Elections and Reapportionment

Political Reform
Elections

Political Reform

SB 492 (McPherson-R) Conflicts of interest: reporting

Conforms the treatment of gifts under the Political Reform Act of 1974 to that of income. Requires public officials who are required to file campaign and lobbying disclosure statements to make them available to the State Fair Political Practices Commission and the State Franchise Tax Board for purposes of investigation and audits. Prohibits the receipt of a contribution of $100 or more not in the form of a written instrument with specified identifying information.

(Died in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

SB 917 (Polanco-D) Political Reform Act: campaign statements

Deletes a requirement that a campaign statement filed in connection with an initiative include the name, address, and amount of payment to initiative petition circulators. Conforms with a supreme court's ruling that invalidated similar provisions in a Colorado statute.

Chapter 161, Statutes of 2000

SB 953 (Speier-D) Insurance Commissioner: campaign contributions

Limits contributions by insurers to the Insurance Commissioner in order to prevent potential bias in decisions affecting the insurer. Imposes a system of campaign contribution limits and voluntary expenditure ceilings on the Insurance Commissioner or a candidate for that office.

(Failed passage on Assembly Floor)

SB 1169 (Bowen-D) Campaign financing

Deletes the prohibitions on the expenditure of public funds to finance election campaigns in the Political Reform Act of 1974, and enacts the Campaign Financing Reform Act of 2000, which imposes various limitations on contributions that may be made to candidates for legislative office at regularly scheduled primary and general elections and special primary and general elections. Imposes expenditure limitations on candidates for legislative office at regular elections. Establishes a Legislative Election Fund. Eligible nominees, as defined, for legislative office would be allowed to obtain public funds from that fund for qualified campaign expenditures, provided certain thresholds were attained. Imposes limitations on independent expenditures under certain conditions.

(Died on Senate Floor)

SB 1223 (Burton-D) Political reform: campaign contribution

Enacts provisions to the Political Reform Act providing for campaign contribution limits and voluntary expenditure limits; requiring certain disclosures in slate mailers, in paid political advertisements, and in certain issue advocacy communications; authorizing intra-candidate transfers of campaign funds and restricting inter-candidate contributions; requiring the aggregation of certain contributions made by affiliated entities; expanding online or electronic filing requirements with respect to the receipt of certain contributions and the making of certain independent expenditures; and prescribing the authorized use of surplus campaign funds. These new provisions, as to candidates for statewide elective office, become operative on or after November 6, 2002. Makes certain technical campaign changes. Calls for a special statewide general election, scheduled to be consolidated with the November 7, 2000, regular General Election. Submits to the voters prior provisions of this bill amending the Political Reform Act of 1974. It became Proposition 34 on the 2000 General Election ballot.

Chapter 102, Statutes of 2000

SB 1458 (Lewis-R) Inspector General: postgovernment employment

Restricts former Inspector Generals from representing any person to the departments within the jurisdiction of the Inspector General for a period of two years after leaving office. Prohibits former Inspector Generals from accepting employment for any agency that is within the jurisdiction of an Inspector General for a period of two years after leaving office.

Vetoed by the Governor

SB 1874* (Polanco-D) Online campaign disclosure

Requires the Secretary of State to provide free access to Internet online forms and free software that can be used to satisfy requirements for online or electronic filing of campaign reports.

Vetoed by the Governor

SB 2076 (Polanco-D) Political reform: campaign disclosure

Makes various changes in the campaign disclosure reporting law or on-line amendments to campaign reports by fax or online.

Chapter 853, Statutes of 2000

AB 69 (Cunneen-R) Political Reform Act: state measures

Requires disclosures of major contributors in advertisements for, against, or related to a statewide ballot measure. Imposes civil liability up to three times the cost of the advertisement for any violation.

(Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 307 (Davis-D) Political Reform Act: advertisement disclosure

Repeals provisions of Proposition 208 of 1996 governing disclosures in advertisements for or against ballot measures or candidates, and adds similar provisions governing the disclosures in advertisements for or against state ballot measures.

(Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 337 (Baldwin-R) Judicial campaign statement

Revises the additional filing of campaign statements requirement of the Political Reform Act for superior court judges, candidates for superior court judge, and their committees by requiring them to file the original and one copy with the county clerk.

(Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 746 (Papan-D) Political Reform Act: foreign contributions

Clarifies the definition of "foreign principal" to permit United States citizens living abroad to continue to make contributions to ballot measure campaigns.

Chapter 349, Statutes of 2000

AB 974 (Papan-D) Political Reform Act: monetary limits

Amends the Political Reform Act by revising the monetary thresholds which trigger the requirement for candidates to file various campaign statements and financial disclosure reports and civil penalties for violations.

