Political party qualification.

Existing law specifies the methods for a political party to qualify to participate in a primary election. Existing law provides that a party is qualified to participate in a primary election if, at the last preceding gubernatorial election, there was polled for any one of its candidates for any office voted on throughout the state, at least 2% of the entire vote of the state. Existing law also provides that a party is qualified to participate in a primary election if, on or before the 135th day before the primary election, it appears to the Secretary of State, as a result of examining and totaling the statement of voters transmitted by county elections officials, that voters equal in number to at least 1% of the entire vote of the state at the last gubernatorial election have declared an intention to affiliate with that party. This bill would revise these provisions for a party to qualify to participate in a primary election. This bill would provide that a party is qualified if, at the last preceding gubernatorial primary election, the sum of the votes cast for all of the candidates for an office voted on throughout the state who disclosed a preference for that party on the ballot was at least 2% of the entire vote of the state for that office. Notwithstanding this provision, the bill would authorize the party to inform the Secretary of State that it declines to have the votes cast for a candidate counted towards the 2% qualification threshold. This bill would also provide that a party is qualified to participate if it appears to the Secretary of State that voters equal in number to at least 0.33% of the total number of voters registered on the 154th day before the primary election have declared their preference for that party. If a political party did not qualify to participate in a presidential primary election, but nevertheless seeks qualification to participate in the following presidential general election, existing law specifies the methods for the party to qualify to participate in the general election. Existing law provides that a party is qualified to participate in a presidential general election if, at the last preceding gubernatorial election, there was polled for any one of its candidates for any office voted on throughout the state at least 2% of the entire vote of the state. Existing law also provides that a party is qualified to participate in a presidential general election if, on or before the 102nd day before the general election, it appears to the Secretary of State, as a result of examining and totaling the statement of voters transmitted by county elections officials, that voters equal in number to at least 1% of the entire vote of the state at the last gubernatorial election have declared an intention to affiliate with that party. This bill would revise these provisions for a party to qualify to participate in a presidential general election. This bill would provide that a party is qualified if, at the last preceding gubernatorial primary election, the sum of the votes casts for all of the candidates for an office voted on throughout the state who disclosed a preference for that party on the ballot was at least 2% of the entire vote of the state for that office. Notwithstanding this provision, the bill would authorize the party to inform the Secretary of State that it declines to have the votes cast for a candidate counted towards the 2% qualification threshold. This bill would also provide that a party is qualified to participate if it appears to the Secretary of State that voters equal in number to at least 0.33% of the total number of voters registered on the 123rd day before the presidential general election have declared their preference for that party. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Sections 5100 and 5151 of the Elections Code, as proposed by SB 1043, to be operative only if SB 1043 and this bill are both chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2015, and this bill is chaptered last.