BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS
AND CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Senator Norma J. Torres, Chair
BILL NO: AB 1417 HEARING DATE: 6/18/13
AUTHOR: ASSEMBLY E&R COMM. ANALYSIS BY: Frances Tibon
Estoista
AMENDED: AS INTRODUCED
FISCAL: YES
SUBJECT
Elections
DESCRIPTION
Existing law requires an elections official, not sooner than 60
days but not later than 45 days before the election or, if the
45th day before the election is a weekend or holiday, not later
than the business day preceding the 45th day, to transmit a
military or overseas ballot and ballot material to each military
or overseas voter who by that date submits a valid ballot
application in accordance with existing law.
Existing law requires the Secretary of State (SOS), not less
than five days prior to sending the county elections official
the certified list of candidates for each partisan and
voter-nominated office at the primary election, to notify each
candidate for partisan and voter-nominated office of the names,
addresses, offices, occupations, and party preferences of all
other persons who have filed for the same office.
Existing law requires a county elections official to prepare and
post a list of the names of candidates for presidential
delegates for each political party prior to each presidential
primary election.
Existing law permits the SOS, for the purpose of assistance in
examining a voting system, to employ not more than three expert
electronic technicians at a cost to be set by the SOS.
Existing law requires a local agency, if it requires candidates
to pay for candidate statements, to estimate the total costs of
that statement, and permits the local agency to require the
candidates to pay those estimated costs in advance.
Existing law provides an exemption for an indigent candidate
from paying the fee in advance, and specifies that nothing
prohibits an elections official from billing the candidate his
or her pro rata share of the cost after the election.
This bill updates and replaces the term "special absentee voter"
with "military and overseas voter."
This bill conforms state law to federal law by requiring
elections officials to send ballots and ballot materials to all
military and overseas voters by the 45th day before the election
if they have made a request for a ballot by that day, regardless
of whether the 45th day before the election is a weekend or
holiday.
This bill requires the SOS, not less than 73 days, and not more
than 90 days before a general election, to notify each candidate
for partisan and voter nominated office of the names, addresses,
offices, ballot designations, and party preferences of all other
persons whose names are to appear on the ballot for the same
office at the general election.
This bill repeals a requirement that county elections officials
prepare and post a list of names of candidates for delegates for
each political party prior to each presidential primary.
This bill repeals a limitation that the SOS, for the purpose of
assistance in examining a voting system, may employ not more
than three expert electronic technicians at a cost to be set by
the SOS, and instead specifies that the SOS may employ expert
electronic technicians or technician firms.
This bill makes other technical changes.
BACKGROUND
This is one of the Assembly Elections & Redistricting
Committee's omnibus bills, containing various minor and
technical changes to the Elections Code.
COMMENTS
1. According to the Author : This is one of the Assembly
Elections & Redistricting Committee's omnibus bills,
AB 1417 (ASM E&R COMM.)
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containing various minor and technical changes to provisions
of the Elections Code. All of the provisions of this bill
are either changes requested by the California Association
of Clerks and Election Officials (CACEO) or the SOS, or
technical changes identified and suggested by committee
staff.
PRIOR ACTION
Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee: 7-0
Assembly Appropriations Committee: 17-0
Assembly Floor: 75-0
POSITIONS
Sponsor: Author
Support: California Association of Clerks and Election
Officials (CACEO)
Oppose: None received
AB 1417 (ASM E&R COMM.)
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