ELECTIONS

• AB 34, Valencia. Elections: County of Orange Citizens Redistricting Commission. Creates a Citizens Redistricting Commission (commission) in Orange County, as specified. An act to add Chapter 6.9 (commencing with Section 21580) to Division 21 of the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• AB 63, Cervantes. Canvass of the vote: reporting results. Requires elections officials to update election results at least once a week until the results are complete, except as specified. Requires the Secretary of State (SOS) to inform the Legislature if a candidate who apparently was elected to the Legislature was not continuously registered to vote in the district in which the candidate was running between the date that the candidate filed for office and the date on which the SOS notifies the Legislature that the person apparently was elected. An act to add Sections 15306 and 15504.5 to the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• AB 292, Pellerin. Primary elections: ballots. Requires a nonpartisan ballot provided to a voter who has declined to disclose a political party preference (commonly referred to as a No Party Preference (NPP) voter) for use in voting during a presidential primary election to have specified information that advises how a voter may request and vote a partisan ballot (also known as a crossover ballot). Permits an NPP voter to send a text message to request the ballot of a political party that has authorized a NPP voter to vote in its partisan primary election, as specified. An act to amend Section 13502 of, and to add Section 13502.5 to, the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• AB 398, Pellerin. Voting: replacement ballots. This bill allows an elections official to provide a replacement vote by mail (VBM) ballot to a voter without the need for the voter to provide a specified statement under penalty of perjury. An act to amend Sections 3014 and 3109 of the Elections Code, relating to voting.

• AB 421, Bryan. Elections: referendum measures. Requires, for a state referendum that voters be asked to choose between the options "Keep the law" or "Overturn the law" rather than being asked to vote "Yes" or "No." Requires the top campaign funders of an effort to qualify a state referendum to be listed in the state voter information guide. An act to amend Sections 303.5, 9033, 9050, 9051, 9086, 13120, and 13247 of, and to add Section 303.1 to, the Elections Code, and to amend Section 88002 of the Government Code, relating to elections, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

• AB 507, Bryan. Presidential electors. This bill requires the Governor to designate an alternative location for California's presidential electors to meet if it is unsafe for the electors to meet at the State Capitol due to a state of emergency.

• AB 507 also changes the date that electors meet to conform to a recent change in federal law. An act to amend Sections 6904, 6909, 6918, and 16003 of the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• AB 531, Irwin. The Behavioral Health Infrastructure Bond Act of 2023. Creates the Behavioral Health Infrastructure Bond Act of 2024 (Bond) to, subject to voter approval, authorize $6.380 billion in general obligation (GO) bonds to finance permanent supportive housing for veterans and others, as well as, unlocked and locked behavioral health treatment and residential settings for individuals experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness with severe behavioral health challenges. Allows for by right streamlined, ministerial review for capital projects funded by the bond. An act to add Section 50675.1.5 to the Health and Safety Code, and to add Section 5960.31 to, to add Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 5965) to Part 7 of Division 5 of, and to repeal Section 5960.45 of, the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to behavioral health, by providing the funds necessary therefor through an election for the issuance and sale of bonds of the State of California and for the handling and disposition of those funds.

• AB 545, Pellerin. Elections: access for voters with disabilities. This bill permits a voter with a disability to vote by regular ballot outside any polling place (also referred to as "curbside" voting). This bill also eliminates provisions of law that require a voter to declare under oath that they are unable to mark their ballot in order to receive assistance marking their ballot. An act to amend Sections 14105 and 14282 of the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• AB 626, Pellerin. Voting: returning vote by mail ballots in person. This bill authorizes a voter to return their vote by mail (VBM) ballot to an in-person voting location, without placing the ballot into a ballot identification envelope if specified conditions are met An act to add Section 3016.5 to the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• AB 764, Bryan. Local redistricting. Makes special districts, school districts, community college districts, and county boards of education subject to similar criteria and process requirements that apply to counties and cities that are adjusting the boundaries of the districts used to elect members of their governing bodies. Increases the public hearing and outreach requirements that apply to all local jurisdictions as part of the process for adopting or adjusting boundaries. An act to amend Section 35 of the Code of Civil Procedure, to amend Sections 1002, 5019, 5019.5, 5020, 5021, 5023, 5027, and 5028 of, to repeal Section 5019.7 of, and to repeal and add Section 1005 of, the Education Code, to amend Sections 21500, 21500.1, 21503, 21506, 21534, 21544, 21552, 21564, 21574, 21600, 21601, 21603, 21605, 21606, 21620, 21621, 21623, 21625, 21626, 21630, 22000, 23002, and 23003 of, to add Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 21100) to Division 21 of, to repeal Sections 21501, 21507, 21507.1, 21508, 21509, 21602, 21607, 21607.1, 21608, 21609, 21622, 21627, 21627.1, 21628, 21629, and 22002 of, and to repeal and add Section 22001 of, the Elections Code, and to amend Sections 34874, 34877.5, 34884, 34886, and 57301 of the Government Code, relating to elections.

