SB280 - Elections.

Senate Bill No. 280 CHAPTER 97 An act to add and repeal Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 8160) of Part 1 of Division 8 of the Elections Code, relating to elections, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately. [ Approved by Governor August 21, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State August 21, 2025. ] LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 280, Cervantes. Elections. (1) Existing law authorizes a candidate for elective office to submit a petition containing a specified number of signatures in lieu of all or part of the fee for filing nomination papers. Existing law requires the Secretary of State to make forms for securing signatures available to each candidate commencing 60 days before the first day for circulating nomination papers, except as specified, and requires candidates to file in-lieu-filing-fee petitions at least 30 days before the close of the nomination period. This bill, for the June 2, 2026, statewide direct primary election, would require the Secretary of State to make those forms available beginning December 19, 2025. This bill would require the Secretary of State to prepare a calendar of key election dates and deadlines and requirements for the nomination of candidates by the date that the in-lieu-filing-fee petition forms are made available. (2) Existing law requires each county elections official to provide the Secretary of State with specified information regarding the number of voters and their party preferences in the county and each supervisorial, Congressional, Senate, Assembly, and Board of Equalization district in the county on the 135th day before each direct primary election, with respect to all voters who are registered voters on the 154th day before the primary election. Existing law requires the Secretary of State to compile a statewide list of this information within 30 days after receiving it from each county elections official. This bill would require the Secretary of State to determine, by December 19, 2025, whether it is feasible to include in the statewide list described above the number of voters by party preference in each congressional district with respect to all voters who are registered voters on the 154th day before the June 2, 2026, statewide direct primary election. If the Secretary of State determines it is not feasible, the bill would not require that information to be included in the information provided by the counties and the compiled statewide list. The bill would require the Secretary of State to prepare a supplemental statewide list showing that information on a date specified by the Secretary of State, but not later than the 88th day before the June 2, 2026, statewide direct primary election. (3) Existing law authorizes a candidate for elective office to designate that certain specified words appear below the candidate’s name on the ballot, including, among others, the word “incumbent.” This bill, for the June 2, 2026, statewide direct primary election, would prohibit a candidate for the office of Representative in Congress from choosing the word “incumbent” as a designation to appear on the ballot. The bill would make conforming changes relating to the deadline for a person to file nomination documents for an office if a current holder of the office does not file nomination documents. These provisions would become operative only if ACA 8 of the 2025–26 Regular Session is approved by the voters and another state adopts a new congressional district map that takes effect after August 1, 2025. (4) The bill would repeal the provisions described in paragraphs (1) to (3) above on January 1, 2027. (5) Existing law requires a constitutional amendment submitted to the people by the Legislature to appear on the ballot of the first statewide election occurring at least 131 days after the adoption of the proposal. This bill would call a special election to be held throughout the state on November 4, 2025, and, notwithstanding the 131-day requirement, would require the submission of ACA 8 of the 2025–26 Regular Session to the voters at that special election. The bill would authorize a local election called on or before August 8, 2025, and scheduled to be held on November 4, 2025, to be consolidated with the statewide special election. The bill would require that the impartial analysis prepared by the Legislative Analyst for the state voter information guide for the special election include specified content regarding 2021 and 2025 congressional district maps. The bill would specify the procedures under which the special election would be conducted. Counties that conduct all-mailed ballot elections using vote centers would be required to maintain at least one vote center for every 30,000 registered voters from November 1, 2025, to November 4, 2025, and at least one vote center for every 60,000 registered voters from October 25, 2025, through October 31, 2025. Other counties would be authorized to consolidate polling places at a maximum ratio of one for every 10,000 registered voters. The bill would appropriate an amount from the General Fund to the Controller for the actual and reasonably necessary costs for counties to conduct the special election, as determined by the Director of Finance. The bill would also appropriate an amount from the General Fund to the Secretary of State for the actual and reasonably necessary costs for the Secretary of State to administer the special election, as determined by the Director of Finance. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute. Digest Key Vote: 2/3 Appropriation: YES Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 8160) is added to Part 1 of Division 8 of the Elections Code, to read: CHAPTER 1.5. June 2, 2026, Statewide Direct Primary Election 8160. This chapter applies only to the June 2, 2026, statewide direct primary election. 8161. For purposes of this chapter, “statewide direct primary election” means the June 2, 2026, statewide direct primary election. 8162. (a) Notwithstanding subdivision (b) of Section 8106, forms for securing signatures on an in-lieu-filing-fee petition shall be made available beginning December 19, 2025. (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a) of Section 8106, the elections official shall reduce the required number of signatures on an in-lieu-filing-fee petition by the same proportion as the reduction in the number of days for the candidate to collect signatures on such a petition compared to the number of days for a candidate to collect signatures on a petition, as provided by subdivision (b) of Section 8106. 