Elections., the official text

An act to amend Sections 8121 and 8147.5 of the Elections Code, relating to elections.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

Existing law requires the Secretary of State to transmit a certified list of candidates for partisan and voter-nominated offices eligible to be voted on within each county to the county elections official at least 68 days before a primary or general election. Existing law also requires the Secretary of State to notify the candidates for partisan and voter-nominated offices of the names, addresses, offices, occupations, and party preferences of all other candidates for the same office at least 73 days before the election.
This bill would move the deadline to notify candidates of the other candidates for the same office to at least 78 days before the election.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.
Section 8121 of the Elections Code is amended to read:
8121.
(a) Not less than 10 days before he or she transmits the certified list of candidates to the county elections officials, as provided in Section 8120, the Secretary of State shall notify each candidate for partisan office and voter-nominated office of the names, addresses, offices, occupations, and party preferences of all other persons who have filed for the same office.
(b) (1) Beginning not less than five days before he or she transmits the certified list of candidates to the county elections officials, as required by Section 8120, the Secretary of State shall post, in a conspicuous place on his or her internet website, the party preference history of each candidate for voter-nominated office for the preceding 10 years, or for as long as he or she has been eligible to vote in the state if less than 10 years. The candidates’ party preference history shall be continuously posted until such time as the official canvass is completed for the general or special election at which a candidate is elected to the voter-nominated office sought, except that, in the case of a candidate who participated in the primary election and who was not nominated to participate in the general election, the candidate’s party preference history need not continue to be posted following the completion of the official canvass for the primary election in question.
(2) For purposes of this subdivision, “party preference history” also refers to the candidate’s history of party registration during the 10 years preceding the effective date of this section.
(3) The Secretary of State shall also conspicuously post on the same internet website as that containing the candidates’ party preference history the notice specified by subdivision (b) of Section 9083.5.

SEC. 2.
Section 8147.5 of the Elections Code is amended to read:
8147.5.
Not less than 78 days, and not more than 90 days, before the general election, the Secretary of State shall notify each candidate for partisan office 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.