• AB 773, Pellerin. Elections: filings. Requires all arguments and rebuttals related to a ballot measure in a district or school district that encompasses more than one county to be submitted to a "lead county," as specified. Requires a county elections official to post and accept an electronic submission of a form to be used by a candidate to submit a candidate statement for inclusion in the voter information guide. Allows a candidate running in a multicounty district to submit a hard copy of their candidate statement form by mail, instead of in person, as specified. An act to amend Section 13307.7 of, and to add Section 9611 to, the Elections Code, relating to elections, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

• AB 910, Wilson. County officers: auditors: qualifications. Revises the qualifications for the office of county auditor, and makes changes to elections law regarding the documents that are required for a person to become a legally qualified candidate for specified offices and to have their name printed on the ballot for a direct primary. An act to amend Sections 13.5 and 8020 of the Elections Code, and to amend Section 26945 of the Government Code, relating to county officers.

• AB 969, Pellerin. Elections: voting systems. Prohibits an elections official from performing a manual vote count in an election held on an established election date if there are more than 1,000 eligible registered voters, or an election held on a date other than an established election date if there are more than 5,000 eligible registered voters, as specified. Requires an elections official or any jurisdiction that administers elections to use a certified voting system for accessible voting and to tabulate votes, and prohibits a jurisdiction from terminating a contract for an existing certified voting system, unless the jurisdiction has a plan to transition to a new voting system and has signed a new contract for a certified voting system. An act to add Sections 15270.1, 15270.2, 15270.3, and 19207.5 to, the Elections Code, relating to elections, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

• AB 1037, Berman. Vote by mail ballots: signature verification. Permits a voter who has a missing signature or a mismatched signature on their vote by mail (VBM) ballot identification envelope to return a completed signature verification statement or unsigned identification envelope statement by electronic means, in addition to those permitted under existing law, if such means are made available by the elections official, as specified. An act to amend Section 3019 of the Elections Code, relating to voting.

• AB 1219, Berman. Elections: ballots. Deletes, revises, and recasts ballot design requirements, as specified. An act to amend Sections 302, 303.3, 305, 6821, 10704, 11320, 11322, 11323, 13105, 13200, 13202, 13203, 13206.5, 13208, 13209, 13210, 13211, 13211.5, 13212, 13213, 13214, 13233, 14286, 14443, 15210, and 15360 of, to add Section 11322.5 to, to repeal Sections 13216.5, 13260, 13261, 13262, 13263, 13264, 13265, 13266, 13267, and 15211 of, and to repeal and add Sections 301, 303, 13204, 13206, 13216, 14284, and 14285 of, the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• AB 1227, Low. Elections: County of Santa Clara. Allows Santa Clara County to use ranked choice voting (RCV) to elect county officers. An act to add Section 24206 to the Government Code, relating to elections.

• AB 1539, Berman. Elections: double voting. This bill prohibits a person from voting in an election in California and in an election in another state on the same date. An act to add Section 18560.1 to the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• AB 1761, Committee on Elections. Citizens Redistricting Commission: governance. Specifies that for the purpose of state law governing the operations of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission (Commission), a "day" is calculated as the period of elapsed time that begins at midnight and ends 24 hours later at the next midnight, as specified. An act to amend Sections 8251 and 8253 of the Government Code, relating to redistricting.

