California 2011-2012 Regular Session Status: Enacted

AB 503 — Processing write-in votes.

Last action — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 190, Statutes of 2011.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Assembly
  4. ✓
    Passed Senate
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 15, 2011. Enacted.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 72% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 2 sponsors

    1 primary, 1 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 5 recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

Existing law prescribes the procedure for conducting an official canvass of election results, including the manner in which a name written upon a ballot for a qualified write-in candidate is to be counted for the office. Existing law, with regard to voting systems in which write-in spaces appear directly below the list of candidates for that office and provide a voting space, prohibits an elections official from counting a write-in vote unless the voting space next to the write-in space is marked or slotted as directed in the voting instructions. This bill, as an exception to that prohibition, would authorize the elections official, after tallying all eligible votes but prior to completion of the official canvass and the issuance of the certified statement of the results, and upon the request of a qualified write-in candidate for an examination of undervotes that is received within 5 days of completion of the semi-official canvass, to hand tally the remaining undervotes if specified conditions are applicable. If an elections official conducts a hand tally pursuant to this authority, the bill would require the elections official to include the results in the official canvass of the election.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 190, Statutes of 2011.

  2. Approved by the Governor.

  3. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 1:30 p.m.

  4. In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.

  5. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 23. Noes 14. Page 1850.).

  6. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  7. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 3. Noes 2.) (June 21).

  8. Referred to Com. on E. & C.A.

  9. In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

  10. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 53. Noes 23. Page 1731.)

  11. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  12. Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

  13. From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 12. Noes 5.) (May 27).

  14. In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  15. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (April 12). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  16. Re-referred to Com. on E. & R.

  17. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on E. & R. Read second time and amended.

  18. In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

  19. Referred to Com. on E. & R.

  20. From printer. May be heard in committee March 18.

  21. Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

  • Block · Primary
  • Vargas · Cosponsor

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 1 co-sponsors · 120 not signed on · 6 voted No

Sponsors (1)

  • Block

Co-sponsors (1)

  • Vargas

Not signed on (120)

120 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 120 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

3rd Reading AB503 Block By Vargas

Passed 23 Yea · 14 Nay · 3 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 211303
Democratic 2000
Republican 0100
Total 231403
% of votes cast 58%35%0%8%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Yee — Yea
Hancock — Yea
Hernandez — Yea
Lieu — Yea
Liu — Yea
Simitian — Yea
Wyland — Nay
Lowenthal — Yea
De León — Yea
Negrete McLeod — Yea
Rubio — Yea
Evans — Not Voting
Fuller — Nay
Runner — Nay
Cannella — Nay
Huff — Nay
Kehoe — Yea
Leno — Yea
Alquist — Yea
Blakeslee — Nay
Corbett — Yea
Dutton — Nay
Pavley — Yea
Steinberg — Yea
Vargas — Yea
Walters — Nay
Wright — Yea
Anderson — Nay
Harman — Not Voting
Price — Yea
Wolk — Not Voting
Emmerson — Nay
Correa — Yea
DeSaulnier — Yea
Beth Gaines — Nay
Bill Berryhill — Nay
La Malfa — Nay
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea
Strickland, Tony Republican Nay

Official roll call →

Do pass.

Passed 3 Yea · 2 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 3200
Total 3200
% of votes cast 60%40%0%0%
How each member voted (5)
Member Party Vote
De León — Yea
Correa — Yea
Lieu — Yea
Beth Gaines — Nay
La Malfa — Nay

Official roll call →

AB 503 BLOCK Assembly Third Reading

Passed 53 Yea · 23 Nay · 4 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 522104
Republican 0200
Democratic 1000
Total 532304
% of votes cast 66%29%0%5%
How each member voted (80)
Member Party Vote
Gorell — Not Voting
Butler — Yea
Eng — Yea
Carter — Yea
Feuer — Yea
Fuentes — Yea
Furutani — Yea
Fong — Yea
Galgiani — Yea
Allen — Yea
Gordon — Yea
Hall — Yea
Hayashi — Yea
Cedillo — Yea
Portantino — Yea
John A. Pérez — Yea
Mitchell — Yea
Fletcher — Yea
Huber — Yea
Hueso — Yea
Chesbro — Yea
Beall — Yea
Huffman — Yea
Ma — Yea
Norby — Yea
Pan — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Torres — Yea
Williams — Yea
Bonilla — Yea
Yamada — Yea
Atkins — Yea
Campos — Yea
Hagman — Nay
Cook — Nay
Halderman — Nay
Donnelly — Nay
Harkey — Nay
Block — Yea
Jeffries — Not Voting
Knight — Nay
Lara — Yea
Mendoza — Yea
Miller — Nay
Monning — Yea
Morrell — Nay
Nielsen — Nay
Solorio — Yea
Wagner — Nay
Wieckowski — Yea
Achadjian — Nay
Alejo — Yea
Ammiano — Yea
Blumenfield — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Brownley — Yea
Buchanan — Yea
Hill — Yea
Logue — Nay
Mansoor — Nay
Nestande — Nay
Olsen — Nay
Perea — Yea
Silva — Nay
Smyth — Nay
Swanson — Yea
Valadao — Nay
Conway — Nay
Davis — Yea
Dickinson — Yea
Garrick — Not Voting
Gatto — Yea
Beth Gaines — Nay
Bill Berryhill — Nay
Bonnie Lowenthal — Yea
Roger Hernández — Yea
V. Manuel Pérez — Not Voting
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Grove, Shannon Republican Nay
Jones, Brian W. Republican Nay

Official roll call →

Do pass as amended.

Passed 12 Yea · 5 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 1000
Unaffiliated 11500
Total 12500
% of votes cast 71%29%0%0%
How each member voted (17)
Member Party Vote
Hall — Yea
Mitchell — Yea
Hill — Yea
Campos — Yea
Davis — Yea
Lara — Yea
Norby — Nay
Solorio — Yea
Blumenfield — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Harkey — Nay
Nielsen — Nay
Wagner — Nay
Donnelly — Nay
Fuentes — Yea
Gatto — Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

elections
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does AB 503 do?
Existing law prescribes the procedure for conducting an official canvass of election results, including the manner in which a name written upon a ballot for a qualified write-in candidate is to be counted for the office. Existing law, with regard to voting systems in which write-in spaces appear directly below the list of candidates for that office and provide a voting space, prohibits an elections official from counting a write-in vote unless the voting space next to the write-in space is marked or slotted as directed in the voting instructions. This bill, as an exception to that prohibition, would authorize the elections official, after tallying all eligible votes but prior to completion of the official canvass and the issuance of the certified statement of the results, and upon the request of a qualified write-in candidate for an examination of undervotes that is received within 5 days of completion of the semi-official canvass, to hand tally the remaining undervotes if specified conditions are applicable. If an elections official conducts a hand tally pursuant to this authority, the bill would require the elections official to include the results in the official canvass of the election.
Who sponsors AB 503?
AB 503 is sponsored by Block and Vargas.
What is the current status of AB 503?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 15, 2011. Enacted.
Where can I track AB 503?
Track AB 503 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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