AB 193, as amended, Logue. Municipal ballot measures: arguments.
Existing law permits a city ballot measure to be placed on the ballot and submitted to the voters of the city by petition or by the legislative body of the city. Existing law specifies procedures applicable to the preparation, submittal, and printing of arguments for and against a city ballot measure that qualifies for a place on the ballot. If more than one argument for or more than one argument against a city measure is submitted, existing law requires the city elections official to select one of the arguments for and one of the arguments against the measure for printing and distribution to the voters. In selecting the arguments, existing law requires the city elections official to give preference and priority, in the order named, to the arguments from specified persons, first of which are the arguments from the legislative body of the city, or a member or members of the legislative body authorized by that body.
This bill would instead require the city elections officialbegin insert, for a measure placed on the ballot by the legislative body,end insert to give preference and priority to thebegin delete argumentsend deletebegin insert argumentend insert ofbegin delete the legislative body, orend delete a member or members of the legislative body authorized by that bodybegin delete,end deletebegin insert onlyend insert if thebegin delete arguments are in favor of a measure that is placed on the ballot by the legislative bodyend deletebegin insert
argument is consistent with the position taken by the legislative body on the measureend insert.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 9287 of the Elections Code is amended
2to read:
(a) If more than one argument for or more than one
4argument against a city ballot measure is submitted to the city
5elections official within the time prescribed, he or she shall select
6one of the arguments in favor and one of the arguments against
7the measure for printing and distribution to the voters.
8(b) In selecting the argument in favor of or against a measure
9placed on the ballot by petition, the city elections official shall
10give preference and priority, in the order named, to the arguments
11of the following:
12(1) The individual voter, or bona fide association of citizens, or
13combination
of voters and associations, who are the bona fide
14sponsors or proponents of the measure.
15(2) Bona fide associations of citizens.
16(3) Individual voters who are eligible to vote on the measure.
17(c) In selecting the argument in favor of or against a measure
18placed on the ballot by the legislative body, the city elections
19official shall give preference and priority, in the order named, to
20the arguments of the following:
21(1) The legislative body, or a member or members of the
22legislative body authorized by that bodybegin delete,end delete if thebegin insert
member’send insert argument
23isbegin delete in favor ofend deletebegin insert
consistent with the position taken by that body onend insert
24 the measure.
25(2) Bona fide associations of citizens.
26(3) Individual voters who are eligible to vote on the measure.
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