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SB-970 Primary election date.(2019-2020)



Current Version: 09/18/20 - Chaptered

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SB970:v94#DOCUMENT

Senate Bill No. 970
CHAPTER 111

An act to amend Sections 316, 340, 1000, 1001, 1201, and 1202 of the Elections Code, relating to elections.

[ Approved by Governor  September 18, 2020. Filed with Secretary of State  September 18, 2020. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 970, Umberg. Primary election date.
Existing law requires that the statewide direct primary be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March in each even-numbered year. Existing law requires that the presidential primary be held on that same date in any year that is evenly divisible by 4.
This bill would change the date of the statewide direct primary to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June in even-numbered years in which there is no presidential primary.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) California voters approved the Voters FIRST Act in 2008 and the Voters FIRST Act for Congress in 2010, which together established the Citizens Redistricting Commission and made the commission responsible for adjusting the boundary lines of the congressional, State Senatorial, Assembly, and Board of Equalization districts based on the federal decennial census and in conformity with standards set forth in both the federal and state constitutions.
(b) The commission is required to conduct an open and transparent process enabling full public consideration of and comment on the drawing of district lines. That process includes holding public hearings both before and after releasing draft and final plans and providing adequate public comment periods after any plans are released.
(c) The commission cannot draw new district lines until it receives census data from the United States Census Bureau. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States Census Bureau has announced that release of census data to California will be delayed up to four months to July 31, 2021. As a result, the commission will not have sufficient time to undertake the redistricting process as required by the Voters FIRST Act and the Voters FIRST Act for Congress and to approve new district boundaries that will be in place in time for a statewide direct primary election held in March 2022. Therefore, the Legislature finds that the 2022 statewide direct primary election must be moved back to June 7, 2022.

SEC. 2.

 Section 316 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

316.
 “Direct primary” is the primary election held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June in each even-numbered year that is not evenly divisible by four and on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March in each even-numbered year that is evenly divisible by four.

SEC. 3.

 Section 340 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

340.
 “Presidential primary” is the primary election that is held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March of any year that is evenly divisible by four.

SEC. 4.

 Section 1000 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

1000.
 The established election dates are as follows:
(a) The first Tuesday after the first Monday in March of each even-numbered year that is evenly divisible by four.
(b) The first Tuesday after the first Monday in March of each odd-numbered year.
(c) The second Tuesday of April in each even-numbered year.
(d) The first Tuesday after the first Monday in June in each even-numbered year that is not evenly divisible by four.
(e) The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each year.

SEC. 5.

 Section 1001 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

1001.
 The following are statewide elections and their dates are statewide election dates:
(a) An election held in November of an even-numbered year.
(b) An election held in June of an even-numbered year that is not evenly divisible by four and in March of each even-numbered year that is evenly divisible by four.

SEC. 6.

 Section 1201 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

1201.
 The statewide direct primary shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June of each even-numbered year that is not evenly divisible by four and on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March in each even-numbered year that is evenly divisible by four.

SEC. 7.

 Section 1202 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

1202.
 The presidential primary shall be consolidated with the statewide direct primary in any year that is evenly divisible by four, and the consolidated primary shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March.