Except as otherwise provided, all elective county officers shall be elected at the election specified pursuant to Section 1300 of the Elections Code and take office at 12 o'clock noon on the first Monday after the January 1 succeeding their election.
Officers GenerallyElection
Section § 24200
This law states that county officials who are elected will be chosen during the election outlined in a specific section of the Elections Code. They are to officially start their duties at noon on the first Monday after January 1 following their election.
elective county officers election timing office commencement
Section § 24201
This law states that any officers chosen under this specific chapter will remain in their positions until new officers are either elected or appointed and ready to take over.
All officers elected pursuant to this chapter shall hold office until their successors are elected or appointed and qualified.
officers elected officials successors
Section § 24202
This law states that Supervisors must be elected during the general election before the current officeholders' terms end.
Supervisors shall be elected at the general election prior to expiration of the term of the incumbents.
Supervisors election general election timing incumbent term expiration
Section § 24203
If a new county is created in California after July 1, 1907, its first board of supervisors must divide into two groups within six months of their first election. They do this randomly so that each group is as equal as possible. The larger group will serve for two years, and the smaller group will serve for four years.
Within six months after the first general election succeeding the creation of the county, the supervisors of any county created after July 1, 1907, shall classify themselves by lot into two classes, as nearly equal in number as possible, and the term of office of the class having the greater number shall expire in two years from the commencement of the term, and the term of office of the class having the lesser number shall terminate in four years from the commencement of the term.
new county creation board of supervisors term classification
Section § 24204
This law states that when a county in California creates and adopts a new charter for its government, approved by the Legislature, and the charter specifies that certain county officers will be appointed rather than elected, the first appointed officers replace similar elected officers who are in office when the charter is approved.
The elected officers will serve until their terms end and until the new officers under the charter are appointed and qualified. After the charter is approved, no elections will be held for officers whose successors will be appointed, except to fill any open spots for the remainder of a term that has not yet ended.
Whenever any county frames and adopts a charter for its government, which is approved by the Legislature, and the charter provides for the appointment of any officers of a county, the officers first appointed under the charter are the successors of the like elective officers in office at the time of the approval of the charter. The elective officers shall continue to hold office for the term for which they were elected and until the appointment and qualification of their successors under the charter. No election for any officer whose successor is to be appointed shall be had at any election held subsequent to the approval of the charter, except to fill a vacancy for an unexpired term.
county charter appointment of officers successors of elected officers
Section § 24205
This law states that the position of sheriff should generally be filled by an election as determined for county officers unless a county has its own charter with different rules. However, if a county's charter conflicts with the California Constitution, the sheriff must be elected according to standard procedures. Vacancies in the office of the sheriff must be filled following laws for elective county offices.
(a)CA Government Code § 24205(a) Notwithstanding any provision of Section 24204, or any other statute, the office of sheriff shall be filled by election as provided in this chapter for elective county officers, and vacancies shall be filled as provided by law for filling elective county offices, unless the county or city and county is chartered and such charter provides for election of the sheriff by vote of the electors.
(b)CA Government Code § 24205(b) In any charter county or city and county, whose charter provides for filling the office of sheriff other than by election by vote of the electors, in conflict with subdivision (c) of Section 4 of Article XI of the California Constitution, the office of sheriff of such charter county or city and county shall be filled as provided in subdivision (a).
sheriff elections county charter elective county officers
Section § 24206
This section allows the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors or its voters to decide if certain county officers will be elected using ranked choice voting. The ordinance should state who will be elected this way and whether elections are conducted county-wide or by district. Ranked choice voting can occur during regular primary elections, general elections, or special elections for vacancies.
Notwithstanding any other law, the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Clara may adopt, or a voter of that county may propose by initiative, an ordinance to elect an officer of that county by ranked choice voting. The ordinance shall specify which county officers shall be elected by this method and whether they shall be elected at large or by or from district, as applicable. Notwithstanding Section 1300 of the Elections Code or any other law, an ordinance that provides for a ranked choice voting process may hold that election at the statewide primary election at which the
election otherwise would be held in accordance with Section 1300 of the Elections Code, the first statewide general election following that statewide primary election, or a combination thereof. The ordinance may further specify whether ranked choice voting may be used in special elections to fill vacancies in county offices. Such special elections may be held on any date allowed for such special elections.
Santa Clara County elections ranked choice voting county officer elections
