Title ELEC — California Elec. Code

(a) Notwithstanding Section 14420, in elections conducted using vote centers, at the end of each voting day, the precinct board shall remove the voted ballots from the ballot container and deliver them to the central receiving center pursuant to Section 14422. (b) The precinct bo…

The precinct board, as soon after the polls are closed as possible, shall prepare the supplies, including the copies of the voter list or roster posted at or near the polling place, and records of the election for delivery to the elections official.

The precinct board shall enclose and seal in one or more packages, as determined by the elections official, all voted, spoiled, canceled, or unused ballots.

The precinct board shall enclose and seal in one or two packages, as determined by the elections official, all of the following: (a) Two tally sheets, if ballots are to be tabulated manually at the precinct. (b) The roster. If an electronic poll book is used, either or both the e…

If ballots are counted at precincts pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 15340) or Article 5 (commencing with Section 15360) of Chapter 4 of Division 15, the precinct board immediately shall transmit, unsealed, to the elections official a statement showing the result of…

The sealed packages containing the lists, papers, and ballots shall be delivered by two of its members without delay, unopened, to the elections official or to a receiving station designated by the elections official.

No list, tally, paper, or certificate returned from any election shall be set aside or rejected for want of form, nor because it is not strictly in accordance with this code, if it can be satisfactorily understood.

Before any election, the governing body of the jurisdiction holding the election shall decide that certain offices or measures to be voted on are of more than ordinary public interest and require an early tabulation and announcement. The decision shall be transmitted to the elect…

The elections official shall prepare and forward to each selected precinct forms containing a list of the offices and measures designated as being of more than ordinary interest, and stating the number of ballots to be counted for the snap tally. In each general election, the spe…

Upon receipt from the precincts of the reports of votes cast on the specially designated offices and measures, the elections official shall tabulate the results and make the results available to the public. In each general election, all these reports of the election results shall…

If ballots are counted by electronic or electromechanical means, the elections official may provide for early tabulation and announcement of the returns in a manner consistent with the use of the tabulating devices.

This chapter applies to all elections.

(a) 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. (b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the canvass shall be c…

The official canvass shall include, but not be limited to, the following tasks: (a) An inspection of all materials and supplies returned by poll workers. (b) A reconciliation of the number of signatures on the roster with the number of ballots recorded on the ballot statement. (c…

If the returns from any precinct are incomplete, ambiguous, not properly authenticated, or otherwise defective, the elections official may issue and serve subpoenas requiring members of the precinct board to appear and be examined under oath concerning the manner in which votes w…

In jurisdictions using a central counting place, the elections official may appoint not less than three deputies to open the envelopes or containers with the materials returned from the precincts. If, after examination, any of the materials are incomplete, ambiguous, not properly…

(a) For purposes of this section, “unprocessed ballot” means a voted polling place ballot, voted vote by mail ballot, voted provisional ballot, or voted conditional registration ballot that has not yet been counted or processed for counting. (b) On the second day after the electi…

(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 two times by the following Thursday and at least twice a…

(a) On or before the 13th day following the election, an elections official shall finish counting all ballots, except those described in subdivision (b), and shall release the vote count for those ballots. (b) The requirement to finish counting all ballots and release the vote co…

Vote by mail ballots and mail ballot precinct ballots returned to the elections office and to the polls on or before election day that are not included in the semifinal official canvass phase of the election, including any ballots returned to another jurisdiction in the state and…

For any statewide election or special election to fill a vacancy in a congressional or legislative office, votes cast by vote by mail ballot and votes cast at the polling place shall be tabulated by precinct.

Except for a voter-nominated office at a general election, each voter is entitled to write on the ballot the name of any candidate for any public office, including that of President and Vice President of the United States.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no name written upon a ballot in any election shall be counted for an office or nomination unless the candidate whose name has been written on the ballot has complied with Part 3 (commencing with Section 8600) of Division 8.

Any name written upon a ballot for a qualified write-in candidate, including a reasonable facsimile of the spelling of a name, shall be counted for the office, if it is written in the blank space provided and voted as specified below: (a) For voting systems in which write-in spac…

In the event of a manual recount conducted pursuant to Section 15610 or requested pursuant to Section 15620 or 15621, the process set forth in Section 15342 shall be liberally construed to ensure that each ballot is counted if the intent of the voter can be determined, regardless…

Provisional ballots cast pursuant to Section 14310 shall be processed and counted in accordance with the provisions outlined in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 15100) and pursuant to the requirements of Sections 14310 and 14311.