8163. Not later than December 19, 2025, the Secretary of State shall determine whether it is feasible to include the number of voters, by party preferences, in each congressional district in the state in the statewide list compiled by the Secretary of State pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 2187 with respect to all voters who are registered voters on the 154th day before the statewide direct primary election in accordance with paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 2187, and shall publicly announce that determination. If the Secretary of State determines that it is not feasible to include that information, all of the following apply: (a) Notwithstanding paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 2187, the information provided by the county elections official pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 2187 is not required to include the number of voters by political party preferences in congressional districts located in whole or in part within the county. (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (b) of Section 2187, the statewide list compiled by the Secretary of State pursuant to that subdivision with respect to all voters who are registered voters on the 154th day before the statewide direct primary election shall not include the number of voters, by party preferences, in each congressional district in the state. (c) (1) The Secretary of State shall prepare a supplemental statewide list showing the number of voters, by party preference, in the state and in each county, city, supervisorial district, Assembly district, Senate district, and congressional district in the state with respect to all voters who are registered voters on a date specified by the Secretary of State. The date specified by the Secretary of State shall be as soon as is feasible, as determined by the Secretary of State, but not later than the 88th day before the statewide direct primary election. The Secretary of State shall compile this list within 30 days of receiving the information specified in paragraph (2). A copy of this list shall be made available, upon request, to any elector in this state. (2) For the purpose of preparing the supplemental statewide list required by paragraph (1), each county elections official shall prepare the information referenced in subdivision (a) of Section 2187 and provide notice to the Secretary of State by a date specified by the Secretary of State. 8164. Not later than the date that forms for securing signatures on an in-lieu-filing-fee petition are made available in accordance with Section 8162, the Secretary of State shall prepare a calendar of key election dates and deadlines and requirements for the nomination and election of candidates pursuant to California law, including this chapter. 8165. (a) Notwithstanding paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 13107, a candidate for the office of Representative in Congress shall not choose the word “incumbent” as a designation to appear on the ballot. This subdivision shall not be construed to prevent a candidate from choosing a designation of the elective office which the candidate holds at the time of filing the nomination documents, to which the candidate was elected by vote of the people in accordance with paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 13107. (b) (1) Section 8022, as it pertains to the office of Representative in Congress, shall not be operative. (2) Notwithstanding Section 8020 or any other law, a person shall have until 5 p.m. on the 83rd day before the statewide direct primary election to file nomination documents for the office of Representative in Congress, if either of the following is true: (A) No person who currently holds the office of Representative in Congress delivered nomination documents for that district by 5 p.m. on the 88th day before the statewide direct primary election. (B) Every person who currently holds the office of Representative in Congress who delivered nomination documents for that district by 5 p.m. on the 88th day before the statewide direct primary election also withdrew those nomination documents before 5 p.m. on the 88th day before the statewide direct primary election. (c) This section shall become operative only if Assembly Constitutional Amendment 8 of the 2025–26 Regular Session is approved by the voters and takes effect, and subdivision (b) of Section 4 of Article XXI of the California Constitution, as added by that constitutional amendment, becomes operative. 8166. This chapter shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2027, and as of that date is repealed. SEC. 2. (a) (1) A special election is hereby called to be held throughout the state on November 4, 2025. (2) Notwithstanding Sections 10403 and 10406 of the Elections Code or any other law, a regular or special local election for the submission of any question, proposition, or office to be filled, which was called by a district, city, or other political subdivision on or before August 8, 2025, and scheduled to be held on November 4, 2025, may be consolidated with the statewide special election. A district, city, or other political subdivision shall not call a special election to be held on November 4, 2025, after the effective date of this act. (b) (1) Notwithstanding Sections 9040, 9043, 9044, 9061, 9082, and 9094 of the Elections Code or any other law, the Secretary of State shall submit Assembly Constitutional Amendment 8 of the 2025–26 Regular Session to the voters at the November 4, 2025, statewide special election. (2) Notwithstanding Section 13117 of the Elections Code, the measure described in paragraph (1) shall be designated as Proposition 50. (c) Notwithstanding Section 9054 of the Elections Code or any other law, if a city, county, or city and county is required to provide a translation of ballot materials in a language other than English, the Secretary of State shall provide a translation of the ballot title and summary and the ballot label for the measure described in subdivision (b) to the city, county, or city and county not later than a date determined by the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State is not required to consult with an advisory body of language experts and nonpartisan organizations that advocate on behalf of, or provide services to, individuals that speak that language for these purposes. The translations of the ballot title and summary and the ballot label may be made available for public examination at a later date than the start of the public examination period for the state voter information guide, provided that the translations of the ballot title and summary and the ballot label shall remain available for public examination for eight days. A voter may seek a writ of mandate for the purpose of requiring the translations, or portions thereof, to be amended or deleted only within that eight-day period. (d) Notwithstanding Section 13282 of the Elections Code or any other law, the public shall be permitted to examine the condensed ballot title and summary of the measure described in subdivision (b) for eight days. A voter may seek a writ of mandate for the purpose of requiring the condensed ballot title and summary, or portions thereof, to be amended or deleted only within that eight-day period. (e) Notwithstanding Sections 303, 9050, and 9051 of the Elections Code or any other law, the ballot label for the measure described in subdivision (b) shall not include a list of supporters and opponents. (f) The impartial analysis prepared by the Legislative Analyst pursuant to Section 9087 of the Elections Code for inclusion in the state voter information guide prepared by the Secretary of State pursuant to Section 9081 of the Elections Code for the statewide special election called by paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of this section shall include all of the following: (1) A hyperlink to the text of Assembly Bill 604 of the 2025–26 Regular Session. (2) One or more visual depictions of the geographic map or maps of the congressional districts that were certified by the Citizens Redistricting Commission in 2021. (3) One or more visual depictions of the geographic map or maps of the congressional districts that are created by Assembly Bill 604 of the 2025–26 Regular Session. For the purpose of complyi [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]