AB 2881: Recall elections.

The California Constitution enables electors to initiate a recall of state officers by gathering sufficient signatures within a 160-day period. Existing law requires the Secretary of State to notify a county elections official that a petition received a sufficient number of signatures to initiate a recall election. After this notice has been provided, existing law provides for a period of 30 business days in which voters who signed the petition may withdraw their signatures. Existing law requires local elections officials to submit signatures gathered by proponents of a recall to the Secretary of State at least every 30 days, and it also requires the examination and verification of each signature filed.

Under existing law, if a sufficient number of signatures are submitted to initiate a recall election, the Department of Finance, in consultation with the affected election officials and the Secretary of State, is required to estimate the costs of the recall election, as specified. Existing law also requires the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to review and comment on the estimate.

This bill would remove the provisions requiring the examination and verification of each signature filed and would instead provide for signatures to be verified according to specified procedures, including the use of a random sampling technique. The bill would also remove the obligations on the Department of Finance and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee with respect to estimating the costs of the recall election.