(a) During the official canvass of every election in which a voting system is used, the elections official shall conduct a public manual tally of the ballots tabulated by those devices, including vote by mail ballots, using either of the following methods: (1) (A) A public manual…

After ballots are counted and sealed, the elections official may not open any ballots nor permit any ballots to be opened except as permitted in Sections 15303 and 15304, or in the event of a recount.

(a) Upon completion of the count, the elections official shall add to the results as so determined, the results of the write-in votes and any paper ballots used as certified by the precinct board, and thereupon shall declare the vote, and forthwith post one copy at the counting p…

(a) The elections official shall prepare a certified statement of the results of the election and submit it to the governing body within 30 days of the election or, in the case of school district, community college district, county board of education, or special district election…

When ballots are counted under this article, the result of the vote shall be shown by precinct.

(a) The statement of the result shall show all of the following: (1) The total number of ballots cast. (2) The number of votes cast at each precinct for each candidate and for and against each measure. (3) The total number of votes cast for each candidate and for and against each…

(a) The elections official shall send to the Secretary of State within 31 days of the election in an electronic format in the manner requested one complete copy of all results as to each of the following: (1) All candidates voted for statewide office. (2) All candidates voted for…

The elections official shall deliver a duplicate of the certified statement of the result of votes cast to the chairperson of the county central committee of each party.

(a) The elections official shall identify and provide to the Secretary of State within 31 days of the election the number of vote by mail ballots rejected, categorized according to the reason for the rejection. The Secretary of State shall provide uniform vote by mail ballot reje…

In addition to any other penalty, a person who prints or otherwise duplicates, or causes to be printed or duplicated, a simulated ballot or simulated county voter information guide that does not contain the statement required by Section 20009, or that uses an official seal or ins…

(a) A person is guilty of a misdemeanor who knowingly causes to be mailed or distributed, or knowingly mails or distributes, literature to a voter that includes a designation of the voter’s precinct polling place other than a precinct polling place listed for that voter in an off…

Every person who violates Section 84305 of the Government Code relating to mass mailing is subject to the penal provisions set forth in Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 91000) of Title 9 of the Government Code. (Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.)

(a) Any person who uses or allows to be used any reproduction or facsimile of the seal of the county or the seal of a local government agency in any campaign literature or mass mailing, as defined in Section 82041.5 of the Government Code, with intent to deceive the voters, is gu…

A person shall not directly or through any other person pay or receive any money or other valuable consideration before, during, or after an election in order to reward any person or as a reward for voting for or against or agreeing to vote for or against the election or endorsem…

Every person is punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for 16 months or two or three years who: (a) Gives or offers a bribe to any officer or member of any political convention, committee, or political gathering of any kind, held …

(a) This act shall be known and may be cited as the “California Political Cyberfraud Abatement Act.” (b) It is unlawful for a person, with intent to mislead, deceive, or defraud, to commit an act of political cyberfraud. (c) As used in this section: (1) “Political cyberfraud” mea…

This article does not apply to a domain name registrar, registry, or registration authority.

In addition to any other remedies available under law, a court may order the transfer of a domain name as part of the relief awarded for a violation of this article.

Jurisdiction for actions brought pursuant to this article shall be in accordance with Section 410.10 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

Every person who, by threats, intimidations, or unlawful violence, willfully hinders or prevents electors from assembling in public meetings for the consideration of public questions is guilty of a misdemeanor. (Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.)

(a) A person is guilty of a misdemeanor who, with intent to mislead the voters in connection with his or her campaign for nomination or election to a public office, or in connection with the campaign of another person for nomination or election to a public office, does either of …

Any candidate in an election or incumbent in a recall election who knowingly makes a false statement of a material fact in a candidate’s statement, prepared pursuant to Section 11327 or 13307, with the intent to mislead the voters in connection with his or her campaign for nomina…

Any person who violates Section 20201 is guilty of a misdemeanor. (Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.)

Upon the complaint of the affected candidate or committee, any person who violates Section 20202 or 20203 is guilty of a misdemeanor. (Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.)