County of San Diego: local elections.

Existing law requires that an amendment to the charter of the County of San Diego to require that candidates for county office be elected at the general election be made by a proposal submitted by the governing body or by a petition signed by 10% of the qualified electors of the county, computed upon the total number of votes cast in the county for all candidates for Governor at the last general election at which a Governor was elected, as specified. Existing law applies these provision retroactively, commencing January 1, 2018, and requires the elections official to examine or reexamine whether the number of valid signatures filed by the proponents is sufficient to qualify a measure for the ballot pursuant to these provisions, to the extent that petition signatures for an initiative measure proposing an amendment to the charter of the County of San Diego have been submitted prior to the effective date of this act. This bill would repeal and reenact those provisions for a specified reason. This bill would, for an amendment to the charter of the County of San Diego to require that candidates for county office be elected at the general election and to make conforming changes to election procedures to implement the charter amendment, require that the calculation of the 10% of qualified electors in the county be computed upon the total number of votes cast in the county for all candidates for Governor at the last general election at which a Governor was elected, as specified. This bill would apply these provision retroactively, commencing January 1, 2018, and would require the elections official to examine or reexamine whether the number of valid signatures filed by the proponents is sufficient to qualify a measure for the ballot pursuant to these provisions, to the extent that petition signatures for an initiative measure proposing an amendment to the charter of the County of San Diego have been submitted prior to the effective date of this act. By imposing additional duties on the local elections official, this 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 San Diego. 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. This bill would appropriate $1,000,000 from the Federal Trust Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, to the Secretary of State to secure and improve county election systems. The bill would provide that this appropriation may be adjusted upon receipt of a request, submitted on or before June 30, 2019, to increase related Federal Trust Fund expenditure authority from the Secretary of State, and subsequent approval by the Director of Finance. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.