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Elections Code

ELEC

Division 0.5 - PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS

Chapter 1 - General Provisions

Chapter 2 - Petitions and Petition Signers

Chapter 3 - Nominations

Chapter 4 - Definitions

Division 1 - ESTABLISHED ELECTION DATES

Chapter 1 - Election Dates

Chapter 2 - Election Day

Chapter 3 - Statewide Elections

Chapter 4 - Local Elections

Chapter 5 - Special Elections

Chapter 6 - Mail Ballot Elections

Division 2 - VOTERS

Chapter 1 - Voter Qualifications

Article 1 - General Provisions

Article 2 - Determination of Residence and Domicile

Article 3 - Visually Impaired Voters

Chapter 2 - Registration

§§ 2100-2194.1

Article 1 - General Provisions

Article 2 - Reimbursable Voter Outreach Costs

Article 3 - Registration Procedures

Article 3.5 - Student Voter Registration

§§ 2145-2148.5

Article 4 - Forms

Article 4.5 - Conditional Voter Registration

Article 5 - Roster

§§ 2183-2194.1

Chapter 2.5 - Online Voter Registration

Chapter 3 - Cancellation and Voter File Maintenance

Article 1 - General Provisions

Article 2 - Residency Confirmation Procedures

Article 3 - Reimbursable File Maintenance

Chapter 4 - Motor Voter

Chapter 4.5 - California New Motor Voter Program

Chapter 5 - Voter Bill of Rights

Chapter 6 - Voter Registration Agencies

Chapter 7 - Election Management Systems

Chapter 8 - Language Accessibility

Chapter 9 - Native American Voters

Division 3 - VOTE BY MAIL VOTING, NEW RESIDENT, AND NEW CITIZEN VOTING

Chapter 1 - Vote by Mail Application and Voting Procedures

Chapter 2 - Military and Overseas Voters Application and Voting Procedures

Division 4 - MAIL BALLOT ELECTIONS

Chapter 1 - Conditions for Mail Ballot Election

Chapter 2 - Conduct of Mail Ballot Elections

Division 5 - POLITICAL PARTY QUALIFICATIONS

Chapter 1 - New Party Qualifications

Chapter 2 - Parties Qualified to Participate in the Primary Election

Chapter 2.5 - Parties Qualified to Participate in the Presidential General Election

Chapter 3 - Disqualification of Political Parties

Division 6 - PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Part 1 - PARTISAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES

Chapter 0.5 - General Provisions

§§ 6000-6000.2

Chapter 1 - Democratic Presidential Primary

Chapter 2 - Republican Presidential Primary

Chapter 3 - American Independent Party Presidential Primary

Chapter 4 - Peace and Freedom Party Presidential Primary

Chapter 5 - Green Party Presidential Primary

Chapter 7 - Income Tax Return Disclosure Requirements

Part 2 - ELECTIONS FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS

Chapter 1 - General Provisions

Chapter 1.2 - Uniform Faithful Presidential Electors Act

Chapter 1.5 - Voting Compact

Chapter 2 - Duties of the Secretary of State

Division 7 - POLITICAL PARTY ORGANIZATION AND CENTRAL COMMITTEE ELECTIONS

Part 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS

Part 2 - DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Chapter 1 - General Provisions

Chapter 2 - Presidential Electors

Chapter 3 - State Central Committee

Chapter 4 - County Central Committee

Part 3 - REPUBLICAN PARTY

Chapter 1 - General Provisions

Chapter 2 - Presidential Electors

Chapter 3 - State Central Committee

Chapter 4 - County Central Committee

Part 4 - AMERICAN INDEPENDENT PARTY

Chapter 1 - General Provisions

Chapter 2 - State Convention

Chapter 3 - State Central Committee

Chapter 4 - County Central Committee

Part 5 - PEACE AND FREEDOM PARTY

Chapter 1 - General Provisions

Chapter 2 - Members of Central Committees

Chapter 3 - State Central Committee

Chapter 4 - County Central Committee

Part 6 - Green Party

Chapter 1 - General Provisions

Chapter 2 - Members of County Councils

Chapter 3 - Election of County Councils

Chapter 4 - State Coordinating Committee

Division 8 - NOMINATIONS

Part 1 - PRIMARY ELECTION NOMINATIONS

Chapter 1 - Direct Primary

Chapter 1.5 - June 2, 2026, Statewide Direct Primary Election

Chapter 2 - Judicial Officers

Part 2 - INDEPENDENT NOMINATIONS

Chapter 1 - General Provisions

Chapter 3 - Nomination Papers

Chapter 4 - Circulators

Chapter 5 - Arrangement and Examination of Nomination Papers

Chapter 6 - Affidavit of Candidate

Part 3 - WRITE-IN CANDIDATES

Chapter 1 - General

Chapter 2 - Presidential Electors

Chapter 3 - Term Limits

Part 4 - WITHDRAWAL OF CANDIDATES: VACANCIES

Part 5 - INCOME TAX RETURN DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS

Division 9 - MEASURES SUBMITTED TO THE VOTERS

Chapter 1 - State Elections

Article 1 - Initiative and Referendum Petitions

Article 2 - Petition Signatures

Article 3 - Filing Petitions

Article 4 - Measures Proposed by the Legislature

Article 5 - Ballot Titles

Article 6 - Arguments Concerning Measures Submitted to Voters

Article 7 - State Voter Information Guide

Chapter 2 - County Elections

Article 1 - Initiative

Article 2 - Referendum

Article 3 - Arguments Concerning County Measures

Article 4 - Mailings

Article 5 - Public Examinations

Chapter 3 - Municipal Elections

Article 1 - Initiative

Article 2 - Referendum

Article 3 - City or City and County Charters

Article 4 - Arguments Concerning City Measures

Article 5 - Mailings

Article 6 - Public Examination

Chapter 4 - District Elections

Article 1 - Initiative

Article 2 - Referendum

Article 3 - Mailings

Article 4 - Public Examination

Chapter 5 - Bond Issues

Chapter 6 - School District Elections

Chapter 7 - General Provisions

Division 10 - LOCAL, SPECIAL, VACANCY, AND CONSOLIDATED ELECTIONS

§§ 10000-10735

Part 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS

§§ 10000-10010

Chapter 1 - Voters and Procedure

§§ 10000-10005

Chapter 2 - District Boundaries

Part 2 - MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

§§ 10100-10312

Chapter 1 - General Provisions

§§ 10100-10104

Chapter 2 - Regulations Governing Elections in Cities

§§ 10200-10266

Chapter 3 - Emergency Elections in Cities

§§ 10300-10312

Part 3 - CONSOLIDATION OF ELECTIONS

§§ 10400-10418

Part 4 - UNIFORM DISTRICT ELECTION LAW

§§ 10500-10556

Part 5 - SCHOOL DISTRICT AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT GOVERNING BOARD ELECTIONS

§§ 10600-10604

Part 5.5 - Special District Elections

Part 6 - ELECTIONS TO FILL VACANCIES

§§ 10700-10735

Chapter 1 - Nomination of Candidates for Legislative and Congressional Offices at Special Elections

§§ 10700-10707

Chapter 2 - Vacancy in Senate

Chapter 3 - Vacancies in Congressional Offices caused by Catastrophe

§§ 10730-10735

Division 11 - RECALL ELECTIONS

§§ 11000-11386

Chapter 1 - General Procedures: General Provisions and Initial Steps in the Recall