• AB 1762, Committee on Elections. Elections omnibus bill. Makes various minor and technical changes to the Elections Code. An act to amend Sections 9, 357.5, 2170, 3025.5, 3025.7, 4005, 4005.6, 13107, 14212, 15621, 15646, 16401, 16421 of, and to repeal Section 4007 of, the Elections Code, relating to elections. 2023 Assembly Elections Laws • AB 34, Valencia. Elections: County of Orange Citizens Redistricting Commission. Creates a Citizens Redistricting Commission (commission) in Orange County, as specified. An act to add Chapter 6.9 (commencing with Section 21580) to Division 21 of the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• AB 63, Cervantes. Canvass of the vote: reporting results. Requires elections officials to update election results at least once a week until the results are complete, except as specified. Requires the Secretary of State (SOS) to inform the Legislature if a candidate who apparently was elected to the Legislature was not continuously registered to vote in the district in which the candidate was running between the date that the candidate filed for office and the date on which the SOS notifies the Legislature that the person apparently was elected. An act to add Sections 15306 and 15504.5 to the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• AB 292, Pellerin. Primary elections: ballots. Requires a nonpartisan ballot provided to a voter who has declined to disclose a political party preference (commonly referred to as a No Party Preference (NPP) voter) for use in voting during a presidential primary election to have specified information that advises how a voter may request and vote a partisan ballot (also known as a crossover ballot). Permits an NPP voter to send a text message to request the ballot of a political party that has authorized a NPP voter to vote in its partisan primary election, as specified. An act to amend Section 13502 of, and to add Section 13502.5 to, the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• AB 398, Pellerin. Voting: replacement ballots. This bill allows an elections official to provide a replacement vote by mail (VBM) ballot to a voter without the need for the voter to provide a specified statement under penalty of perjury. An act to amend Sections 3014 and 3109 of the Elections Code, relating to voting.

• AB 421, Bryan. Elections: referendum measures. Requires, for a state referendum that voters be asked to choose between the options "Keep the law" or "Overturn the law" rather than being asked to vote "Yes" or "No." Requires the top campaign funders of an effort to qualify a state referendum to be listed in the state voter information guide. An act to amend Sections 303.5, 9033, 9050, 9051, 9086, 13120, and 13247 of, and to add Section 303.1 to, the Elections Code, and to amend Section 88002 of the Government Code, relating to elections, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

• AB 507, Bryan. Presidential electors. This bill requires the Governor to designate an alternative location for California's presidential electors to meet if it is unsafe for the electors to meet at the State Capitol due to a state of emergency.

• AB 507 also changes the date that electors meet to conform to a recent change in federal law. An act to amend Sections 6904, 6909, 6918, and 16003 of the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• AB 531, Irwin. The Behavioral Health Infrastructure Bond Act of 2023. Creates the Behavioral Health Infrastructure Bond Act of 2024 (Bond) to, subject to voter approval, authorize $6.380 billion in general obligation (GO) bonds to finance permanent supportive housing for veterans and others, as well as, unlocked and locked behavioral health treatment and residential settings for individuals experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness with severe behavioral health challenges. Allows for by right streamlined, ministerial review for capital projects funded by the bond. An act to add Section 50675.1.5 to the Health and Safety Code, and to add Section 5960.31 to, to add Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 5965) to Part 7 of Division 5 of, and to repeal Section 5960.45 of, the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to behavioral health, by providing the funds necessary therefor through an election for the issuance and sale of bonds of the State of California and for the handling and disposition of those funds.

• AB 545, Pellerin. Elections: access for voters with disabilities. This bill permits a voter with a disability to vote by regular ballot outside any polling place (also referred to as "curbside" voting). This bill also eliminates provisions of law that require a voter to declare under oath that they are unable to mark their ballot in order to receive assistance marking their ballot. An act to amend Sections 14105 and 14282 of the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• AB 626, Pellerin. Voting: returning vote by mail ballots in person. This bill authorizes a voter to return their vote by mail (VBM) ballot to an in-person voting location, without placing the ballot into a ballot identification envelope if specified conditions are met An act to add Section 3016.5 to the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• AB 764, Bryan. Local redistricting. Makes special districts, school districts, community college districts, and county boards of education subject to similar criteria and process requirements that apply to counties and cities that are adjusting the boundaries of the districts used to elect members of their governing bodies. Increases the public hearing and outreach requirements that apply to all local jurisdictions as part of the process for adopting or adjusting boundaries. An act to amend Section 35 of the Code of Civil Procedure, to amend Sections 1002, 5019, 5019.5, 5020, 5021, 5023, 5027, and 5028 of, to repeal Section 5019.7 of, and to repeal and add Section 1005 of, the Education Code, to amend Sections 21500, 21500.1, 21503, 21506, 21534, 21544, 21552, 21564, 21574, 21600, 21601, 21603, 21605, 21606, 21620, 21621, 21623, 21625, 21626, 21630, 22000, 23002, and 23003 of, to add Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 21100) to Division 21 of, to repeal Sections 21501, 21507, 21507.1, 21508, 21509, 21602, 21607, 21607.1, 21608, 21609, 21622, 21627, 21627.1, 21628, 21629, and 22002 of, and to repeal and add Section 22001 of, the Elections Code, and to amend Sections 34874, 34877.5, 34884, 34886, and 57301 of the Government Code, relating to elections.

