Chapter 6 - Supervisorial Districts

California Elections Code — §§ 21500-21506

Sections (4)

Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 343, Sec. 15. (AB 764) Effective January 1, 2024.

Following a county’s decision to elect its board using district-based elections, or following each federal decennial census for a county whose board is already elected using district-based elections, the board shall, by ordinance or resolution, adopt boundaries for all of the supervisorial districts of the county pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 21100).

§ 21500.1

Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 343, Sec. 16. (AB 764) Effective January 1, 2024.

This chapter applies to a county that elects members of the county’s board of supervisors by districts or from districts.

§ 21503

Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 343, Sec. 18. (AB 764) Effective January 1, 2024.

(a)After redistricting or districting, a board shall not adopt new supervisorial district boundaries until after the next federal decennial census, except under the following circumstances:

(1)A court orders the board to redistrict.

(2)The board is settling a legal claim that its supervisorial district boundaries violate the United States Constitution, the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. Sec. 10301 et seq.), or this chapter.

(3)The boundaries of the county change by the addition or subtraction of territory.

(4)The number of supervisors elected by districts or from districts is increased or decreased.

(5)An independent redistricting commission is established pursuant to Section 23003 to adopt new supervisorial districts between federal decennial censuses and the districts being replaced were adopted by the board of supervisors.

(b)This section does not prohibit a board from adopting supervisorial districts between federal decennial censuses if the board is adopting supervisorial districts for the first time, including when a board adopts supervisorial districts for the purpose of transitioning from electing its supervisors in at-large elections to elections by districts or from districts.

§ 21506

Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 343, Sec. 19. (AB 764) Effective January 1, 2024.

(a)The term of office of any supervisor who has been elected and whose term of office has not expired shall not be affected by any change in the boundaries of the district from which the supervisor was elected and that supervisor shall continue to represent the constituents residing in the district boundaries from which the supervisor was elected for the duration of that term of office. This section does not prevent a board from assigning a county elected official or county official to provide constituent services for residents of an area that is temporarily not represented by a supervisor due to redistricting.

(b)At the first election for county supervisors in each county following

adoption of the boundaries of supervisorial districts, excluding a special election to fill a vacancy or a recall election, a supervisor shall be elected for each district under the new district plan that has the same district number as a district whose incumbent’s term is due to expire. This subdivision does not apply when a county transitions from at-large to district-based elections.

(c)For a county employing both a primary and a general election, a change in the boundaries of a supervisorial district shall not be made between the direct primary election and the general election.

(d)Except as provided in subdivision (a), a person is not eligible to hold office as a member of a board of supervisors unless that person meets the requirements of Section 201 of the Elections Code and

Section 24001 of the Government Code.