Elections and Reapportionment

Political Reform
Elections
Reapportionment

Political Reform

SB 3* (Brulte-R) Campaign expenditures: telephone advocacy

Prohibits a candidate, committee, or slate mailer organization from making an expenditure for telephone calls, made by an individual or individuals or by electronic means, that supports or opposes any candidate, ballot measure, or referendum, unless during or at the end of the telephone call the name of the candidate, committee, or slate mailer organization is disclosed to the recipient of the call. Specifies that this prohibition does not apply to telephone calls made by the candidate, the campaign manager, or individuals who are volunteers. Changes the definition of "mass mailing".

(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

Similar legislation is AB 690* (Wesson-D), which is in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 34* (Burton-D) Political Reform Act: Proposition 34

Requires candidates and ballot measure committees to file reports electronically, within 48 hours of receipt of contributions of $5,000 or more outside the 90-day election cycle, clarifies that legislative candidates who accept expenditure limits be designated in county sample ballots and makes other clarifying changes to Proposition 34.

Chapter 241, Statutes of 2001

SB 157 (Haynes-R) Campaign contributions: arbitration

Creates a new conflict of interest within the Political Reform Act. Treats a campaign contribution like a financial interest in the case of a governmental decision regarding lawsuits that may be referred to binding arbitration.

(Failed passage in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

SB 300 (McPherson-R) Political Reform Act

Declares the Legislature's intent to implement certain recommendations of the Bipartisan Committee on the Political Reform Act, especially with regard to the creation of a streamlined, understandable filing schedule and the elimination of unnecessary and redundant filings.

(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

SB 386 (Johnson-R) Political Reform Act: online disclosure

Provides that if the Secretary of State's system rejects campaign statement or lobbying report electronic filings, the Secretary of State shall immediately notify the filer, vial e-mail, of the reason or reasons for rejection using plain, straightforward language, avoiding technical terms as much as possible, and using a coherent and easily readable style. Specifies that the notice must be written so that the meaning will be easily understood by those persons directly affected by it.

Chapter 79, Statutes of 2001

AB 190 (Longville-D) Campaign finance

Enacts the Campaign Financing Reform Act of 2002, which provides for public funds for legislative candidates to match private contributions received, as specified. Allows taxpayers to demand on their income tax return up to $5, or up to $10 in case of married individuals filing a joint return, to be transferred to the Legislative Election Fund.

(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 374* (Matthews-D) Slate mailers

Prohibits the distribution of a slate mailer that, because of its format or other design element, misleads a voter as to the identity of the distributor.

(In Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

AB 696* (Longville-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, as specified. Appropriates $600,000 from the General Fund.

Chapter 917, Statutes of 2001

AB 931 (Frommer-D) Insurance Commissioner

Prohibits the State Insurance Commissioner (IC) from accepting, using, or benefiting from travel reimbursements or payments made to the IC or the State Department of Insurance from specified entities.

Chapter 336, Statutes of 2001

AB 1325 (Negrete McLeod-D) Public Utilities Commission: lobbyists

Requires individuals that lobby the State Public Utilities Commission to adhere to the same governing laws as lobbyists of other governmental entities under the Political Reform Act.

Chapter 921, Statutes of 2001

Elections

SB 7* (Peace-D) Absentee voting

A follow-up to SB 28 (Peace), Chapter 898, Statutes of 2000, which allowed voters registered as "declined to state" to vote a party ballot in a primary, by providing a mechanism for permanent absentee voters who are also registered as "declined to state". Moves up the deadline for parties to adopt their rules concerning "declined to state" voters.

Chapter 925, Statutes of 2001

SB 137 (Haynes-R) Presidential electors

Revises the process for the election of presidential electors on a congressional district-by-district basis, rather than statewide.

(In Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

Similar legislation is AB 45 (Strickland-R), which is in the Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee.

SB 412 (Vasconcellos-D) Campaign practices: political cyberfraud

Prohibits a person with intent to mislead, deceive, or defraud from committing an act of political cyberfraud.