Chapter 130, Statutes of 2000

AB 1182 (Frusetta-R) Political Reform Act

Reenacts the provisions of the Political Reform Act, as amended by Proposition 73 of 1988, relating to campaign bank accounts, and intercandidate transfer prohibitions, and contribution limitations applicable to special and special runoff elections.

(Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 1183 (Frusetta-R) Political Reform Act: late filing penalties

Permits assessments of additional penalties for the filing of an original late contribution report, late independent expenditure report, or late slate mailer payment report. Requires that online and electronic filing processes include an interactive filing system that can be accessed free of charge on the Secretary of State's website and software distributed free of charge by the Secretary of State that conforms with disclosure requirements of the Poliltical Reform Act.

(Died in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

AB 1200 (Thompson-R) Political Reform Act of 1974: slate mailers

Prohibits the sending of a slate mailer without receiving written permission from each candidate listed in the mailer and provides that a violation of this provision is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, a fine not exceeding $2,500, or by both imprisonment and fine.

(Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 1629 (Villaraigosa-D) Campaign finance

Repeals the Political Reform Act of 1974 provision which prohibits public offices from expending and candidates from expending any public moneys for purposes of seeking elective office.

(Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 1838* (Leonard-R) Political Reform Act: financial interest

Expresses the intent of the Legislature that the Fair Political Practices Commission, as part of its Conflict of Interest Regulatory Improvement Project of 1999-2000, adopt regulations that would accomplish specified goals relative to the disqualification of public officials of local government agencies in governmental decisions that do not directly and materially affect an official's economic interest.

Chapter 352, Statutes of 2000

AB 2720 (Olberg-R) Internet Political Practices Commission

Creates the Bipartisan California Commission on Internet Political Practices to examine issues, including disclosure, posed by political activity on the Internet. Requires a report by December 1, 2001, and sunsets January 1, 2002. Appropriates $220,000.

Chapter 975, Statutes of 2000

Elections

SB 28 (Peace-D) Primary elections

Implements a modified closed primary election system that permits voters not affiliated with a political party to participate in a political party's primary election if allowed by that party's voters. Note: The U.S. Supreme Court declared the Open Primary Act of 1996 (blanket primary system) unconstitutional and this bill institutes a modified closed primary system.

Chapter 898, Statutes of 2000

SB 384 (Alpert-D) Ballot measures: withdrawal

Makes various changes in qualifying and withdrawing initiatives from the ballot. Requires one of the proponents of an initiative or referendum measure to designate themselves as the lead proponent.

(Died in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

SB 414 (Knight-R) Voting procedures: voter identification

Requires election officials to compare the signature of each provisional ballot envelope with the signature on the voter's affidavit of registration. Requires that if the signatures do not match, the ballot is to be rejected. A variation of the signature covered by substitution of initials for the first or middle name, or both, shall not invalidate the ballot.

Chapter 260, Statutes of 2000

SB 415 (Knight-R) Voter registration

Requires the county elections office to reject the affidavit of registration if it does not indicate that a person is a United States citizen, and to inform the person of that rejection. Makes it a crime for a person to willfully register or cause another person to register as a voter knowing that he/she is not entitled to registration.

(Failed passage in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

SB 492 (McPherson-R) Conflicts of interest: reporting

Conforms the treatment of gifts under the Political Reform Act of 1974 to that of income. Requires public officials who are required to file campaign and lobbying disclosure statements to make them available to the State Fair Political Practices Commission and the State Franchise Tax Board for purposes of investigation and audits. Prohibits the receipt of a contribution of $100 or more not in the form of a written instrument with specified identifying information.

(Died in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

SB 608* (Johnson-R) Elections: numbering of ballot measures

Omits the number "13" from the statewide ballot numbering sequence, thereby ensuring that no future statewide ballots will be referred to as Proposition 13.

(Died on Senate Floor)

Similar legislation was AB 826 (Aanestad-R), which died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment, and Constitutional Amendments Committee.

SB 907 (Murray-D) Voter information: confidentiality

Allows a person to have information relating to his/her address and telephone number, which appears on voter documents, be declared confidential if the Secretary of State certifies that the person or the spouse or children living with the person is subject to a threat of violence, is a victim of domestic violence, or is a subject of stalking.

(Died in Senate Judiciary Committee)

SB 1002 (Murray-D) Register to vote

Requires printed literature or media announcements relative to register to vote programs to include a statement that a person must be registered to vote at least 28 days prior to an election in order to vote in that election.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 1220 (Schiff-D) Elections: initiative and referendum circulators

Requires initiative and referendum petition circulators to be eligible to register to vote within the jurisdiction to which the initiative or referendum measure would apply and repeals provisions of Proposition 208 and reenacts similar provisions relating to campaign advertisements on ballot measures.

(Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

SB 1225 (Johnson-R) Voter registration penalties

Makes it a misdemeanor for a person to submit more than two false affidavits of registration to election officials. Makes any organization employing any person who violates the prohibitions of the bill subject to a fine of $100 for each false affidavit.

(Died in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

SB 1278 (Murray-D) Voter registration

Requires each county to design and implement an outreach plan to identify all registered qualified electors. Requires each county to submit its plan to the Secretary of State by January 1 of each odd-numbered year. Counties whose outreach program fails to meet minimum prescribed requirements is not entitled to reimbursement. Requires the Secretary of State to report to the Legislature by March 1 of each odd-numbered year on the status of these outreach programs.

Vetoed by the Governor

SB 1402 (Johannessen-R) Republican Party: county central committees

Requires the election of the members of the Orange County Republican Central Committee at each statewide direct primary election. Requires new members to assume office at a meeting held during December or January following a general election, and requires a member to hold office for a two-year term starting with that first meeting.

Chapter 494, Statutes of 2000

SB 1424 (Lewis-R) Elections

Makes technical clarifications and brings conformity to contradictory sections of the Elections Code, specifying the date by which a measure qualifying for a special election ballot may be consolidated with the next regular election. Extends various post-presidential primary administrative deadlines by approximately one week.

Chapter 55, Statutes of 2000

SB 1502* (Kelley-R) Touch screen voting: Riverside County

Provides for a countywide touch screen voting demonstration project in Riverside County during the November 7, 2000, statewide general election.

(Died on Assembly Floor)

SB 1823 (Senate Elections And Reapportionment Committee) Elections: election procedures

Makes various changes in election procedures and moves the responsibility for producing reapportionment maps to the Legislature from the Secretary of the State.

Chapter 1081, Statutes of 2000

SB 1829 (Poochigian-R) Election advertising: disclosure

Requires a print advertisement that is paid by a person or committee and that is made for the purpose of supporting or opposing a candidate for state elective office to include a legible note identifying the name of the person or committee that paid for the advertisement.

(Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

SB 1966 (Brulte-R) County and municipal initiatives

Specifies additional items pertaining to the effect of a local initiative on development matters for which the board of supervisors or a city council may obtain a report from county or city agencies.

Chapter 496, Statutes of 2000

SB 2108 (Karnette-D) Campaign statements: online disclosure

Requires that bank account numbers required to be disclosed in campaign statements shall not be made available on the Internet.

Chapter 319, Statutes of 2000

SCA 5 (Murray-D) Constitutional amendments: vote requirement

Changes the vote requirement for adoption of a constitutional amendment from the present single majority of vote to a two-thirds vote.

(Died in Senate Elections Committee

SCA 13 (McPherson-R) Office of Secretary of State

Makes the Secretary of State a nonpartisan office.

(Died in Senate Rules Committee)

SCA 15 (Murray-D) Initiatives: single subject vote

Provides standards for determining whether a proposed initiative measure embraces more than one subject.

(Died on Assembly Inactive File)

SCA 20 (Perata-D) Elected officials: term limits

Increases the terms of Senators from eight years to 12 years and Assembly members from six years to 12 years, as specified.

(Died on Senate Floor)

AB 8 (Cardenas-D) Los Angeles Community College District: trustees

Requires the elections of the governing board of the Los Angeles Community College District to change from at-large elections to elections by single-member trustee areas.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 587 (Brewer-R) Elections: precincts

Excludes permanent absentee voters from the maximum count of voters allowed in each new election precinct.

(Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 843 (Papan-D) Elections: absent voter status

Allows any voter to apply for permanent absent voter status regardless of physical condition.

(Died on Assembly Floor)

AB 929 (Brewer-R) Payment for voting

Prohibits a person, in exchange for payment, directly or indirectly to agree to vote or refrain from voting, or to induce another to vote or refrain from voting, without regard to any particular candidate or measure. Prohibits a person or a controlled committee directly or indirectly from paying or offering to pay to induce a voter to vote or refrain from voting, without regard to a particular candidate or measure, or to stay away from the polls at an election.

(Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 1094 (Hertzberg-D) Voter registration

Reduces the voter registration deadlines from 25 days to 14 days before an election.

Chapter 899, Statutes of 2000

AB 1181 (Frusetta-R) Initiative measures: constitutionality

Provides that the appellate department of the supreme court is to have original jurisdiction in an action or proceeding in which the constitutionality of an initiative measure approved by the voters is at issue.

(Died in Assembly Judiciary Committee)

AB 1271 (Frusetta-R) Voter registration fraud

Requires the Secretary of state to conduct a feasibility study to determine the best method of creating unique identifiers for voter registration purposes in order to reduce voter fraud. Appropriates $600,000.

(Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 1362 (Vincent-D) Precincts: absentee ballots

Requires election officials to provide each qualified applicant for an absentee ballot with a return envelope with prepaid postage. Provides for two high school student appointments to precinct boards and deletes authorization for paying compensation to members of precinct boards other than the inspector.

(Died in the Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 1426 (Shelley-D) Absent voter ballots

Authorizes an absent voter who is unable to return his/her ballot without limitation as to reason to designate specified family members, or a person residing in the same household as the absent voter, to return the ballot.

(Died on Assembly Floor)

AB 1466 (Florez-D) Provisional ballots

Makes it a misdemeanor for any precinct board to refuse to give a provisional ballot to a voter.

(Died in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

AB 1591 (Villaraigosa-D) Voting procedures

Prohibits a voter's registration from being canceled or otherwise removed from the official list of registered voters because of failure to vote in an election. Makes other revisions in the law covering registering to vote procedures.

(Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 1723 (Nakano-D) Elections: polling places

Prohibits the use of candidate's residence as a polling place for an election at which that candidate's name will appear on the ballot.

Chapter 29, Statutes of 2000

AB 2078 (Granlund-R) Elections: unlawful expenditures

Prohibits a local agency from making an expenditure of local agency funds to advocate support or opposition of a certified ballot measure or a qualified candidate appears on the local agency ballot.

Chapter 840, Statutes of 2000

AB 2195 (Ashburn-R) School districts/community college districts

Requires that in districts with registered voters of less than 30,000 persons, a petition for a special election to fill a vacancy be signed by at least five percent of the number of registered voters of the district at the time of the last regular election for governing board members.

(Died in Assembly Education Committee)

AB 2214 (Frusetta-R) Voter registration: e-mail

Requires the affidavit of registration card to contain a space for the registrant to furnish his/her e-mail address, if any. Requires the card to advise the registrant that no person may be denied the right to register to vote because of his/her failure to furnish an e-mail address.

Chapter 89, Statutes of 2000

AB 2519 (Shelley-D) Elections: Internet voting

Requires the Secretary of State to implement an Internet voting pilot program in not more than three counties. Sunsets on January 1, 2004.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 2722 (Olberg-R) Absent voter ballots

Prohibits a candidate, initiative proponent, and a political party representative of an ill or disabled absentee voter for purposes of delivering an absent voter ballot within the last seven days before the election.

(Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 2838 (Hertzberg-D) Local agency formation commissions

Makes various changes to the Cortese-Knox Local Government Reorganization Act of 1985, including provisions relative to verification of signatures on a petition presented to a local agency formation commission be verified by the county election official and that costs of verification be provided for in the same manner and by the same agencies that bear those costs for an initiative petition in the same jurisdiction.

Chapter 761, Statutes of 2000

AB 2843 (Assembly Elections And Reapportionment Committee) Elections: direct primary: nomination papers

Permits a candidate for State Senate or Assembly to present his/her nomination papers to county election officials five days before the filing deadline for a preliminary review of the number of valid and invalid signatures.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

ACA 2 (Papan-D) Term limits

Revises the number of times a Senator or members of the Assembly may serve: Assembly, six terms and Senate, three terms.

(Died on Assembly Floor)

ACA 7 (Granlund-R) Term limits

Increases the number of years legislators may serve: member of the Assembly from six to 12 years, and Senators form eight to 12 years.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

ACA 10 (Vincent-D) Secretary of State

Makes the Office of Secretary of State a nonpartisan office.

(Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

ACA 13 (Frusetta-R) Campaign expenditures: political speech

Provides that a campaign expenditure in an election regarding a public office or a ballot measure is a form of political speech protected by the California Constitution.

(Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

ACA 14 (Washington-D) Elections: disqualification of electors

Deletes the requirement that the Legislature provide for the disqualification of electors while on parole for the conviction of a felony.

(Died in Assembly Rules Committee)

ACA 18 (Papan-D) Legislative term limits

Requires a periodic election in each Senate and Assembly district to determine whether legislative term limits shall apply in that district for the succeeding two Senate terms or three Assembly terms.

(Died on Assembly Floor)

ACA 19 (Longville-D) Elections: votes

Provides that the weight and effect of the vote of each voter in an election is equal to the weight and effect of the vote of every other voter. Prohibits the right of a person to vote in an election from being conditional upon the ownership of real or personal property, wealth, or income.

(Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

ACR 109 (Cardenas-D) Elections: voting information

Requests that each county elections official submit a report to the Secretary of State summarizing the number of voters casting ballots at each polling place during each hour that the polls are open. The Secretary of State is to compile this information and report it to the Legislature.

Resolution Chapter 118, Statutes of 2000

ACR 113 (Romero-D) Voter Registration Week

Proclaims the week of January 31, 2000, to February 7, 2000, inclusive, as Voter Registration Week.

Resolution Chapter 13, Statutes of 2000

Index (in Bill Order)