Elections: official canvass.
AB 1214
California Bills
20250AB__121498AMD INTRODUCED 2025-02-21 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2025-04-22 2025 AB AMD Introduced by Assembly Member Patterson (Coauthors: Assembly Members Castillo and DeMaio) LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Patterson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Castillo COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY DeMaio
An act to amend
Section of the Elections Code, relating to elections. elections Elections: official canvass. Existing law requires elections officials, beginning no later than the Thursday following an election, to post updated election results on their internet website at least once per week until publication of the certified statement of results or until the only ballots left to count are vote by mail ballots for which a voter has the opportunity either to verify or provide their signature. This bill would increase that posting requirement to at least twice per week.
By increasing the duties of local elections officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would require elections officials to count all ballots and prepare the certified statement of the results of the election within days of the election, and to send the Secretary of State a complete copy of all election results within days of the election. The bill would require elections officials to count at least 25% of ballots by the 7th calendar day following the election and at least 67% of ballots by the 14th calendar day following the election.
The bill would require elections officials to post updated election results on their internet website at least twice per week, and to provide, by no later than the close of polls on election day, the dates on which those updates will be posted. By increasing the duties of local elections officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.</xhtml:p>"?> The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
MAJORITY NO YES YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows: <caml:Num>SECTION 1.</caml:Num><caml:ActionLine action="IS_AMENDED" xlink:href="urn:caml:codes:ELEC:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'DIVISION'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'15.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'CHAPTER'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'4.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'ARTICLE'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'1.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawSection%5Bcaml%3ANum%3D'15301.'%5D)" xlink:label="fractionType: LAW_SECTION" xlink:type="locator">Section of the <caml:DocName>Elections Code</caml:DocName> is amended to read:</caml:ActionLine><caml:Fragment><caml:LawSection id="id_02B35888-4985-4F49-99AE-0D3B09268036"><caml:Num>15301.</caml:Num><caml:LawSectionVersion id="id_518ABB54-4C54-4878-90C1-7AA67F139956"><caml:Content><xhtml:p>(a)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The canvass shall commence no later than the Thursday following the election, shall be open to the public, and, for state or statewide elections, shall result in a report of results to the Secretary of State. </xhtml:p><xhtml:p> (b)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>(1)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The canvass shall be continued daily, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays excepted, for not less than six hours each day until completed.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(2)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>An elections official shall count at least percent of ballots by the 7th calendar day following the election and at least percent of ballots by the 14th calendar day following the election.
The elections official shall count all ballots and complete the official canvass by the 21st calendar day following the election.</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:LawSectionVersion></caml:LawSection></caml:Fragment></caml:BillSection>"?>
SECTION 1.
Section of the Elections Code is amended to read: 15306. (
a) Beginning no later than the Thursday following an election, and until the time specified in subdivision (b), an elections official shall post updated information regarding the election on their internet website at least twice per week. The update shall include at least the following information:
(1) Updated results for any candidate or measure appearing on the ballot.
(2) The number of ballots processed and an estimated number of outstanding ballots remaining unprocessed for each of the following categories: ballots voted at a polling place, vote by mail ballots received on or before election day, vote by mail ballots received after election day, provisional ballots, and conditional registration ballots.
(3) The date and time when it is expected that the next results will be posted. (b)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>By no later than the close of polls on election day, the elections official shall post on their internet website the dates on which the updates provided pursuant to subdivision (
a) will be posted.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(c)</xhtml:p>"?> (
b) The elections official may stop posting the results described in subdivision (
a) when either of the following occurs:
(1) A certified statement of results is published pursuant to
Section 15372.
(2) The only ballots left to count are vote by mail ballots for which a voter has the opportunity either to verify their signature pursuant to subdivision (
d) of
Section or to provide their signature pursuant to subdivision (
e) of
Section 3019. If the elections official stops posting results for this reason, they shall post a notice stating this reason on their internet website. (d)</xhtml:p>"?> (
c) The requirements of this
section are in addition to any other duty to report or publish information required of the elections official pursuant to this division or any other law. <caml:Num>SEC. 3.</caml:Num><caml:ActionLine action="IS_AMENDED" xlink:href="urn:caml:codes:ELEC:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'DIVISION'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'15.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'CHAPTER'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'4.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'ARTICLE'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'6.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawSection%5Bcaml%3ANum%3D'15372.'%5D)" xlink:label="fractionType: LAW_SECTION" xlink:type="locator">Section of the <caml:DocName>Elections Code</caml:DocName> is amended to read:</caml:ActionLine><caml:Fragment><caml:LawSection id="id_37669D49-1688-46A2-B77E-AD6D80B4A174"><caml:Num>15372.</caml:Num><caml:LawSectionVersion id="id_FC2FBA6B-EB94-4FC8-AEBF-20168F96AAD3"><caml:Content><xhtml:p>(a)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The elections official shall prepare a certified statement of the results of the election and submit it to the governing body within 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.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(b)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The elections official shall post the certified statement of the results of the election on the elections official’s internet website in a downloadable spreadsheet format that may include, but is not limited to, a comma-separated values file or a tab-separated values file and that is compatible with a spreadsheet software application that is widely used at the time of the posting.
The certified statement of the election results shall be posted and maintained on the elections official’s internet website for a period of at least years following the election.
This subdivision applies only to an elections official who uses a computer system that has the capability of producing the election results in a downloadable spreadsheet format without requiring modification of the computer system.</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:LawSectionVersion></caml:LawSection></caml:Fragment></caml:BillSection><caml:BillSection id="id_498CD6A7-565E-45E9-B743-2D1E39EBB172"><caml:Num>SEC. 4.</caml:Num><caml:ActionLine action="IS_AMENDED" xlink:href="urn:caml:codes:ELEC:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'DIVISION'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'15.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'CHAPTER'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'4.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'ARTICLE'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'6.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawSection%5Bcaml%3ANum%3D'15375.'%5D)" xlink:label="fractionType: LAW_SECTION" xlink:type="locator">Section of the <caml:DocName>Elections Code</caml:DocName> is amended to read:</caml:ActionLine><caml:Fragment><caml:LawSection id="id_2FEB8F7E-080E-4089-BD48-834141FE983D"><caml:Num>15375.</caml:Num><caml:LawSectionVersion id="id_FA569C2C-FF79-422F-956C-032FF1BDCE2E"><caml:Content><xhtml:p>The elections official shall send to the Secretary of State within days of the election in an electronic format in the manner requested one complete copy of all results as to all of the following:</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(a)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>All candidates voted for statewide office.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(b)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>All candidates voted for the following offices:</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(1)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Member of the Assembly.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(2)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Member of the Senate.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(3)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Member of the United States House of Representatives.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(4)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Member of the State Board of Equalization.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(5)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Justice of the Court of Appeal.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(6)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Judge of the superior court.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(c)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>All persons voted for at the presidential primary.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(d)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The vote given for persons for electors of President and Vice President of the United States.
The results for presidential electors shall be endorsed “Presidential Election Returns.”</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(e)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>All statewide measures.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(f)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The total number of ballots cast.</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:LawSectionVersion></caml:LawSection></caml:Fragment></caml:BillSection>"?>
SEC. 2. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to