Chapter 927, Statutes of 2001

SB 462 (Karnette-D) Absentee voting

Deletes from the requirement contained in the law relating to absentee voting, that an absentee voter be ill or disabled in order for them to designate specified family members to return the ballot. Allows the voter, in addition to designating a specified family member to return the ballot, to designate a person who resides at the same residence as the absentee voter to return the ballot.

Vetoed by the Governor

SB 585 (Perata-D) Election campaigns: solicitations

Expands the definition of person in the law concerning the solicitation of campaign funds to include any organization or group of persons acting in concert.

(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

SB 617 (Ortiz-D) Special advisory election: Sacramento

Allows the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) to call a special advisory election in each jurisdiction that is a member of SACOG, on the question of whether the region's Metropolitan Transportation Plan should be approved.

(In Assembly Local Government Committee)

SB 725 (Scott-D) Ballot measures: volunteer qualified initiatives

Requires an initiative, referendum or recall petition to reflect, in specified language, whether it is being circulated by a paid circulator or by a volunteer.

Vetoed by the Governor

SB 758 (Murray-D) Elections

Requires the Secretary of State to prepay the postage for return of the ballots cast by absentee voters.

(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 902 (Senate Elections And Reapportionment Committee) Voter pamphlets

Substitutes the term "county elections officials" for the term "county clerk", in two sections of the Elections Code, in order to conform with present law.

(At Assembly Desk)

SB 903 (Senate Elections And Reapportionment Committee) Voters accompanied by children

Allows voters to be accompanied in the voting booth by a child or children under the age of 18 years and eliminates the requirement in the law that the voter have no other method of temporary care for the child or children.

Chapter 104, Statutes of 2001

SB 904 (Senate Elections And Reapportionment Committee) Election petitions

Allows any person, eligible to register to vote, to circulate initiative or referendum petitions to conform with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Buckley v. American Constitutional Law Foundation.

Chapter 105, Statutes of 2001

SB 905 (Senate Elections And Reapportionment Committee) Elections

Makes a number of logistical changes in the Election Code identified by Legislative Counsel.

(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

SB 965* (Johnson-R) Statewide primary elections

Changes the date for a primary election to the first Tuesday in March of any year evenly divisible by four, and the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June of each even numbered year not evenly divisible by four.

(In Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

Similar legislation is AB 1300 (Leonard-R), which is in the Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee).

SB 976 (Polanco-D) Voting rights

Establishes criteria in state law through which the validity of at-large election systems can be challenged in court.

(On Senate Third Reading File)

SB 1028 (Senate Elections And Reapportionment Committee) Ballots: electronic voting device

Exempts electronic touchscreen voting devices from the requirement in law that a ballot contain a numbered stub.

(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

SB 1220 (Romero-D) Polling place designation

Prohibits a bar, tavern, saloon, or similar business establishment, that sells, exposes for sale or serves to the public any intoxicating liquor on the premises from being designated as a polling place. Makes this prohibition inapplicable to a restaurant or other bona fide public eating place that sells, exposes for sale, or serves to the public alcoholic beverages as an activity that is incidental to the primary activity of the business.

(In Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

AB 2 (Alquist-D) Late independent expenditure

Clarifies that independent expenditure committees who make a late independent expenditure and that also quality as a recipient committee during the late reporting period, must also file a statement of organization within 24 hours of qualification. Specifies that, in such cases, the statement of organization is to be filed with the regular filing officer, as well as filing locations required, for the candidate or candidates supported or opposed by the expenditure.

