candidates for the office of superior court judge to include on their statements of write-in candidacy, a statement that they satisfy the eligibility requirements for a judge.
(In Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 1337 (Evans-D) Electioneering
Defines "electioneering" as the visible display or audible dissemination of information that advocates for or against any candidate or measure on the ballot within 100 feet of a polling place, an elections official's office, or a satellite voting location. Prohibited electioneering information will include, but not be limited to, any of the following: (1) a display of a candidate's name, likeness, or logo, (2) a display of a ballot measure's number, title, subject, or logo, (3) buttons, hats, pencils, pens, shirts, signs, or stickers containing electioneering information, or (4) dissemination of audible electioneering information.
Chapter 146, Statutes of 2009

AB 1340 (Bonnie Lowenthal-D) Special absentee voters
Allows special absentee voters to have their ballot counted if it is postmarked on or before election day and received by the county elections official on or before the sixth day after the election. Requires counties to report to the Secretary of State on the number of absentee ballots received, as specified.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 1356 (Bill Berryhill-R) Elections: proof of identification
Requires a voter to present photo identification before receiving a ballot at the polling place.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee; reconsideration granted)

AB 1367 (Fletcher-R) Elections: vote by mail ballots
Requires county elections officials to count the vote of a special absentee voter temporarily living outside the United States if the voter's ballot is (1) postmarked or signed and dated on or before election day and (2) received by the elections official on or before the 21st day following the election.
(Failed passage in Assembly Election and Redistricting Committee)

AB 1396 (Torres-D) Democratic Party of California
Repeals provisions of the Elections Code governing the membership and operations of the state central committee of the Democratic Party of California, and instead requires that the standing rules and bylaws of the Party govern the membership and operations of the state central committee.
Chapter 392, Statutes of 2009

AB 1399 (Anderson-R) Elected county officials
Prohibits any elected county official from hiring or employing any immediate family member, as defined, if that immediate family member will serve under direct supervision of the elected county official. Specifically prohibits an elected county official from making a gift of public funds or property to any person without consideration.
(In Assembly Rules Committee)

AB 1415 (Adams-R) Elections: voting procedures
Prohibits a person who is on probation for the conviction of a felony from registering to vote. Requires a voter who is returning a vote by mail ballot to provide the last four digits of his/her California's driver's license number or California identification card number or, if the voter has neither, the last four digits of his/her social security number on the vote by mail ballot identification envelope. Requires a voter to present proof of identification prior to receiving a ballot at the polls on election day.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee; reconsideration granted)

AB 1424 (Knight-R) Elections: vote by mail
Requires a completed vote by mail ballot identification envelope to contain the last four digits of the voter's California driver's license number, identification card number, or social security number in order for that ballot to be counted.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee; reconsideration granted)

AB 1440 (Swanson-D) Elections: provisional ballots
Requires county elections officials to issue a provisional ballot to emergency workers responding to the Governor's declaration of a state of emergency by executive order. Defines an emergency worker as a person who is officially engaged in responding to the proclaimed state of emergency and whose vocation has been identified in an executive order relating to the state of emergency.
Chapter 395, Statutes of 2009

AB 1490 (Galgiani-D) Elections: results
Reduces the number of days that are allowed for the Secretary of State and elections officials to certify and report results of certain elections.
Chapter 149, Statutes of 2009

AB 1519 (De La Torre-D) Elections: vote by mail ballots (VBM)
Requires elections officials to include a business reply envelope for vote by mail (VBM) voters to return their completed VBM ballots. Establishes a State Vote by Mail Postage Fund for deposit of any General Fund monies appropriated by the Legislature to fund the provision of business reply envelopes.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1525 (Beall-D) Elections: recounts
Permits any voter to request a recount in an election conducted in more than one county, but not statewide, within five days beginning on the 29th day after the election, instead of within five days of completing the official canvas.
Chapter 541, Statutes of 2009

AB 1531 (Portantino-D) Elections: voter challenges
Authorizes a person who qualifies to vote in the state to register or reregister at the office of the local elections official commencing 14 days prior to election day and continuing through election day or at the person's precinct on election day. A person who registers to vote prior to election day and provides proof of current residence will be permitted to cast a vote by mail ballot. A person who registers to vote on election day will be permitted to cast a provisional ballot. Requires local elections officials to compile a list or index of voters who registered or reregistered to vote pursuant to these provisions and to conduct a review no later than 30 days after the canvass of the votes for the election.
(In Senate Rules Committee)