§§ 11000-11047

Article 1 - General Provisions

§§ 11000-11007

Article 2 - The Notice of Intention, Statement, and Answer

§§ 11020-11024

Article 3 - Recall Petition

§§ 11040-11047

Chapter 2 - Recall of State Officers: Intermediate Steps in the Recall

§§ 11100-11110

Chapter 3 - Recall of Local Officers: Intermediate Steps in the Recall

§§ 11200-11242

Article 1 - General Provisions

§§ 11200-11201

Article 2 - Recall Petitions

§§ 11220-11227

Article 3 - The Recall Election

§§ 11240-11242

Chapter 4 - General Procedures: Final Steps in the Recall

§§ 11300-11386

Article 1 - General Provisions

§§ 11300-11303

Article 2 - Ballots

§§ 11320-11327

Article 3 - Elections in General

§§ 11328-11329

Article 4 - Recall Elections

§§ 11381-11386

Division 12 - PREELECTION PROCEDURES

§§ 12000-12327

Chapter 1 - Proclamations And Election Orders

§§ 12000-12001

Chapter 2 - Preelection Notices

§§ 12101-12113

Chapter 3 - Precincts

§§ 12200-12288

Article 1 - General Provisions

Article 2 - Precinct Formation

§§ 12220-12225

Article 3 - Precinct Consolidations

Article 4 - Precinct Boundary Changes

§§ 12260-12263

Article 5 - Polling Places

§§ 12280-12288

Chapter 4 - Precinct Boards

§§ 12300-12327

Article 1 - General Provisions

§§ 12300-12327

Division 13 - BALLOTS, SAMPLE BALLOTS, AND VOTER PAMPHLETS

§§ 13000-13600

Chapter 1 - Purchasing Procedures

§§ 13000-13006

Chapter 2 - Forms of Ballots: Ballot Order

§§ 13100-13121

Chapter 3 - Ballot Printing Specifications

§§ 13200-13282

Article 1 - General Provisions

§§ 13200-13220

Article 2 - Allowable Changes in Ballot Format and Printing

§§ 13230-13233

Article 3 - Vote Tabulating Devices

§§ 13240-13247

Article 4 - Punchcards

Article 5 - Ballot Labels

Chapter 4 - State and County Voter Information Guides

§§ 13300-13317

Chapter 5 - Facsimile Copies of Ballots

Chapter 6 - Partisan Primary Elections

§§ 13500-13502.5

Chapter 7 - Ballot Mistakes

Division 14 - ELECTION DAY PROCEDURES

§§ 14000-14443

Chapter 1 - Privileges of Voters

§§ 14000-14004

Chapter 1.5 - Rights of Voters

§§ 14025-14032

Chapter 1.7 - Voter Participation

§§ 14050-14057

Chapter 2 - Precinct Supplies

§§ 14100-14113

Chapter 3 - Procedures at Polls

§§ 14200-14314

Article 1 - Election Day Posting Requirements

§§ 14200-14203

Article 2 - Election Day Procedures

§§ 14210-14227.5

Article 3 - Challenging a Voter

§§ 14240-14253

Article 4 - Issuing Ballots and Voting

§§ 14270-14300

Article 5 - Provisional Voting

§§ 14310-14314

Chapter 4 - Closing of the Polls

§§ 14400-14443

Article 1 - General Provisions

§§ 14400-14405

Article 2 - Elections Using Voting Systems

§§ 14420-14422

Article 2.5 - Elections Using Vote Centers

Article 3 - Return of Supplies to the Clerk

§§ 14430-14435

Article 4 - Snap Tallies

§§ 14440-14443

Division 15 - SEMIFINAL OFFICIAL CANVASS, OFFICIAL CANVASS, RECOUNT, AND TIE VOTE PROCEDURES

§§ 15000-15702

Chapter 1 - Preparation for Canvass

§§ 15000-15004

Chapter 2 - Vote by Mail Ballot Processing

§§ 15100-15112

Chapter 3 - Semifinal Official Canvass

§§ 15150-15290

Article 1 - General Provisions

§§ 15150-15154

Article 2 - Automated Count in a Central Location

§§ 15200-15213

Article 3 - Automated Vote Count in Precincts

§§ 15250-15251

Article 4 - Establishing Election Return Centers and Multiple Counting Centers

§§ 15260-15261

Article 5 - Manual Vote Count in the Precinct

§§ 15270-15281

Article 6 - Manual Vote Count in a Central Place

Chapter 4 - Official Canvass

§§ 15300-15377

Article 1 - General Provisions

§§ 15300-15307

Article 2 - Processing Vote by Mail Ballots and Mail Ballot Precinct Ballots

§§ 15320-15321

Article 3 - Processing Write-In Votes

§§ 15340-15342.5

Article 4 - Processing and Counting Provisional Ballots

Article 5 - One Percent Manual Tally

Article 6 - Ballot Security and Reporting of Results

§§ 15370-15377

Chapter 5 - Announcement of Results

§§ 15400-15402

Chapter 6 - Determination of Elected or Nominated Candidates

§§ 15450-15490

Article 1 - General Provisions

§§ 15450-15452

Article 2 - Democratic Central Committee Conditions for Election of Candidate

Article 3 - Republican Central Committee Conditions for Election of Candidate

Article 4 - American Independent Central Committee Conditions for Election of Candidate

Article 5 - Peace and Freedom Central Committee Conditions for Election of Candidate