Chapter 901, Statutes of 2001

AB 55 (Shelley-D) Elections process

Makes numerous changes to the elections process, as follows:

1. Requires county elections officials to send an alternate residency confirmation postcard to any voter who did not vote or update registration information for four years.
2. Creates the Voting Modernization Commission.
3. Requires the Secretary of State (SOS) to assist counties to modernize their voting process.
4. Requires the SOS to establish a statewide voter education media campaign.
5. Establishes an Online Voting Program, as specified.
6. Requires additional training for pollworkers.
7. Requires voting materials at polling places be printed in large-size type and all polling places be wheelchair and stroller accessible.
8. Requires the SOS to study feasibility of extended polling hours, two-day elections and weekend voting.
9. Requires the State Department of Motor Vehicles employees to ask customers if he or she wishes to register to vote.
10. Creates the Voters Bill of Rights and requires the SOS to develop regulations to implement and clarify those rights. Specifies that the Bill of Rights is to be published in statewide ballots and displayed on SOS web site and any county office that maintains a web site.

(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 56* (Shelley-D) Voting Modernization Bond Act of 2002

Enacts the Voting Modernization Bond Act of 2002 by placing a bond act on the March primary ballot and authorizes counties to use bond funds for the purchase of updated voting systems in the amount of $200 million.

Chapter 902, Statutes of 2001

Similar legislation is AB 28 (Robert Pacheco-R), which is in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee.

AB 167 (Longville-D) Election ballots

Provides that the time and motion study developed by Riverside County in 1988 to claim reimbursement for its absentee ballot is valid through December 31, 1999, for the purpose of reimbursement from the state. Requires Riverside County to update its study, in consultation with the State Controller, for any future claims for reimbursement.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 183 (Longville-D) Elections: expenses

Removes the sunset date for the state payment of costs for special elections called by the Governor.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 229 (Wesson-D) Local initiative petitions

Extends the period in which signatures on local initiative petitions must be verified, from 30 days to 60 days, if a random sampling is involved.

Chapter 70, Statutes of 2001

AB 280 (Robert Pacheco-R) Precinct formation: voters

Increases the maximum number of voters allowed in a precinct to 1,250 registered voters in counties which have a population of one million or more residents, as estimated by the State Department of Finance. Specifies that these counties are Alameda, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego and Santa Clara.

Chapter 904, Statutes of 2001

AB 302 (Migden-D) Election ballots

Allows a voter to designate additional persons who may return his or her absentee ballot. Prohibits anyone officiated with a political campaign from returning an absentee ballot.

Chapter 916, Statutes of 2001

AB 319 (Salinas-D) Mail ballot elections

Allows local governing bodies in Monterey County to conduct all-mail ballot elections. Provides for a report to the Legislature and the Secretary of State regarding the success of the election, including statistics on the increase of voter fraud. Specifies the intent of the Legislature that the provisions of this act serve as a pilot program for future all-mailed ballot elections. Sunsets December 31, 2008.

Chapter 385, Statutes of 2001

AB 397 (Mountjoy-R) Voter identity: substantiation

Requires county elections officials to mail a certificate of registration to all registered voters and mandates use of this certificate as proof of identity when voting.

(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 492 (Oropeza-D) State employees: precinct board members

Allows state employees, pursuant to regulations adopted by the State Department of Personnel Administration and subject to the approval of his or her supervisor or manager, to receive full pay from the state while serving as a member of a precinct board on election day. Provides that "state employee" does not include any officer or employee appointed or employed by the Legislature, or any officer, deputy, or employee selected or appointed by an elected state officer.

Chapter 780, Statutes of 2001

AB 518 (Richman-R) Absentee ballots: military personnel

Requires elections officials to count an absentee ballot that is cast by a member of the United States military and is received up to five days prior to the date on which the election is certified, as specified.

(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 528 (Bill Campbell-R) Elections: ballots

Requires the entire text of any local school measure to be printed in the voter pamphlet or mailed to a voter at their request and at no cost.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 551 (Wesson-D) Voter registration.

Requires the distribution of voter registration cards to parents and guardians of new pupils in California's elementary and secondary schools.

(On Senate Inactive File)

AB 612 (Mountjoy-R) Absentee ballots: military personnel

Extends the time period for the receipt of absentee ballots of active military personnel stationed overseas to not later than 10 days after the election, provided the ballot is postmarked or signed and dated by the day of the election. Requires that the identification envelopes for all overseas absentee ballots contain a declaration by the voter stating the ballot was completed on or before election day.

