Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.
Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, mail ballot elections shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 3000) of Division 3.
Chapter 2 - Conduct of Mail Ballot Elections
California Elections Code — §§ 4100-4108
Sections (9)
Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 422, Sec. 16. (AB 2911) Effective January 1, 2017.
Notwithstanding Sections 13300 and 13303, the elections official shall not commence to mail the combined county voter information guide and mail ballot before the 29th day before the election and shall complete the mailing by the 10th day before the election.
Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.
The elections official may include in the mailings set forth in Section 4101 a printed notice to the voters informing the voters that they may return the voted ballot by certified or registered mail.
Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 282, Sec. 1. (AB 930) Effective January 1, 2026.
(a)Notwithstanding Section 3020, ballots cast under this chapter shall be returned to the elections official from whom they were obtained no later than 8 p.m. on election day.
(b)Notwithstanding subdivision (a), any vote by mail ballot cast under this chapter shall be timely cast if it is received by the voter’s elections official via the United States Postal Service or a bona fide private mail delivery company no later than seven days after election day and either of the following is satisfied:
(1)The ballot is postmarked on or before election day or is time stamped or date stamped by a bona fide private mail delivery company on
or before election day, or it is otherwise indicated by the United States Postal Service or a bona fide private mail delivery company that the ballot was mailed on or before election day.
(2)If the ballot has no postmark, a postmark with no date, or an illegible postmark, and no other information is available from the United States Postal Service or the bona fide private mail delivery company to indicate the date on which the ballot was mailed, the vote by mail ballot identification envelope is date stamped by the elections official upon receipt of the vote by mail ballot from the United States Postal Service or a bona fide private mail delivery company, and is signed and dated pursuant to Section 3011 on or before election day.
(c)For purposes of this section, “bona fide private mail
delivery company” means a courier service that is in the regular business of accepting a mail item, package, or parcel for the purpose of delivery to a person or entity whose address is specified on the item.
Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.
(a)At the first general district election conducted by all-mailed ballot the following question shall be printed on the ballot and boxes shall be provided for the voter to indicate “Yes” or “No”:
(b)If the majority of the voters favor the all-mailed ballot election it shall be adopted as the procedure for conducting future general district elections. If the question is rejected by the voters it may be resubmitted at any subsequent general district election in the manner provided for in Section 4105.
Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.
The question set forth in Section 4104, as to whether an all-mailed ballot election is required to be used in the conduct of all future general district elections, shall be printed on the ballot of any general district election upon (a) the adoption of an appropriate resolution by the governing board, or (b) upon the submission of an initiative petition to the governing board signed by voters not less in number than 10 percent of the voters in the district pursuant to the procedure set forth in Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 9300) of Division 9.
This section shall apply only to those districts in which an election by all-mailed ballots was conducted pursuant to a resolution adopted by the governing board of the district in the manner provided for by Section 4108.
Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.
(a)Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a governing board in the County of San Diego may adopt a resolution requiring its general district election to be held on the same day as the statewide direct primary election or the day of the statewide general election.
(b)If an election is held pursuant to subdivision (a), and the election is consolidated with another election, Part 3 (commencing with Section 10400) of Division 10 shall govern the consolidation and, if the county elections official is requested to conduct the election, Section 10002 shall apply to that election.
(c)If, pursuant to subdivision (a), a general district election is held on the same day as a statewide election, those officers whose four-year terms of office would have, prior to the adoption of the resolution, expired on the first Friday in December following the general district election in an odd-numbered year shall, instead, either continue in their offices until no later than the fourth Tuesday after the day of the general district election or, at the option of the governing board, cease to hold office prior to the expiration of their four-year term and upon the qualification of their successors at the time prescribed by the governing board.
Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.
(a)Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the governing board of the Marina County Water District in the County of Monterey may adopt a resolution requiring its general district election to be held on the same day as the statewide direct primary election or the day of the statewide general election.
(b)If an election is held pursuant to subdivision (a), and the election is consolidated with another election, Part 3 (commencing with Section 10400) of Division 10 shall govern the consolidation, and, if the county elections official is requested to conduct the election, Section 10002 shall apply to that election.
(c)If, pursuant to subdivision (a), a general district election is held on the same day as a statewide election, those officers whose four-year terms of office would have, prior to the adoption of the resolution, expired on the first Friday in December following the general district election in an odd-numbered year shall, instead, either continue in their offices until no later than the fourth Tuesday after the day of the general district election or, at the option of the governing board, cease to hold office prior to the expiration of their four-year term and upon the qualification of their successors at the time prescribed by the governing board.
Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 731, Sec. 3. (AB 1535) Effective January 1, 2016.
(a)Notwithstanding any other law and regardless of the number of eligible voters within its boundaries a district may, by resolution of its governing board, conduct any election by all-mailed ballots pursuant to Division 4 (commencing with Section 4000).
(b)(1) A district conducting an election by all-mailed ballots may consolidate its election with the election of one or more other
legislative or congressional districts, public districts, cities, counties, or other political subdivisions if all of the elections to be consolidated will be:
(A) Held on the same day.
(B) Held in the same territory or in a territory that is in part the same.
(C) Conducted wholly by mail.
(2)A district consolidating its election pursuant to subdivision (a) shall order the consolidation pursuant to Section 10400.
(3)A district election that is consolidated with an all-mailed ballot election for a legislative or congressional
district shall also comply with any additional statutory requirements that apply to the all-mailed ballot election for that legislative or congressional district.
(c)An election conducted pursuant to this section shall be held on a date prescribed in Section 1500 or on any other date other than an established election date.