AB 1572 (Assembly Elections And Redistricting Committee) Elections: voting
Makes various minor and technical changes to state law governing elections which (1) changes multiple statutory references from "absentee ballots" to "vote by mail (VBM) ballots", (2) clarifies that if an authorized user of a signature stamp uses that stamp to cast a VBM ballot, the user of that stamp shall affix the stamp on the identification envelope for the VBM ballot and not on the VBM ballot itself, (3) clarifies that all candidates who want to have a ballot designation must file a ballot designation worksheet, not just candidates for partisan office, (4) requires the local agency that estimates the cost of a candidate statement, instead of the elections official, to bill a candidate for any additional cost if the estimated cost that was paid by the candidate was not sufficient to cover the actual costs of the statement, specifies that if the estimated cost paid by the candidate was paid to the local agency and the amount paid was more than the actual cost of the statement, the local agency, and not the elections official, is responsible for refunding the excess amount, (5) corrects two erroneous code references, and (6) repeals a provision of existing law that became inoperative on 1/1/07.
Chapter 547, Statutes of 2009

AB 1573 (Assembly Elections And Redistricting Committee) Elections: voting
Makes various minor and technical changes to existing provisions governing elections, including (1) requiring the Secretary of State to be named as a respondent or real party in interest in any proceeding alleging that an error or omission in the placing of any name on, or printing of, a ballot, sample ballot, voter pamphlet or other official matter, or that any neglect of duty has occurred or is about to occur regarding any election for state or federal offices, Justice of the Court of Appeal, or statewide ballot measures, and (2) clarifying that persons observing the processing of vote by mail (VBM) ballots must be allowed to observe the comparison of a signature on the VBM ballot envelope with the signature on the voter's registration affidavit.
Chapter 548, Statutes of 2009

AB 1574 (Assembly Elections And Redistricting Committee) Elections
Makes various minor and technical changes to existing Elections law by (1) repealing a requirement that a member of a county board of supervisors be authorized by the board in order to submit ballot arguments for or against a county measure, (2) clarifying that the statutorily established deadline for submitting arguments for or against a city measure does not apply when the city election is consolidated with another election, (3) making conforming changes to provisions of state law governing the filing deadline for, and the filling of, elective city offices, and (4) making other conforming and technical changes.
Chapter 549, Statutes of 2009

AB 11XXX* (Evans-D) Special election: May 19, 2009
Calls a statewide special election to be held on 3/19/09. Places five measures before the voters at that election, including (1) a legislative constitutional amendment relating to budget reform, (2) a legislative constitutional amendment relating to education finance, (3) a legislative measure relating to the California State Lottery, (4) a legislative measure relating to Proposition 10 approved by the voters at the 11/3/98 statewide general election, and (5) a legislative measure relating to Proposition 63 approved by the voters at the 11/2/04 statewide general election.
Chapter 6, Statutes of 2009-10, Third Extraordinary Session
A similar bill was SB 19XXX (Ducheny-D), Chapter 7, Statutes of 2009, Third Extraordinary Session.

ACA 2 (Furutani-D) Elections: voting age
Allows a person who is 17 years old and who will be 18 years old at the time of the next general election to register and vote in that general election and in any intervening primary or special election that occurs after the person registers to vote.
(On Assembly Inactive File)

ACA 3 (Blakeslee-R) Initiatives: bond funding source
Prohibits any initiative authorizing general obligation bonds in an amount exceeding $1 billion unless the measure expressly provides for additional tax or fee revenues and/or the elimination of existing programs to fully fund repayment of the bonds, as determined by the Legislative Analyst. The new revenue source or programs eliminated must be clearly identified in the initiative title and summary.
(On Assembly Third Reading File)

ACA 5 (Charles Calderon-D) Initiatives: state general obligation bonds
Requires an initiative measure that authorizes the issuance of state general obligation bonds to be approved by at least 55 percent of the voters who vote on the measure.
(On Assembly Third Reading File)

ACA 13 (Hernandez-D) Indirect initiative process
Establishes an indirect initiative process.
(On Assembly Inactive File)

ACA 14 (Hernandez-D) Elections: initiative measures
Prohibits more than five initiative measures from appearing on the ballot at any statewide election.
(In Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)

ACA 20 (Niello-R) Elections: initiatives and referenda
Requires the Legislative Analyst's Office, instead of the Attorney General, to prepare the title and summary for state initiatives and referenda.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee; reconsideration granted)

ACA 21 (Charles Calderon-D) Initiatives: constitutional amendments
Allows the Legislature, by a bill passed by a majority of the membership of each house and enacted into law in the same manner as any other bill, to propose an amendment to any provision of the California Constitution that was added to amended by an initiative measure on or after the effective date of this measure, and allows the Legislature to amend or withdraw its proposal in the same manner.
(On Assembly Third Reading File)

ACA 26 (Charles Calderon-D) Initiatives: vote requirements
Amends the California Constitution to provide that a proposed initiative statute that authorizes the Legislature to amend that initiative statute without voter approval by the electors may become effective only if approved by the electors by no less than the same percentage of the vote as would be required by the language in that proposed initiative statute for the Legislature to amend it without voter approval.
(Unassigned to a committee)

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