(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

Similar legislation is AB 848 (Mountjoy-R), which failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 667 (Cox-R) Initiative petitions: costs to counties

Requires the state to reimburse counties for the costs associated with verifying certain statewide initiative petitions. Requires the state to reimburse the counties for verification at a rate of $0.50 per petition, if more than ten statewide initiative petitions are submitted in a two year period.

(In Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

AB 706 (Firebaugh-D) Campaign literature: State seal

Prohibits the use of the state seal or the seal of any county, city or county in campaign literature or mass mailings with the intent to deceive voters.

Chapter 387, Statutes of 2001

AB 719 (Wiggins-D) Absentee voters

Allows anyone required to work 24-hour shifts to apply for permanent absentee voter status.

Chapter 918, Statutes of 2001

AB 733 (Longville-D) Elections: extension of deadlines

Allows the court to extend a postelection statutory deadline when that deadline prevents the proper tabulation or recounting of ballots.

Chapter 919, Statute of 2001

AB 943 (Kelley-R) Voter registration and files

Reorganizes provisions governing the cancellation of voter registration and the maintenance of voter files by elections officials.

(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 980 (Pavley-D) Payment of petition circulators

Limits payment on a per-piece or per-signature basis for individuals gathering signatures, registering voters, or distributing absentee ballot applications.

(On Assembly Inactive File)

AB 1065 (Ashburn-R) Ballot recounts

Requires the Secretary of State to adopt regulations for recounting of ballots and codifies certain recount guidelines.

(Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee; reconsideration granted)

AB 1236 (Jackson-D) Initiatives

Requires an initiative petition to reflect, in specified language, whether it is being circulated by a person paid to collect signatures or by a volunteer and requires disclosure of major contributors, as specified, on the face of a petition.

(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 1351 (Cardoza-D) Statewide initiative petition: signature count

Clarifies that no signature on a statewide initiative petition may not be declared invalid because a voter has changed his or her residence address from one precinct to another within the same county.

(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 1371 (Cardoza-D) Statewide initiative petition

Provides that a signature on a section of an initiative petition may not be deemed invalid because of a technical irregularity in the declaration of the petition circulator.

(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 1496 (Wyland-R) Voter registration: unique identifier

Requires county elections officials to provide unique identification to each voter, pursuant to regulations of the Secretary of State.

(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 1500 (Hertzberg-D) Statewide initiatives

Makes various changes in the statewide initiative procedure.

(In Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)

AB 1513 (Shelley-D) Signature requirements

Permits the use of a person's mark where a signature is otherwise required by the Elections Code, if the person is unable to provide a signature and the mark is attested by a witness designated in a prescribed declaration of the person. Specifies that this provision of law does not supersede any provision of the Elections Code that expressly permits the use of a person's mark in lieu of a signature.

(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 1515 (Hertzberg-D) Special elections

Requires that a special election to fill a vacancy in the office of representatives in Congress, State Senate, or the Assembly, be conducted using an instant run-off voting method.

(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendment Committee)

AB 1520 (Shelley-D) Elections

Authorizes any voter to apply for permanent absent voter status and increases the penalty for willfully interfering with the return of a completed absent voter ballot from a misdemeanor to imprisonment in a county jail for up to six months, or a fine of up to $10,000, or both. Provides that only one signature is required attesting to a voter's mark on an absentee ballot envelope. Requires the Secretary of State to report annually on the impact of permitting all voters to apply for permanent voter status.

Chapter 922, Statutes of 2001

Similar legislation is AB 1542 (Shelley-D), which is in the Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 1585 (Ashburn-R) Precinct board members

Requires the stipend for a precinct board member to be not less than double the amount that the governing body of the jurisdiction in which an election is held is paid to a member of the precinct board for services rendered during the November 7, 2000 general election.

