SB 25: Elections: alternate ballot order: Los Angeles County pilot program.

Existing law specifies the order of precedence of offices on the ballot, beginning with nominees for President and Vice President to be listed under the heading, PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT, and ending with directors or trustees for each district to be listed under the heading, DISTRICT. Measures submitted to the voters appear after district directors or trustees. Existing law authorizes a county elections official to vary the order for certain offices and measures submitted to the voters, in order to allow for the most efficient use of space on the ballot in counties that use a voting system, as defined. Existing law requires that the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction precede any school, county, or city office and that state measures precede local measures.

This bill would require the county elections official for the County of Los Angeles to conduct elections using a specified alternate ballot order for elections conducted for three years after the date the county elections official declares that the Los Angeles County voting system modernization project underway in 2018 is complete and ready for operation. The bill would require the county elections official to prepare a report regarding the effect of using the alternate ballot order, as specified. The bill would require the county elections official, after the three-year period described above, to post the report on the Internet Web site of the county elections official and to submit the report to the Secretary of State and the Legislature. The bill would authorize the county elections official to continue to use the alternate ballot order for elections conducted on or after the three-year period described above. Due to the additional reporting requirements imposed on the County of Los Angeles, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Los Angeles.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.