Chapter 7 - Duties of the Secretary of State

§§ 15500-15505

Chapter 8 - Disposition of Ballots and Supplies by the Elections Official

§§ 15550-15551

Chapter 8.5 - Postcanvass Risk-Limiting Audit Pilot Program

Chapter 9 - Recount

§§ 15600-15649

Article 1 - General Provisions

§§ 15600-15601

Article 2 - Elections Official-Ordered Recounts

Article 3 - Voter-Requested Recounts

§§ 15620-15634

Article 4 - Court-Ordered Recounts

§§ 15640-15642

Article 5 - State-Funded Recounts

§§ 15645-15649

Chapter 10 - Tie Votes

§§ 15650-15673

Article 1 - Elections Other than Primary Elections

§§ 15650-15654

Article 2 - At Primary Elections

§§ 15670-15673

Chapter 11 - Extension of Deadlines

§§ 15700-15702

Division 16 - ELECTIONS CONTESTS

§§ 16000-16940

Chapter 1 - General Provisions

§§ 16000-16003

Chapter 2 - Grounds for Contest

§§ 16100-16101

Chapter 3 - Contests at General Elections

§§ 16200-16204

Chapter 4 - Contests at Primary Elections

Chapter 5 - Form of Contest Statement

§§ 16400-16467

Article 1 - General Elections

§§ 16400-16404

Article 2 - Primary Elections

§§ 16420-16421

Article 3 - Contests Other than Recount

§§ 16440-16444

Article 4 - Contests Involving a Recount

§§ 16460-16467

Chapter 6 - Elections Official’s Duties

§§ 16500-16540

Article 1 - Contest Procedures at General Elections

§§ 16500-16503

Article 2 - Contest Procedures at Primary Elections: Contests Other Than Recount

§§ 16520-16521

Article 3 - Contest Procedures at Primary Elections: Involving a Recount

Chapter 7 - Court’s Duties

§§ 16600-16643

Article 1 - General Elections

§§ 16600-16603

Article 2 - Primary Elections: Contests Other than Recount

Article 3 - Primary Elections: Contests Involving a Recount

§§ 16640-16643

Chapter 8 - Court’s Decisions, Judgment, and Determinations

§§ 16700-16742

Article 1 - General Elections

§§ 16700-16703

Article 2 - Primary Elections: Other than Recount

Article 3 - Primary Elections: Involving a Recount

§§ 16740-16742

Chapter 9 - Costs

§§ 16800-16803

Chapter 10 - Appeals

§§ 16900-16940

Article 1 - General Elections

Article 2 - Primary Elections: Other than a Recount

Article 3 - Primary Elections: Involving a Recount

Division 17 - RETENTION AND PRESERVATION OF ELECTION RECORDS

§§ 17000-17603

Chapter 1 - Affidavits of Registration and Voter Registration Indexes

§§ 17000-17001

Chapter 2 - Nomination Documents

Chapter 3 - Initiative and Referendum Petitions

Chapter 4 - Precinct Supplies and Ballots

§§ 17300-17306

Chapter 5 - Recall Petitions

Chapter 6 - Miscellaneous Provisions

§§ 17501-17506

Chapter 7 - Preservation of Electronic Data

§§ 17600-17603

Division 18 - PENAL PROVISIONS

§§ 18000-18700

Chapter 1 - General Provisions

§§ 18000-18002

Chapter 2 - Voter Registration

§§ 18100-18112

Chapter 3 - Nomination of Candidates

§§ 18200-18205

Chapter 4 - Election Campaigns

§§ 18301-18390

Article 1 - Campaign Literature

§§ 18301-18304

Article 2 - Political Party Caucuses

§§ 18310-18311

Article 3 - Deceptive Online Activities

§§ 18320-18323

Article 4 - Political Meetings

Article 5 - Misrepresentation by Candidates

§§ 18350-18351

Article 6 - Solicitation of Funds

§§ 18360-18361

Article 7 - Electioneering

§§ 18370-18372

Article 8 - Vandalism at Polling Places

Article 9 - Misuse of State Publications

Chapter 5 - Ballots

§§ 18400-18403

Chapter 6 - Corruption of the Voting Process

§§ 18500-18582

Article 1 - General Provisions

§§ 18500-18504

Article 2 - Corruption of Voters

§§ 18520-18524

Article 3 - Intimidation of Voters

§§ 18540-18548

Article 4 - Corruption of Voting

§§ 18560-18578

Article 5 - Protecting Elections from Armed Coercion and Extremism (PEACE) Act

§§ 18580-18582

Chapter 7 - Initiative, Referendum, and Recall

§§ 18600-18680

Article 1 - Improper Signature-Gathering Tactics

§§ 18600-18604

