SB 152 — Elections.

Summary

(1) Existing law authorizes a county to conduct any election as an all-mailed ballot election if specified conditions apply. Those conditions include providing, on the day of the election and the 3 days preceding the election, at least one vote center for every 10,000 registered voters and providing, beginning 10 days before the election and continuing up to the 4th day before the election, at least one vote center for every 50,000 registered voters. Existing law authorizes counties to start to process vote by mail ballots on the 15th business day before an election. Under existing law, a vote by mail ballot is timely cast if it is postmarked or date stamped on or before election day and is received by the voter's elections official no later than 3 days after election day. This bill would authorize a county that has previously conducted an all-mailed ballot election to conduct an all-mailed ballot election prior to January 1, 2022, if it provides, on the day of the election and the 3 days preceding the election, at least one vote center for every 30,000 registered voters and, beginning 10 days before the election and continuing up to the 4th day before the election, at least one vote center for every 60,000 registered voters. The bill would authorize a county that has not previously conducted an all-mailed ballot election to conduct an all-mailed ballot election using alternative procedures substantially similar to those in effect for the November 3, 2020, statewide general election, as specified. This bill would require counties to conduct a voter education and outreach campaign, as provided. The bill would require the Secretary of State to establish a process for granting counties partial waivers from requirements relating to the number, location, or operational duration of consolidated polling places or ballot drop-off locations and from requirements relating to the maximum number of voters in a precinct. The bill would authorize counties to start to process vote by mail ballots on the 29th day before an election. The bill would deem a vote by mail ballot timely cast if it is postmarked or date stamped on or before election day and is received by the voter's elections official no later than 7 days after election day. This bill would authorize a local government entity that previously called a special local election to consolidate that election with a gubernatorial recall election if certain conditions are met. This bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2022. To the extent these provisions impose new duties on county elections officials, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires the Department of Finance to estimate the costs of a recall election upon notification from the Secretary of State that voters have signed a recall petition in sufficient numbers to initiate a recall election. Existing law requires the Department of Finance to submit the cost estimate to the Governor, the Secretary of State, and the Chairperson of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee within 30 days of receiving that notice. Existing law prohibits the Secretary of State from certifying the sufficiency of the signatures until the Joint Legislative Budget Committee has had 30 days to review and comment on the Department of Finance's cost estimate. This bill would allow the Secretary of State to certify the sufficiency of the signatures before the Joint Legislative Budget Committee has had 30 days to review and comment on the estimate if the Legislature has appropriated funds it determines are reasonably necessary to conduct the recall election and has designated funds for that purpose in the Budget Act or another statute. The bill would make conforming changes. The bill would appropriate $35,000,000 from the General Fund to the Secretary of State to support statewide and county costs of the 2021 gubernatorial recall election, thereby making an appropriation. The bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to reevaluate the amount of that appropriation and other appropriations made to support the costs of the 2021 gubernatorial recall election. (3) Existing law requires recall elections to be conducted and canvassed, and the results to be declared, in substantially the manner provided by law for a regular election for the office subject to recall. Existing law authorizes any county to conduct a special election as an all-mailed ballot election if specified conditions apply. Existing law authorizes an elections official conducting a local, special, or consolidated election, or a statewide election other than the direct primary, presidential primary, or general election, to divide the territory into special election or consolidated election precincts by consolidating existing precincts, or otherwise, as specified, and authorizes the elections official to alter the precincts for those elections as often as occasion requires. This bill would require that the 2021 gubernatorial recall election be held as a regular election, and that the provisions described above relating to all-mailed ballot special elections and changing or altering election precincts do not apply. (4) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. (5) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.

Bill Text

• Chaptered 06/28/21 - Chaptered Current pdf June 28, 2021
• Enrolled 06/28/21 - Enrolled pdf June 28, 2021
• Amended 06/23/21 - Amended Assembly pdf June 23, 2021
• Amended 06/14/21 - Amended Assembly pdf June 14, 2021
• Introduced 01/08/21 - Introduced pdf January 08, 2021
• SB152 View text html

Action History

1. June 28, 2021

   Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 34, Statutes of 2021.

2. June 28, 2021

   Approved by the Governor.

3. June 28, 2021

   Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 8:45 p.m.

4. June 28, 2021

   Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 31. Noes 9. Page 1660.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

5. June 28, 2021

   In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

6. June 28, 2021

   Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 59. Noes 19. Page 2120.) Ordered to the Senate.

7. June 28, 2021

   Amendments by Assembly Member Seyarto tabled on motion by Assembly Member Reyes. (Ayes 57. Noes 19. Page 2119.)

8. June 28, 2021

   Ordered to third reading.

9. June 28, 2021

   Withdrawn from committee.

10. June 28, 2021

    Assembly Rule 96 and 63 suspended. (Ayes 58. Noes 19. Page 2118.)

11. June 23, 2021

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on BUDGET.

12. June 14, 2021

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on BUDGET.

13. February 25, 2021

    (Corrected May 14).

14. February 25, 2021

    Referred to Com. on BUDGET.

15. February 22, 2021

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

16. February 22, 2021

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 29. Noes 8. Page 285.) Ordered to the Assembly.

17. February 17, 2021

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

18. February 16, 2021

    Ordered to second reading.

19. February 16, 2021

    Withdrawn from committee. (Ayes 26. Noes 5. Page 201.)

20. January 28, 2021

    Referred to Com. on B. & F.R.

21. January 11, 2021

    Read first time.

22. January 11, 2021

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 10.

23. January 08, 2021

    Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Sponsors

• Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review · Primary

Votes

Subjects