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Measure AB 5
Authors Berman  
Coauthors: Choi  
Subject Elections: official canvass.
Relating To relating to elections.
Title An act to add Section 15307 to the Elections Code, relating to elections.
Last Action Dt 2025-10-03
State Chaptered
Status Chaptered
Active? Y
Vote Required Majority
Appropriation No
Fiscal Committee Yes
Local Program Yes
Substantive Changes None
Urgency No
Tax Levy No
Leginfo Link Bill
Actions
2025-10-03     Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 250, Statutes of 2025.
2025-10-03     Approved by the Governor.
2025-09-16     Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
2025-09-09     Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3098.).
2025-09-08     Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 2611.).
2025-09-08     In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-08-29     From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).
2025-08-29     Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-07-14     In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
2025-07-02     Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-07-01     From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (July 1).
2025-06-24     From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on E. & C.A.
2025-06-11     Referred to Com. on E. & C.A.
2025-05-29     Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 71. Noes 0. Page 1774.)
2025-05-29     In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-05-27     Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23     From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).
2025-04-23     In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.
2025-04-09     From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (April 9). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-03-11     Re-referred to Com. on ELECTIONS.
2025-03-10     Referred to Com. on ELECTIONS.
2025-03-10     From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on ELECTIONS. Read second time and amended.
2024-12-03     From printer. May be heard in committee January 2.
2024-12-02     Read first time. To print.
Keywords
Tags
Versions
Chaptered     2025-10-03
Enrolled     2025-09-11
Amended Senate     2025-07-02
Amended Senate     2025-06-24
Amended Assembly     2025-03-10
Introduced     2024-12-02
Last Version Text 
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		<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Berman</ns0:AuthorText>
		<ns0:AuthorText authorType="COAUTHOR_OPPOSITE">(Coauthor: Senator Choi)</ns0:AuthorText>
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		<ns0:Title>An act to add Section 15307 to the Elections Code, relating to elections. </ns0:Title>
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			<ns0:Subject>Elections: official canvass.</ns0:Subject>
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			<html:p>Existing law requires elections officials to commence the canvass for an election no later than the Thursday following the election and to make the canvass open to the public. Existing law requires the canvass to be continued daily, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays excepted, for not less than six hours each day until completed. Existing law requires elections officials to prepare a certified statement of the results of the election within 30 days of the election and to send the Secretary of State a complete copy of all election results within 31 days of the election. Existing law requires the Secretary of State to prepare, certify, and file a statement of the vote no later than the 38th day after the election.</html:p>
			<html:p>This bill would require elections officials, on or before the 13th day following an election, to finish counting all ballots, with
			 certain exceptions, including provisional ballots and ballots for which the voter must either verify or provide a signature, and release a vote count for those ballots. If an elections official will not meet that deadline, they would be required to file a notice of extension, including the reason for the extension, with the Secretary of State. By increasing the duties of county elections officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.</html:p>
			<html:p>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.</html:p>
			<html:p>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.</html:p>
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		<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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			<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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				Section 15307 is added to the 
				<ns0:DocName>Elections Code</ns0:DocName>
				, to read:
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								(a)
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								On or before the 13th day following the election, an elections official shall finish counting all ballots, except those described in subdivision (b), and shall release the vote count for those ballots.
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								(b)
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								The requirement to finish counting all ballots and release the vote count for those ballots on or before the 13th day
						following the election does not apply to any of the following:
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								(1)
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								A duplicate ballot prepared pursuant to Section 15210 or subdivision (c) of Section 3106.
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								(2)
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								A vote by mail ballot that is forwarded to the county elections official who issued the ballot pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 3017.
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								(3)
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								A vote by mail ballot for which a voter has the opportunity either to verify a signature pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 3019 or to provide a signature pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 3019.
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								(4)
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								A provisional ballot.
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								(5)
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								A ballot cast by a person who
						completes a conditional voter registration pursuant to Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 2170) of Chapter 2 of Division 2.
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								(6)
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								A ballot received by an elections official after the fourth day following the election.
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								(c)
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								If an elections official will not meet the deadline set forth in subdivision (a), the elections official shall file a notice of extension with the Secretary of State and include the reason for the extension. Both the Secretary of State and the elections official shall post the extension filing on their respective websites.
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								(d)
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								Nothing in this section alters the statutory obligations imposed by Sections 3019, 15320, 15321, and 15342 regarding
						counties completing their respective vote canvasses.
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			<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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				<html:p>If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.</html:p>
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Last Version Text Digest Existing law requires elections officials to commence the canvass for an election no later than the Thursday following the election and to make the canvass open to the public. Existing law requires the canvass to be continued daily, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays excepted, for not less than six hours each day until completed. Existing law requires elections officials to prepare a certified statement of the results of the election within 30 days of the election and to send the Secretary of State a complete copy of all election results within 31 days of the election. Existing law requires the Secretary of State to prepare, certify, and file a statement of the vote no later than the 38th day after the election.