Elections: political parties.

Under existing law, a group of electors may qualify a new political party by holding a caucus or convention at which temporary party officers are elected, by designating a party name, and by filing notice with the Secretary of State that the party has organized, elected temporary officers, and has declared its intent to qualify in a primary election. Existing law prohibits the name of a new party from being so similar to the name of an existing party so as to mislead the voters or from conflicting with the name of an existing political body that has previously filed notice with the Secretary of State. This bill would prohibit the name of a party from including the phrase "no party preference" or "decline to state" or the word "independent" or a variation of that word or those phrases. The bill would require a party that is qualified on the effective date of the bill, but whose name includes a variation of the phrase "no party preference" or "decline to state" or the word "independent," to file a change of name notice with the Secretary of State by October 29, 2019. The Secretary of State would be required to disqualify, by October 30, 2019, any party that fails to so submit an appropriate change of name notice. The Secretary of State would be required to send related notices, as provided. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.