Bill Text: CA AB1416 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Elections: ballot label.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2021-03-22 - Re-referred to Com. on ELECTIONS. [AB1416 Detail]
Download: California-2021-AB1416-Amended.html
|
Amended
IN
Assembly
March 18, 2021 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 1416
| Introduced by Assembly Member Santiago (Principal coauthor: Senator Stern) |
February 19, 2021 |
An act to amend Section 11006 Sections 303, 9050, 9051, 9053, and 13282 of the Elections Code, relating to elections.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1416, as amended, Santiago.
Recall elections. Elections: ballot label.
Existing law defines the ballot label as the portion of the ballot containing the names of the candidates or a statement of a measure. For statewide measures, existing law requires the Attorney General to prepare a condensed version of the ballot title and summary, including the fiscal impact summary prepared by the Legislative Analyst that is printed in the state voter information guide.
This bill would additionally require the ballot label for statewide measures to include a listing of the signers of ballot arguments printed in the state voter information guide that support and oppose the measure or the signers of the rebuttal arguments to the arguments that support and oppose the measure, as specified. The bill would require the signers of the ballot arguments to
submit the lists of supporters and opponents to the Secretary of State and would require the Secretary of State to provide those lists to county elections officials as part of the ballot label. The bill would make conforming changes and related findings and declarations.
Existing law provides procedures for the recall of elected officers.
This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee:Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
This act shall be known, and may be cited as, the Ballot DISCLOSE Act.SEC. 2.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) In addition to a ballot measure’s title, summary, and fiscal analysis, the identity of those who support and oppose a ballot measure provides voters with extremely important information that helps voters better evaluate and understand the value of the measure and to make more informed decisions on how to vote.
(b) Including the names of the signers of arguments for and against a measure on the measure’s ballot label serves as a
useful condensed summary of those arguments in the state voter information guide in the same way that including the condensed title, summary, and fiscal analysis of the ballot measure serves as a useful condensed summary of the Legislative Analyst’s full analysis in the state voter information guide.
SEC. 3.
Section 303 of the Elections Code is amended to read:303.
“Ballot label” means that portion of the ballot containing the names of the candidates or a statement of a measure. For statewide measures, the ballot label shall containSEC. 4.
Section 9050 of the Elections Code is amended to read:9050.
(a) After the Secretary of State determines that a measure will appear on the ballot at the next statewide election, the Secretary of State shall promptly transmit a copy of the measure to the Attorney General. The Attorney General shall provide and return to the Secretary of State a ballot title and summary and a condensed ballot(b) Within one week after receiving the lists of supporters and opponents of a measure, the Secretary of State shall provide to county elections officials the ballot label, consisting of the condensed ballot title and summary followed by the list of supporters and opponents for each state ballot measure as described in Section 9051.
SEC. 5.
Section 9051 of the Elections Code is amended to read:9051.
(a) (1) The ballot title and summary may differ from the legislative, circulating, or other title and summary of the measure and shall not exceed 100 words, not including the fiscal impact statement.(2) The ballot title and summary shall include a summary of the Legislative Analyst’s estimate of the net state and local government fiscal impact prepared pursuant to Section 9087 of this code and Section 88003 of the Government Code.
(b) The condensed ballot label title and summary shall not contain more than 75 words and shall be a condensed version of the ballot title and summary including the financial impact summary prepared pursuant to Section 9087 of this code and Section 88003 of the Government Code.
(c) (1) The ballot label shall include the condensed ballot title and summary described in subdivision (b), followed by the following:
(A) Under the heading “Supporters:”, a listing of the names of the signers of the ballot argument printed in the state voter
information guide supporting the measure. The list of supporters shall include only the names, titles, or the organizations of the signers of the ballot argument supporting the measure or the rebuttal arguments to the argument opposing the measure and shall not exceed 15 words.
(B) Under the heading “Opponents:”, a listing of the names of the signers of the ballot argument printed in the state voter information guide opposing the measure. The list of opponents shall include only the names, titles, or the organizations of the signers of the ballot argument opposing the measure or the rebuttal arguments to the argument supporting the measure and shall not exceed 15 words.
(2) The supporters of the measure shall provide the list of supporters described in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) to the Secretary of State when submitting the rebuttal arguments to the argument opposing the measure. The opponents of the measure shall provide the list of opponents described in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) to the Secretary of State when submitting the rebuttal arguments to the argument supporting the measure.
(c)
(d) In providing the ballot title and summary, the Attorney General shall give a true and impartial statement of the purpose of the measure in such language that the ballot title and summary shall neither be an argument, nor be likely to create prejudice, for or against the proposed measure.
(d)
(e) The Attorney General shall invite and consider public comment in preparing each ballot title and summary.
SEC. 6.
Section 9053 of the Elections Code is amended to read:9053.
Each measure shall be designated on the ballot by the ballot label certifiedSEC. 7.
Section 13282 of the Elections Code is amended to read:13282.
Whenever the Attorney General prepares a condensed ballotProceedings may be commenced for the recall of any elective officer, including an officer appointed in lieu of an election or to fill a vacancy, by the service, filing, and publication or posting of a notice of intention to circulate a recall petition pursuant to this chapter.
