School District Elections - - CA Elections

Section § 9500

When a school-related measure is eligible to be voted on, the county elections official must send it to the county counsel or district attorney if there's no counsel available. This legal authority will then write an unbiased summary of the measure, explaining how it will change current laws and how it will operate if passed. This summary, which cannot be more than 500 words, should also note that the measure was proposed by the district's governing board. The summary will appear before any arguments for or against the measure on the ballot.

(a) Whenever a school measure qualifies for a place on the ballot, the county elections official shall transmit a copy of the measure to the county counsel or to the district attorney in a county that has no county counsel.

(b) The county counsel or district attorney shall prepare an impartial analysis of the measure, showing the effect of the measure on the existing law and the operation of the measure. The analysis shall include a statement indicating that the measure was placed on the ballot by the governing board of the district. The analysis shall be printed preceding the arguments for and against the measure. The analysis shall not exceed 500 words in length.

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(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 265, Sec. 5. (AB 354) Effective January 1, 2014.)

Section § 9501

This law section explains how arguments for or against school measures can be submitted and presented to voters. It allows the school district's governing board, individual members, eligible voters, or citizen groups to write a 300-word argument for or against any school measure. These arguments must be printed in the county voter information guide along with an analysis. The titles for these printed arguments will be labeled as "Argument in Favor of Measure ____" or "Argument Against Measure ____," with the specific measure's designation added. Titles may also use "Proposition" instead of "Measure," and these titles are not included in the word count limit.

(a) The governing board of the school district or a member or members of the governing board, or an individual voter who is eligible to vote on the measure, or bona fide association of citizens, or a combination of such voters and associations may file a written argument for or against any school measure. An argument shall not exceed 300 words in length. The elections official shall cause an argument for and an argument against the measure, if submitted, to be printed, and shall include the arguments, preceded by the analysis, in the county voter information guide.

(b) Printed arguments submitted to voters in accordance with this section shall be titled either “Argument in Favor of Measure ____” or “Argument Against Measure ____,” accordingly, the blank spaces being filled in only with the letter or number, if any, designating the measure. At the discretion of the elections official, the word “Proposition” may be substituted for the word “Measure” in the titles. Words used in the title shall not be counted when determining the length of any measure.

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(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 422, Sec. 55. (AB 2911) Effective January 1, 2017.)

Section § 9501.5

To submit a ballot argument, it must include the printed name and signature of the person or people submitting it. If an organization is submitting it, the organization's name and at least one principal officer's printed name and signature are required.

You can't have more than five signatures on a ballot argument. If more than five people sign, only the first five will be listed.

A ballot argument shall not be accepted under this article unless accompanied by the printed name and signature or printed names and signatures of the person or persons submitting it or, if submitted on behalf of an organization, the name of the organization and the printed name and signature of at least one of its principal officers.

No more than five signatures shall appear with any argument submitted under this article. If any argument is signed by more than five persons, the signatures of the first five shall be printed.

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(Added by Stats. 2000, Ch. 1081, Sec. 15. Effective January 1, 2001.)

Section § 9502

Before a school measure election, there's a deadline for submitting arguments for or against it to be printed and shared with voters. This deadline is set by the election official, allowing enough time for preparation and a 10-day public review. The date must be publicly announced, and arguments can be modified until this deadline.

Based on the time reasonably necessary to prepare and print the arguments, and to permit the 10-calendar-day public examination as provided in Section 9509, the person conducting the election shall fix and determine a reasonable date prior to the election after which no arguments for or against any school measure may be submitted to him or her for printing and distribution to the voters. Notice of the date fixed shall be published pursuant to Section 6061 of the Government Code. Arguments may be changed until and including the date fixed by the person conducting the election.

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(Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.)

Section § 9503

This law explains what happens when more than one argument is submitted for or against a school measure in an election. The election official picks one argument from each side to distribute to voters. They give priority to school district board members, followed by individual voters, citizen groups, or a combination of the two, based on who submitted the argument.

To prove they are a genuine citizen group, organizations must provide specific documents, like incorporation papers or a letterhead with principal officers' names, or a statement filed according to the government code.

Importantly, the decision maker does not consider the kind of document provided when choosing an argument from citizen groups.

(a) If more than one argument for or more than one argument against any school measure is submitted to the person conducting the election within the time prescribed, the person conducting the election shall select one of the arguments in favor and one of the arguments against the measure for printing and distribution to the voters. In selecting the arguments, the person conducting the election shall give preference and priority, in the order named, to the arguments of the following:

(1) The governing board of the district or a member or members of the board.

(2) The individual voter, or bona fide associations of citizens, or combination of voters and associations, who are the bona fide sponsors or proponents of the measure.

(3) Bona fide associations of citizens.

(4) Individual voters who are eligible to vote on the measure.

(b) In order to enable the person conducting the election to determine whether it qualifies as a bona fide association of citizens, an organization or association submitting an argument for or against a school measure shall submit with its argument a copy of one of the following:

(1) Its articles of incorporation, articles of association, partnership documents, bylaws, or similar documents.