(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 1610 (Wright-D) Voting by prisoners

Requires a local detention facility to provide, upon request, an affidavit of registration or an application for an absentee ballot, or both, to a prisoner who is otherwise eligible to vote. Requires the local detention facility to allow the prisoner to mail a completed affidavit of registration or application for absentee ballot to the appropriate county elections official, to vote his or her absentee ballot and mail it to the appropriate elections official.

(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 1651 (Maldonado-R) Absentee ballots

Requires county elections officials to develop voter education for absentee voters. Appropriates $10 million.

(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 1667 (Ashburn-R) Voter registration: residency confirmation

Requires county elections officials to verify the residency of a voter after a primary election.

(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

AB 1688 (Assembly Elections, Reapportionment And Constitutional Amendments Committee) Elections: direct primary

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

(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1711 (Assembly Elections, Reapportionment And Constitutional Amendments Committee) Voter registration index

Modifies the manner in which county election officials provide indexes of voter registration. Permits county election officials to furnish one copy of the indexes, in electronic form, to a requesting state or county party central committee, in lieu of furnishing two copies in print.

Chapter 923, Statutes of 2001

AB 1712 (Assembly Elections, Reapportionment And Constitutional Amendments Committee) Special elections

Permits special elections for local initiatives to be consolidated with the November statewide general election. Provides that if a special election for a local initiative falls between the March statewide primary election and the November statewide general election, then the special election for the initiative may be consolidated with the November statewide general election. Specifies that the decision regarding consolidation is to be made by the governing board of the jurisdiction.

Chapter 924, Statutes of 2001

AB 1714 (Assembly Elections, Reapportionment And Constitutional Amendments Committee) Voter registration

Makes conforming changes to implement the 15-day close of registration. Requires that a voter notification card inform a voter who registers after the 29th day prior to an election that they are eligible to vote, but that their name will not appear on the official index at their polling location. Specifies that an eligible voter, whose name does not appear on the official index kept at the polling location, may vote using a provisional ballot.

(On Senate Inactive File)

ACA 1 (Nation-D) Election of judges

Provides that all judges appear on the ballot uncontested, with the question presented whether the candidate shall be elected.

(In Assembly Judiciary Committee)

ACA 3 (Papan-D) Term limits

Revises the number of terms that each Senator and member of the Assembly can serve in the State Legislature -- six terms for the Assembly and three terms in the Senate.

(On Assembly Inactive File)

ACA 6 (Wyland-R) Initiatives: public funds

Prohibits any state or local government agency from expending any public finds to initiate any court action to nullify or stop an initiative measure that has been adopted by the voters.

(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)

ACA 9 (Longville-D) Right to have vote counted

Specifies that a voter who casts a vote in an election shall have that vote counted.

Resolution Chapter 114, Statutes of 2001

ACA 14 (Hertzberg-D) Statewide initiative measures

Requires all provisions of an initiative measure be functionally related and reasonably germane to each other. Provides for a legislative review process at the option of the proponent or proponents.

(In Assembly Rules Committee)

Reapportionment

Every ten years, the Legislature is required, by the Constitution, to redraw Senate, Assembly, Congressional and State Board of Equalization districts to reflect the population count done by the census.

SB 802* (Senate Elections And Reapportionment Committee) Assembly and Board of Equalization districts

Specifies the legal descriptions of new Assembly and State Board of Equalization districts.

Chapter 349, Statutes of 2001

AB 632* (Cedillo-D) Senate and Congressional districts

Specifies the legal descriptions of new Senate and Congressional districts.

Chapter 348, Statutes of 2001

ACR 1 (Leonard-R) Redistricting: criteria

Specifies that when the Legislature undertakes its constitutional responsibility to adjust the boundaries of California's Assembly, Senate, Congressional and Board of Equalization districts, it is to do so using only criteria required or permitted by the U.S. Constitution, the California Constitution, or the Voting Rights Act of 1965, including, but not limited to certain objective criteria.

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

HR 6 (Leonard-R) Reapportionment criteria

Adds rules to the Assembly Rules containing a process for how the Assembly should handle reapportionment.

(Died in Assembly Rules Committee)

Index (in Bill Order)