• AB 773, Pellerin. Elections: filings. Requires all arguments and rebuttals related to a ballot measure in a district or school district that encompasses more than one county to be submitted to a "lead county," as specified. Requires a county elections official to post and accept an electronic submission of a form to be used by a candidate to submit a candidate statement for inclusion in the voter information guide. Allows a candidate running in a multicounty district to submit a hard copy of their candidate statement form by mail, instead of in person, as specified. An act to amend Section 13307.7 of, and to add Section 9611 to, the Elections Code, relating to elections, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

• AB 910, Wilson. County officers: auditors: qualifications. Revises the qualifications for the office of county auditor, and makes changes to elections law regarding the documents that are required for a person to become a legally qualified candidate for specified offices and to have their name printed on the ballot for a direct primary. An act to amend Sections 13.5 and 8020 of the Elections Code, and to amend Section 26945 of the Government Code, relating to county officers.

• AB 969, Pellerin. Elections: voting systems. Prohibits an elections official from performing a manual vote count in an election held on an established election date if there are more than 1,000 eligible registered voters, or an election held on a date other than an established election date if there are more than 5,000 eligible registered voters, as specified. Requires an elections official or any jurisdiction that administers elections to use a certified voting system for accessible voting and to tabulate votes, and prohibits a jurisdiction from terminating a contract for an existing certified voting system, unless the jurisdiction has a plan to transition to a new voting system and has signed a new contract for a certified voting system. An act to add Sections 15270.1, 15270.2, 15270.3, and 19207.5 to, the Elections Code, relating to elections, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

• AB 1037, Berman. Vote by mail ballots: signature verification. Permits a voter who has a missing signature or a mismatched signature on their vote by mail (VBM) ballot identification envelope to return a completed signature verification statement or unsigned identification envelope statement by electronic means, in addition to those permitted under existing law, if such means are made available by the elections official, as specified. An act to amend Section 3019 of the Elections Code, relating to voting.

• AB 1219, Berman. Elections: ballots. Deletes, revises, and recasts ballot design requirements, as specified. An act to amend Sections 302, 303.3, 305, 6821, 10704, 11320, 11322, 11323, 13105, 13200, 13202, 13203, 13206.5, 13208, 13209, 13210, 13211, 13211.5, 13212, 13213, 13214, 13233, 14286, 14443, 15210, and 15360 of, to add Section 11322.5 to, to repeal Sections 13216.5, 13260, 13261, 13262, 13263, 13264, 13265, 13266, 13267, and 15211 of, and to repeal and add Sections 301, 303, 13204, 13206, 13216, 14284, and 14285 of, the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• AB 1227, Low. Elections: County of Santa Clara. Allows Santa Clara County to use ranked choice voting (RCV) to elect county officers. An act to add Section 24206 to the Government Code, relating to elections.

• AB 1539, Berman. Elections: double voting. This bill prohibits a person from voting in an election in California and in an election in another state on the same date. An act to add Section 18560.1 to the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• AB 1761, Committee on Elections. Citizens Redistricting Commission: governance. Specifies that for the purpose of state law governing the operations of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission (Commission), a "day" is calculated as the period of elapsed time that begins at midnight and ends 24 hours later at the next midnight, as specified. An act to amend Sections 8251 and 8253 of the Government Code, relating to redistricting.

• AB 1762, Committee on Elections. Elections omnibus bill. Makes various minor and technical changes to the Elections Code. An act to amend Sections 9, 357.5, 2170, 3025.5, 3025.7, 4005, 4005.6, 13107, 14212, 15621, 15646, 16401, 16421 of, and to repeal Section 4007 of, the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• SB 25, Skinner. Declaration of candidacy: notary. Permits a candidate who will not be in California during the candidate nomination period to appear before a notary public of another state to complete their declaration of candidacy. An act to amend Section 8040 of the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• SB 29, Glazer. The Political Reform Act of 1974: Fair Political Practices Commission: political reform education program. This bill codifies a political reform education program (PREP) into the Political Reform Act of 1974 (PRA) for low-level violations of the PRA as an alternative to an administrative proceeding, as specified. An act to amend Section 91013 of, and to add Section 83116.7 to, the Government Code, relating to the Political Reform Act of 1974, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