Article 2 - False or Ineligible Signatures on Petition

§§ 18610-18614

Article 3 - Improper Payments to Prevent Petition Circulation and Filing

§§ 18620-18622

Article 4 - Threats and Theft to Prevent Petition Circulation and Filing

§§ 18630-18631

Article 5 - Refusal of Circulators to Turn in Petitions

Article 6 - Misuse of Signatures on Petition

Article 7 - False Affidavits Concerning Petitions

§§ 18660-18661

Article 8 - Filing Petitions to Defeat an Initiative or Referendum

§§ 18670-18671

Article 9 - Misuse of Campaign Funds

Chapter 8 - Obligations of Precinct Board

Division 19 - CERTIFICATION OF VOTING SYSTEMS

§§ 19001-19402

Chapter 1 - General Provisions

§§ 19001-19006

Chapter 2 - Secretary of State Requirements

§§ 19100-19105

Chapter 3 - Certification of Voting Systems

§§ 19200-19275

Article 1 - Procedures for Certification of Voting Systems

§§ 19200-19219

Article 2 - Voting System Testing Agencies

§§ 19220-19223

Article 3 - Inspection of Certified and Conditionally Approved Voting Systems

§§ 19230-19233

Article 4 - Accessible Voting Systems

§§ 19240-19246

Article 5 - Voting Modernization Bond Act of 2002 (Shelley-Hertzberg Act)

§§ 19250-19266

Article 6 - Direct Recording Electronic Voting Systems

§§ 19270-19275

Chapter 3.5 - Certification of Remote Accessible Vote By Mail Systems

§§ 19280-19295

Chapter 4 - Elections Using Voting Machines

§§ 19300-19381

Article 1 - General Provisions

§§ 19300-19304

Article 2 - Pre-election Procedures

§§ 19320-19323

Article 3 - Precincts and Board Members

§§ 19340-19341

Article 4 - Procedures at the Polls

§§ 19360-19362

Article 5 - Closing the Polls

Article 6 - Counting Procedures

§§ 19380-19381

Chapter 5 - Voting System Replacement Contracts

§§ 19400-19402

Division 20 - ELECTION CAMPAIGNS

§§ 20000-20520

Chapter 1 - Endorsements of Candidates

§§ 20000-20012

Chapter 2 - Political Corporations

Article 1 - Incorporation

Chapter 3 - Campaign Funds

§§ 20200-20203

Article 1 - Solicitation

§§ 20200-20203

Chapter 5 - Fair Campaign Practices

§§ 20400-20444

Article 1 - General Intent

Article 2 - Definitions

Article 3 - Code of Fair Campaign Practices

§§ 20440-20444

Chapter 6 - Libel and Slander

§§ 20500-20502

Chapter 7 - Defending Democracy from Deepfake Deception Act of 2024

§§ 20510-20520

Division 21 - STATE AND LOCAL REAPPORTIONMENT

§§ 21000-23004

Chapter 1 - General Provisions

§§ 21000-21003

Chapter 2 - Fair And Inclusive Redistricting for Municipalities And Political Subdivisions (FAIR MAPS) Act of 2023

§§ 21100-21180

Chapter 5 - Congressional Districts

§§ 21400-21455

Chapter 6 - Supervisorial Districts

§§ 21500-21506

Chapter 6.2 - County of San Luis Obispo Citizens Redistricting Commission

§§ 21520-21527

Chapter 6.3 - County of Los Angeles Citizens Redistricting Commission

§§ 21530-21535

Chapter 6.4 - County of Riverside Citizens Redistricting Commission

§§ 21540-21546

Chapter 6.5 - County of San Diego Independent Redistricting Commission

§§ 21550-21553

Chapter 6.6 - County of Merced Citizens Redistricting Commission

§§ 21554-21559

Chapter 6.7 - County of Fresno Citizens Redistricting Commission

§§ 21560-21565

Chapter 6.8 - County of Kern Citizens Redistricting Commission

§§ 21570-21575

Chapter 6.9 - County of Orange Citizens Redistricting Commission

§§ 21580-21588

Chapter 6.10 - County of Sacramento Citizens Redistricting Commission

§§ 21590-21595

Chapter 7 - City Elections

§§ 21600-21630

Article 1 - General Law Cities

§§ 21600-21606

Article 2 - Chartered Cities

§§ 21620-21630

Chapter 8 - Special Districts

§§ 22000-22001

Chapter 9 - Advisory and Independent Redistricting Commissions

§§ 23000-23004

California Codes

Division 20 - ELECTION CAMPAIGNS

Chapter 2 - Political Corporations

Chapter 2 - Political Corporations

California Elections Code — §§ 20100

Article 1 - Incorporation