SB 409: Elections: candidate’s statement.

The Political Reform Act of 1974 provides for the comprehensive regulation of campaign financing and related matters, including voluntary expenditure ceilings for candidates for statewide elective office and for State Senate and Assembly. Existing law authorizes a candidate for statewide elective office who accepts the voluntary expenditure limits to purchase the space to place a statement in a state voter information guide, as specified. Existing law authorizes a candidate for State Senate or Assembly who accepts the voluntary expenditure limits to purchase the space to place a statement in the voter information portion of the county voter information guide, as specified. Existing law authorizes a candidate for United States Representative to purchase the space to place a statement in the voter information portion of the county voter information guide, as specified.

This bill would require the Secretary of State to establish establish, on or before January 1, 2026, a pilot program that would allow a candidate to include a QR code link, as defined, to a video statement in the state voter information guide, as specified. The bill would require the Secretary of State to seek to collaborate with at least 1 but not more than 4 county elections offices from geographically diverse counties to establish a similar program for county voter information guides. The bill would require a participating county to report to the Secretary of State about the effectiveness of the program and for the Secretary of State to provide a report to the Legislature, as specified.

The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the acts purposes upon a ²/₃ vote of each house of the Legislature and compliance with specified procedural requirements.

This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.