(1) Existing law authorizes the consolidation of 2 or more elections that are to be held on the same day, in the same territory, or in territory that is in part the same. When an election called by a district, city, or other political subdivision for the submission of a question, proposition, or office is to be consolidated with a statewide election, and the question, proposition, or office is to appear on the same ballot as that provided for the statewide election, existing law requires the political subdivision, at least 88 days before the election, to file with the county board of supervisors a resolution of the governing board of the political subdivision that, among other things, sets forth the exact form of the question, proposition, or office to be voted on. Existing law requires the political subdivision to also file a copy of the resolution with the county elections official.
This bill would authorize the political subdivision to file the resolution with only the elections official if, at least 88 days before the election, the elections official provides the resolution to the board of supervisors or the board of supervisors has authorized the elections official to receive resolutions and consolidate elections without seeking new approval by the board of supervisors for each election.
(2) Existing law allows the governing body of a city, district, or other political subdivision with an election that has been consolidated with an election held in the county or counties in which the political subdivision is situated to authorize the county board of supervisors to canvass the returns of the election. Existing law also allows the governing body of a city, district, or other political subdivision with an election that has been consolidated with an election held in another city, district, or political subdivision to authorize the governing body of that other political subdivision to canvass the election returns.
This bill would instead allow the governing body of the political subdivision to authorize the county elections official, for an election consolidated with a county election, or the elections official of the other city, district, or political subdivision, for an election consolidated with an election held in another city, district, or political subdivision, to canvass the returns of the consolidated election. The bill would make related conforming changes.
(3) Existing law requires elections officials to provide each polling place with specified materials, including not fewer than 6 nor more than 12 instruction cards to guide voters in obtaining and marking their ballots.
This bill would eliminate the maximum limit of 12 instruction cards.
(4) Existing law prescribes various election day procedures, including the hours that the polls must be open and when voting will commence. Existing law requires the precinct board to proclaim aloud at the polling place that the polls are open and closed, as specified.
This bill would require that a precinct board member make those proclamations.

Statutes affected:
SB 851: 10403 ELEC, 10411 ELEC, 14105 ELEC, 14213 ELEC, 14401 ELEC
02/27/25 - Introduced: 10403 ELEC, 10411 ELEC, 14105 ELEC, 14213 ELEC, 14401 ELEC
09/03/25 - Amended Assembly: 9168 ELEC, 9168 ELEC, 10403 ELEC, 10410 ELEC, 10410 ELEC, 10411 ELEC, 10412 ELEC, 10412 ELEC, 10413 ELEC, 10413 ELEC, 14105 ELEC, 14213 ELEC, 14401 ELEC, 16404 ELEC, 16404 ELEC