BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 327
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Date of Hearing: June 21, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS AND REDISTRICTING
Paul Fong, Chair
SB 327 (Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee) - As
Amended: June 15, 2011
SENATE VOTE : 40-0
SUBJECT : Elections: procedure.
SUMMARY : Makes various minor changes to state election law.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Clarifies that the text of a proposed municipal initiative
measure is not required to be published or posted when the
proponents of the measure post or publish the notice of
intention (NOI) to circulate the petition and the title and
summary of the measure.
2)Requires the nomination paper for a candidate for municipal
office to include the candidate's residence address and
permits elections officials to continue to use the existing
supply of nomination papers that are in print on January 1,
2012, until the supply is exhausted before providing new or
revised forms.
3)Requires nomination documents for candidates for municipal
office to be filed by the close of business on the day the
documents must be filed instead of by 5:00 p.m.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires that a NOI and the title and summary of an initiative
measure proposed to be submitted to the voters of an
incorporated city be published or posted.
2)Provides that a candidate for an elective office of a city may
be nominated by the voters by the filing of nomination papers
provided by the city elections official.
3)Requires that each nomination paper be accompanied by a
verified statement of the candidate that he or she will accept
the nomination, and will also accept the office in the event
of his or her election.
SB 327
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FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.
State-mandated local program; contains reimbursement direction.
COMMENTS :
1)Purpose of the Bill : According to the author:
SB 327 is the committee's annual omnibus bill providing
clarifying changes to multiple elections code references
and also makes minor technical and conforming changes.
Specifically this bill:
Provides clarity to a section of the Elections
Code (EC) to clearly state that the NOI, without the
proposed text of the initiative, be published or
posted. The EC currently requires the text of the
initiative to be filed with the elections official
with the NOI.
Provides a clear statement of the candidate's
residence address, regardless of whether he or she
circulates the Nomination Paper themselves by
repeating the same single sentence from the circulator
affidavit: My residence address is ____________.
Makes the EC consistent with other Sections by
referencing "close of business" instead of 5:00 p.m.
1)Omnibus Bill : Each year the Senate Elections and
Constitutional Amendments Committee introduces omnibus
legislation to make various non-controversial changes to the
Elections Code. This bill provides clarifying changes to
multiple elections code references and also makes minor
technical and conforming changes.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California Association of Clerks and Election Officials
City Clerks Association of California
Opposition
SB 327
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None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Lori Barber / E. & R. / (916) 319-2094