(2) Letterhead containing the name of the organization and its principal officers.

(3) If the organization or association is a primarily formed committee established to support or oppose the measure, its statement of organization filed pursuant to Section 84101 of the Government Code.

(c) In selecting an argument from among bona fide associations of citizens, the person conducting the election shall not consider the type of documentation submitted pursuant to subdivision (b) or the form of the association.

school measure arguments election priority voter argument selection governing board priority citizen groups documentation bona fide associations argument selection criteria election official responsibilities documentation requirements support or oppose organization citizen association verification argument distribution to voters individual voter arguments statement of organization measure proponents

(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 92, Sec. 65. (SB 1289) Effective January 1, 2019.)

Section § 9504

When arguments for and against a ballot measure are chosen for the voter pamphlet, the elections official must share these with the opposing side's authors. Authors can write rebuttals up to 250 words or let someone else do it, but they have to be submitted by a set date.

Rebuttals will be printed right after the direct arguments they address, with the title 'Rebuttal to Argument in Favor of Measure' or 'Rebuttal to Argument Against Measure' followed by the measure's designation. The title words aren't counted towards the 250-word limit.

(a) When an argument in favor and an argument against a measure have been selected for publication in the voter information pamphlet the elections official responsible for conducting the election shall send copies of the argument in favor of the measure to the authors of the argument against the measure and copies of the arguments against the measure to the authors of the argument in favor. The authors may prepare and submit rebuttal arguments not exceeding 250 words, or may authorize in writing any other person or persons to prepare, submit, or sign the rebuttal argument. The rebuttal arguments shall be submitted to the elections official conducting the election no later than a date designated by the elections official.

(b) Rebuttal arguments shall be printed in the same manner as the direct arguments. Each rebuttal argument shall immediately follow the direct argument that it seeks to rebut and shall be titled “Rebuttal to Argument in Favor of Measure (or Proposition) ____,” or “Rebuttal to Argument Against Measure (or Proposition) ____,” the blank spaces being filled in only with the letter or number, if any, designating the measure. Words used in the title may not be counted when determining the length of any rebuttal argument.

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(Repealed and added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 228, Sec. 10. Effective January 1, 2003.)

Section § 9508

This law allows for two related propositions to be combined on a ballot for a district election. Specifically, if there's a proposal about district bonds and another about state school building aid that depends on the bond's approval, they can be merged into one ballot question. This way, voters can give a simple 'Yes' or 'No' answer. To ensure clarity, the combined question must meet the legal wording requirements for each individual proposal involved.

Whenever a proposition relating to the approval of district bonds and a proposition, which is conditioned by the State Allocation Board on the approval of the bond issue, relating to the acceptance and expenditure of state school building aid funds, are to be submitted to the voters of a district on the same ballot, both propositions may be combined in such a manner that the proposed obligations of the district are clearly expressed, and the voter may cast one “Yes” or “No” vote upon the combined proposition.

The combined proposition shall, as nearly as practicable, be worded in accordance with the statutory requirements for the wording of each component proposition.

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(Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.)

Section § 9509

This law requires election officials to make election-related documents available for public review for 10 days after the filing deadline. During this period, anyone can obtain copies of these documents and may be required to pay a fee that covers the cost of copying.

If someone believes the documents contain false or misleading information, they or the election official can request a court order to change or remove this information. Any request must be made within the 10-day review period and must prove that the information is indeed false, misleading, or violates election rules, and that the correction will not delay election materials.

The election official and the author of the disputed material are involved in any legal action taken, and if the election official initiates the action, the county's board of supervisors is also involved.

(a) The elections official shall make a copy of the materials referred to in Sections 9500, 9501, and 9504 available for public examination in his or her office for a period of 10 calendar days immediately following the filing deadline for submission of those documents. Any person may obtain a copy of the materials from the elections official for use outside of the elections official’s office. The elections official may charge a fee to any person obtaining a copy of the material. The fee may not exceed the actual cost incurred by the elections official in providing the copy.

(b)

(1) During the 10-calendar-day public examination period provided by this section, any voter of the jurisdiction in which the election is being held, or the elections official, himself or herself, may seek a writ of mandate or an injunction requiring any or all of the materials to be amended or deleted. The writ of mandate or injunction request shall be filed no later than the end of the 10-calendar-day public examination period.

(2) A peremptory writ of mandate or an injunction shall be issued only upon clear and convincing proof that the material in question is false, misleading, or inconsistent with this chapter, and that issuance of the writ or injunction will not substantially interfere with the printing or distribution of official election materials as provided by law.

(3) The elections official shall be named as respondent and the person or official who authored the material in question shall be named as real parties in interest. In the case of the elections official bringing the mandamus or injunctive action, the board of supervisors of the county shall be named as the respondent and the person or official who authored the material in question shall be named as the real party in interest.

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(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 191, Sec. 2. (AB 1626) Effective January 1, 2013.)