Elections: recounts.

(1) Existing law establishes procedures by which a voter may request a recount of the votes cast in an election following completion of the official canvass. Under existing law, the voter or the campaign committee represented by the voter seeking the recount must, before the recount is commenced and at the beginning of each subsequent day, deposit with the elections official the amount of money required to cover the cost of the recount for that day. This bill would require any committee that provides a deposit to cover the cost of the recount, including a committee that is registered only with the Federal Election Commission, to identify the source of any contribution to that committee of at least $10,000 that is received during the period beginning with election day and continuing through a week after the recount ends. The bill would require an elections official, within 24 hours of receipt, to publish this information on the official's internet website, except as specified. (2) Existing law authorizes the Governor or Secretary of State, as applicable, to, within a specified time frame, order a state-funded manual recount of all votes cast for a statewide office if, among other things, the official canvass of returns in a statewide general election shows that the difference in the number of votes received by the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes is less than or equal to the lesser of 1,000 votes or 0.015% of the number of all votes cast for that office. This bill would require the Governor, within a specified time frame, to order a state-funded manual recount of all votes cast for State Senator, Member of the Assembly, or Member of the United States House of Representative if either 1) the official canvass of returns for a primary election shows that the difference in the number of votes received by the second and third place candidates is less than the greater of 25 votes or 0.25% of the number of all votes cast for that office, or 2) the official canvass of returns for a general election shows that the difference in the number of votes received by the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes is less than the greater of 25 votes or 0.25% of the number of all votes cast for that office. The bill would require the recount to be conducted by means of the voting system originally used to cast or tabulate the votes subject to recount. The bill would authorize the Secretary of State to request, as part of the recount, an examination of specific categories of relevant materials, as defined, and it would permit specified interested parties to be present during the examination. By expanding the duties of county elections officials with respect to conducting recounts, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. 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.