• SB 77, Umberg. Voting: signature verification: notice. This bill requires an election official to notify a voter by telephone, text message, or email of the opportunity for a voter to verify their signature if the voter's signature did not compare to the signature on file, or to provide a signature if the voter's signature was missing. An act to amend Sections 3019 and 3026 of the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• SB 297, Allen. Elections: initiatives and referenda: withdrawal. This bill permits the proponents of a statewide initiative or referendum to withdraw the measure contingent on the enactment of a particular legislative measure. This bill also reduces, from all to a majority of the proponents, the number of proponents of a statewide initiative or referendum who must agree to withdraw the measure after the petitions for that measure have been filed, as specified. An act to amend Section 9604 of the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• SB 314, Ashby. County of Sacramento Redistricting Commission. This bill establishes the Citizens Redistricting Commission for Sacramento County (CRCSC) to be tasked with adjusting the boundary lines of the supervisorial districts of Sacramento County, as specified. An act to add Chapter 6.10 (commencing with Section 21590) to Division 21 of the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• SB 386, Newman. Elections. This bill extends signature verification periods within which the election officials must complete their determination of the number of qualified signatures on various state and local petitions, as specified. This bill also requires city election officials to publish a public notice with specified city election information no later than three days before the deadline for nomination papers, as specified. Finally, this bill repeals obsolete ballot language as it relates to presidential elections. An act to amend Sections 9031, 9115, 9309, 11106, and 11225 of, to add Section 10224.5 to, and to repeal Section 13205 of, the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• SB 437, Dodd. Presidential elections: candidates. This bill requires each political party to notify the Secretary of State (SOS) of the names of the party's nominees for President and Vice President of the United States by the 75th day before a presidential general election. This bill also specifies the existing prohibition on printing a candidate's new name on the ballot if the candidate's name was changed within one year of an election does not apply to candidates for President and Vice President. An act to amend Section 13104 of, and to add Section 6901.5 to, the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• SB 485, Becker. Elections: election worker protections. This bill provides additional specificity for penal provisions within the Elections Code as it pertains to a person who interferes with the officers holding an election, officers conducting a canvass, or with voters lawfully exercising their rights of voting at an election. An act to amend Sections 18502 and 18540 of the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• SB 494, Newman. School district governing boards: meetings: school district superintendents and assistant superintendents: termination. This bill prohibits the governing board of a school district from taking action to terminate a superintendent or assistant superintendent of the school district, or both, without cause, at a special or emergency meeting of the governing board. This bill also prohibits the governing board of a school district from terminating a superintendent or assistant superintendent of the school district, or both, without cause, within 30 days after the first convening of the governing board after an election at which one or more members of the governing board are elected or recalled. An act to add Section 35150 to the Education Code, relating to school districts.

• SB 658, McGuire. Nominations: tax return disclosures: candidates for Governor. This bill makes various changes to statutory guidelines for submitting and disclosing a gubernatorial candidate's income tax returns. An act to amend Sections 8901, 8902, and 8903 of the Elections Code, relating to elections.

• SB 678, Umberg. Elections: disclosures. This bill requires disclosure disclaimers when a person is paid by a committee to post online political content in support of or opposition to candidates and measures. An act to add Section 84513 to the Government Code, relating to the Political Reform Act of 1974.

• SB 789, Allen. Elections: Senate Constitutional Amendment 2 of the 2021-22 Regular Session and Assembly Constitutional Amendment 5 of the 2023-24 Regular Session. This bill moves SCA 2 (Allen, Resolution Chapter 182, Statutes of 2022) and ACA 5 (Low, Resolution Chapter 125, Statutes of 2023) from the March 5, 2024 statewide primary election to the November 5, 2024 statewide general election. The bill also places ACA 1 (Aguiar-Curry, 2023), if adopted by the Legislature, to the November 5, 2024 statewide general election. An act relating to elections, and calling an election, to take effect immediately.

• SB 798, Glazer. Elections: local bond measures: tax rate statement. Requires the tax rate statement that is required to be included in the sample ballot for local bond measures to include a tax rate per $100,000 of assessed valuation on all property to be taxed to fund a bond issue, instead of a tax rate per $100 of assessed valuation on all property to be taxed to fund the bond. An act to amend Section 9401 of the Elections Code, relating to elections.