Elections.

(1) Existing law establishes election dates, including on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March of each year. This bill would make clarifying and nonsubstantive changes in these provisions. (2) Existing law provides procedures for the circulation of candidate nomination documents and initiative and referendum petitions for signatures and requires the documents and petitions to be filed with county elections officials, as specified. This bill would clarify that, for candidate nomination documents and initiative and referendum petitions circulated outside of the designated county, the documents and petitions must be filed with the county elections official for which the document or petition was circulated, rather than with the county elections official in which the document or petition was circulated. (3) In order to appear on a ballot, existing law requires a candidate for public office to submit a declaration of candidacy, nomination papers signed by registered voters, and a filing fee with the Secretary of State or a county elections official, depending on the office sought. Existing law authorizes a candidate to submit a petition containing a specified number of signatures of registered voters in lieu of a filing fee. This bill would specifically authorize a person authorized by the candidate to submit an in-lieu-filing-fee petition. If a candidate submits an in-lieu-filing fee petition pursuant to existing law, any or all signatures on the petition are required to be counted towards the number of voters required to sign a nomination paper. If the petition contains the requisite number of valid signatures, the candidate is not required to file nomination papers and may request the elections official to accept the petition instead. This bill would remove the requirement that the candidate request the elections official to accept the petition. (4) Existing law requires public officers to take and subscribe the oath or affirmation set forth in the California Constitution before entering on the duties of office. Candidates for district elections must also take this oath when filing the declaration of candidacy. Existing law requires the county elections official or district secretary, or a person designated by the county elections official or district secretary, to administer the oath to candidates for district elections. This bill would additionally authorize the county elections official or district secretary, or a person designated by the county elections official or district secretary, to administer the oath or affirmation to the candidate elected to office. (5) Existing law provides, until January 1, 2020, that a special election to fill a vacancy in the office of Representative in Congress, State Senator, or Member of the Assembly may be conducted as an all-mailed ballot election pursuant to a statute allowing San Diego County to conduct such an election as a pilot program. This bill would extend the operation of this provision to January 1, 2021, and make other conforming changes. (6) Existing law authorizes a voter to file with the elections official a written request for a recount within 5 days of completion of the official canvass for that election. This bill would require that the request be made not later than 5 p.m. on the 5th day. (7) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 9030 of the Elections Code proposed by AB 698 and AB 1451 to be operative only if this bill and either or both of those bills are enacted and this bill is enacted last. (8) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 10703 of the Elections Code proposed by SB 641 to be operative only if this bill and SB 641 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.