Today's Law As Amended


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AB-1412 Vote by mail.(2011-2012)



As Amends the Law Today


SECTION 1.

 Section 302 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

302.
 “Ballot card” means a card or a number of cards upon which are printed, or identified by reference to the ballot, the names of candidates for nomination or election to one or more offices or the ballot titles of one or more measures. The ballot card shall also contain proper  blank spaces to allow the voter to write in names not printed on the ballot. ballot unless a separate write-in ballot is used. The separate write-in ballot may be a paper ballot, a card, or the envelope used to enclose a ballot card. Determination of the format of a separate write-in ballot shall be within the discretion of the elections board. The separate write-in ballot shall provide a blank space followed by the word “office” and a second blank space followed by the word “name” for purposes of facilitating write-in votes for offices for which write-in votes may be cast, or may provide a space for writing in the name followed by a space for punching or slotting in order that the vote may be tabulated. All separate write-in ballots may, in the discretion of the elections board, have attached thereto two stubs that comply with Section 13261 regarding the stubs attached to a ballot card, except that the information required under subparagraphs (C) to (G), inclusive, of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 13261 and instructions to voters on how to vote for persons whose names do not appear on the ballot may be printed on the write-in ballot and not upon a stub. Any serial numbers appearing on the write-in ballot stubs need not be identical to the serial numbers appearing on the stubs attached to the ballot card or cards handed to the voter. Sections 13002 to 13006, inclusive, shall not apply to the preparation and composition of separate write-in ballots authorized by this section. Sections 14403 and 14404 shall not apply to separate write-in ballots used in an election in which a punchcard voting system is used. 

SEC. 2.

 Section 10405.7 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

10405.7.
 (a) The resolution of the community college district governing board to establish an election day pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1302 shall be adopted and submitted to the board of supervisors not later than 240 days prior to the date of the currently scheduled election for the governing board members of the community college district.
(b) The final date for the submission of the resolution by the community college district governing board to the board of supervisors is not subject to waiver.
(c) The board of supervisors shall notify all community college districts located in the county of the receipt of the resolution to consolidate and shall request input from each district on the effect of consolidation.
(d) (1) The board of supervisors, within 60 days from the date of submission, shall approve the resolution unless it finds that the ballot style, voting equipment, or computer capacity is such that additional elections or materials cannot be handled. Prior to the adoption of a resolution to either approve or deny a consolidation request, the board or boards of supervisors may each obtain from the elections official a report on the cost-effectiveness of the proposed action.
(2) Public notices of the proceedings in which the resolution is to be considered for adoption shall be made pursuant to Section 25151 of the Government Code.
(e) Within 30 days after the approval of the resolution by the board of supervisors, the elections official shall notify all registered voters of the districts affected by the consolidation of the approval of the resolution by the board of supervisors. The notice shall be delivered by mail and at the expense of the community college district.
(f) An election day established pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1302 shall be prescribed to occur not less than one month, nor more than 12 months, subsequent to the election day prescribed in Section 5000 of the Education Code. As used in this subdivision, “12 months” means the period from the election day prescribed in Section 5000 of the Education Code to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in the 12th month subsequent to that day, inclusive.
(g) If, pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1302, a district governing board member election is held on the same day as a statewide general election, those district governing board members whose four-year terms of office would have, prior to the adoption of the resolution, expired prior to that election shall, instead, continue in their offices until successors are elected and qualified.

SEC. 3.

 Section 12172.5 of the Government Code is amended to read:

12172.5.
 (a)  The Secretary of State is the chief elections officer of the state, and shall administer the provisions of the Elections Code. The Secretary of State shall see that elections are efficiently conducted and that state election laws are enforced. The Secretary of State may require elections officers to make reports concerning elections in their jurisdictions, which may include information about the identity of, and contact information for, the elections official who is responsible for conducting elections in the jurisdiction. jurisdictions. 
(b)  If, at any time, the Secretary of State concludes that state election laws are not being enforced, the Secretary of State shall call the violation to the attention of the district attorney of the county or to the Attorney General. In these instances, the Secretary of State may assist the county elections officer in discharging the officer’s  his or her  duties.
(c)  In order to determine whether an elections law violation has occurred, occurred  the Secretary of State may examine voted, unvoted, spoiled, spoiled  and canceled ballots, vote-counting computer programs, vote by mail ballot envelopes and applications, and supplies referred to in Section 14432 of the Elections Code. The Secretary of State may also examine any other records of elections officials as the Secretary of State  he or she  finds necessary in making a determination under this subdivision,  his or her determination,  subject to the restrictions set forth in Article 2 (commencing with Section 7924.100) of Chapter 2 of Part 5 of Division 10 of Title 1. Section 6253.5. 
(d)  The Secretary of State may adopt regulations to ensure assure  the uniform application and administration of state election laws.

SEC. 4.

 Section 11507 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read:

11507.
 “Percent of the total vote cast,” when used with reference to the requirements of any petition or nomination paper, means percent of the total vote cast, exclusive of vote by mail ballots, within the proposed district, district, proposed special district, special district, or territory proposed to be annexed to a district, as the case may be at the last statewide general election.

SEC. 5.

 Section 24507 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read:

24507.
 “Percent of the total vote cast,” when used with reference to the requirements of any petition or nomination paper, means percent of the total vote cast, exclusive of vote by mail ballots, within the proposed district, district, city or territory, as the case may be at the last statewide general election.