Primary elections: county officers: top two candidates.
Vote required
Majority
Fiscal committee
No
Appropriation
No
Current location
Elections
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Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Overview
This bill changes how county elections are held, specifically for nonpartisan offices like county supervisors and district attorneys. It allows counties to choose whether to hold primary elections with a top-two system, where the candidates with the most votes, regardless of party affiliation, appear on the general election ballot. This aims to increase voter participation, particularly among underrepresented communities, by ensuring that more voices are heard in local government decisions.
Key provisions
- Allows counties to opt-in to a ‘top two’ primary election system for nonpartisan county offices.
- Requires the highest and second-highest vote-getters from the primary to appear on the general election ballot for those offices.
- Exempts charter counties from the standard primary election rules.
- Addresses potential costs associated with the changes, requiring state reimbursement to local agencies.
- Specifically addresses the election of district attorneys and sheriffs.
- Allows write-in candidates to appear on the general election ballot.
- Clarifies that the requirement for presidential election years applies to both general law and charter counties.
- Provides for primary elections to not occur if there are fewer than two candidates filing nomination documents.
Who is affected
- County voters
- County election officials
- County boards of supervisors
Bill text
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