BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 1525|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 1525
Author: Beall (D), et al
Amended: 6/25/09 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE ELECTIONS, REAP. & CONST. AMEND. COMM. : 5-0, 7/7/09
AYES: Hancock, Walters, DeSaulnier, Liu, Strickland
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 78-0, 5/11/09 (Consent) - See last page
for vote
SUBJECT : Elections: recounts
SOURCE : Secretary of State
DIGEST : This bill permits any voter to request a recount
in an election conducted in more than one county, but not
statewide, within five days beginning on the 29th day after
the election, instead of within five days of completing the
official canvas.
ANALYSIS : Existing law allows a voter, within five days
following the completion of the official canvass, to
request in writing that the elections official responsible
for conducting an election commence a recount of the votes
cast for candidates for any office or for or against any
measure, provided the office or measure is not voted on
statewide. Existing law allows a recount for an election
CONTINUED
AB 1525
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that is conducted in more than one county to be conducted
in any or all of the affected counties. Existing law
requires the elections official to prepare a certified
statement of the results of the election and submit it to
the governing body within 28 days of the election, or in
the case of school district, community college district,
county board of education, or special district elections
conducted on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in
November of odd-numbered years, no later than the last
Monday before the last Friday of that month.
This bill permits any voter to request a recount in an
election conducted in more than one county, but not
statewide, within five days beginning on the 29th day after
the election, instead of within five days of the completion
of the official canvass.
Comments
Purpose of the bill . According to the author's office, the
law is unclear as to when a request for a recount must be
submitted for an election encompassing multiple counties,
such as an election for a congressional, state senate, or
state assembly district. This bill, sponsored by the
Secretary of State, clarifies and makes consistent the
timeline for a voter to request a recount by requiring the
request to occur within five days after all counties have
completed their canvass.
According to the California Association of Clerks and
Election Officials, because all counties do not complete
the canvass simultaneously, and the outcome of such
contests may not be known until all counties in the
jurisdiction have completed the canvass, it is logical to
allow a period during which a recount may be requested
following the completion of the canvass period.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
SUPPORT : (Verified 7/20/09)
Secretary of State (source)
California Association of Clerks and Election Officials
AB 1525
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ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Beall, Bill
Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield,
Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter,
Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon,
DeVore, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong,
Fuentes, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick,
Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill,
Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Krekorian, Lieu,
Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning,
Nava, Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, John A. Perez, V. Manuel
Perez, Portantino, Price, Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Silva,
Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Audra Strickland, Swanson,
Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran, Villines, Bass
NO VOTE RECORDED: Duvall, Yamada
DLW:mw 7/20/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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