AB 1214: Elections: official canvass.
The bill aims to improve the efficiency of the official canvass process in elections. It would require elections officials to count all ballots and prepare the certified statement of results within 21 days of the election, and to send the secretary of state a complete copy of all election results within 22 days. The bill also requires elections officials to post updated election results on their website at least twice a week. Additionally, the bill sets specific targets for the number of ballots to be counted by certain dates, including at least 25% by the 7th day and at least 67% by the 14th day. The bill would impose a state-mandated local program, and if the commission on state mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs would be made according to state law.
| Sep. 03, 2025 | Ordered to inactive file at the request of Senator Valladares. |
| Aug. 21, 2025 | Ordered to third reading. |
| Aug. 21, 2025 | From Consent Calendar. |
| Aug. 20, 2025 | Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar. |
| Aug. 19, 2025 | From committee: Be ordered to second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to Consent Calendar. |
| Amended IN Assembly April 22, 2025 |
| Introduced by Assembly Member Patterson (Coauthors: Assembly Members Castillo and DeMaio) |
February 21, 2025 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
This bill would require elections officials to count all ballots and prepare the certified statement of the results of the election within 21 days of the election, and to send the Secretary of State a complete copy of all election results within 22 days of the election. The bill would require elections officials to count at least 25% of ballots by the 7th calendar day following the election and at least 67% of ballots by the 14th calendar day following the election. The bill would require elections officials to post updated election results on their internet website at least twice per week, and to provide, by no later than the close of polls on election day, the dates on which those updates will be posted. By increasing the duties of local elections officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
(a)The canvass shall commence no later than the Thursday following the election, shall be open to the public, and, for state or statewide elections, shall result in a report of results to the Secretary of State.
(b)(1)The canvass shall be continued daily, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays excepted, for not less than six hours each day until completed.
(2)An elections official shall count at least 25 percent of ballots by the 7th calendar day following the election and at least 67 percent of ballots by the 14th calendar day following the election. The elections official shall count all ballots and complete the official canvass by the 21st calendar day following the election.
SEC. 2.SECTION 1.
15306.
(a) Beginning no later than the Thursday following an election, and until the time specified in subdivision (b), an elections official shall post updated information regarding the election on their internet website at least twice per week. The update shall include at least the following information:(b)By no later than the close of polls on election day, the elections official shall post on their internet website the dates on which the updates provided pursuant to subdivision (a) will be posted.
(c)
(d)
(a)The elections official shall prepare a certified statement of the results of the election and submit it to the governing body within 21 days of the election or, in the case of school district, community college district, county board of education, or special district elections conducted on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of odd-numbered years, no later than the last Monday before the last Friday of that month.
(b)The elections official shall post the certified statement of the results of the election on the elections official’s internet website in a downloadable spreadsheet format that may include, but is not limited to, a comma-separated values file or a tab-separated values file and that is compatible with a spreadsheet software application that is widely used at the time of the posting. The certified statement of the election results shall be posted and maintained on the elections official’s internet website for a period of at least 10 years following the election. This subdivision applies only to an elections official who uses a computer system that has the capability of producing the election results in a downloadable spreadsheet format without requiring modification of the computer system.
The elections official shall send to the Secretary of State within 22 days of the election in an electronic format in the manner requested one complete copy of all results as to all of the following:
(a)All candidates voted for statewide office.
(b)All candidates voted for the following offices:
(1)Member of the Assembly.
(2)Member of the Senate.
(3)Member of the United States House of Representatives.
(4)Member of the State Board of Equalization.
(5)Justice of the Court of Appeal.
(6)Judge of the superior court.
(c)All persons voted for at the presidential primary.
(d)The vote given for persons for electors of President and Vice President of the United States. The results for presidential electors shall be endorsed “Presidential Election Returns.”
(e)All statewide measures.
(f)The total number of ballots cast.
SEC. 5.SEC. 2.