ACA24 - Elections: prohibition of exclusion of eligible voters.

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Constitutional Amendment No. 24 Introduced by Assembly Members Nguyen, Alvarez, Ávila Farías, Blanca Rubio, and Wilson (Coauthors: Assembly Members Ahrens, Bains, Calderon, Gipson, Jackson, Lee, McKinnor, Pacheco, and Solache) August 24, 2026 A resolution to propose to the people of the State of California an amendment to the Constitution of the State, by amending Section 2 of Article II thereof, relating to elections. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACA 24, as introduced, Nguyen. Elections: prohibition of exclusion of eligible voters. The California Constitution confers the right to vote on a United States citizen who is 18 years of age and a resident of this state, except as specified. The California Constitution requires candidates for congressional and state elective offices in California to be selected via a voter-nominated primary election at which all voters may vote for any candidate without regard to the political party preference disclosed by the candidate or the voter. The top two vote-getters at a voter-nominated primary election for a congressional or state elective office, regardless of party preference, are nominated to compete in the ensuing general election. The California Constitution requires the Legislature to provide for partisan elections for presidential candidates, and political party and party central committees, including an open presidential primary whereby the candidates on the ballot are those found by the Secretary of State to be recognized candidates throughout the nation or throughout California for the office of President of the United States. This measure would prohibit an eligible voter from being excluded from meaningful participation at any integral stage of any publicly funded election, including a primary election, on any basis, including political party preference. Digest Key Vote: 2/3 Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO Bill Text Resolved by the Assembly, the Senate concurring, That the Legislature of the State of California at its 2025–26 Regular Session, commencing on the second day of December 2024, two-thirds of the membership of each house concurring, hereby proposes to the people of the State of California, that the Constitution of the State be amended as follows: That Section 2 of Article II thereof is amended to read: SEC. 2. (a) A United States citizen 18 years of age and resident in this State may vote. (b) An elector disqualified from voting while serving a state or federal prison term, as described in Section 4, shall have their right to vote restored upon the completion of their prison term. (c) An eligible voter shall not be excluded from meaningful participation at any integral stage of any publicly funded election, including a primary election, on any basis, including political party preference.