An election board consists of three landowners of the district or legal representatives who shall be appointed by the board of supervisors and shall consist of one inspector and two judges of election.
ElectionsGeneral Provisions
Section § 50700
This section states that an election board for a district is made up of three landowners or their legal representatives. These individuals are appointed by the board of supervisors and include one inspector and two judges of election.
election board landowners district representatives
Section § 50701
Before each election, the board is required to ensure that a copy of a specific list, as outlined in a related section, is prepared, verified, and given to the team responsible for managing the election.
The board, prior to each election, shall cause a copy of the appropriate roll to be utilized pursuant to Section 50704 to be prepared and certified by the proper officer and furnished to the election board.
election board preparation election roll certification list verification
Section § 50702
This section explains that the election board must use the certified roll to figure out how many votes each voter is allowed to cast.
The certified roll furnished to the election board shall be used by the election board in determining the number of votes each voter may cast.
certified roll election board number of votes
Section § 50703
This law says that if someone from the election board doesn't show up when the polls open, the voters there can choose a landowner or a legal representative to take their place.
If a member of the election board fails to attend at the opening of the polls, the voters present may appoint in his place any landowner or legal representative.
election board poll opening voter appointment
Section § 50704
This law explains how voting works in district elections, allowing voters to vote in person or by proxy. Your voting power depends on certain assessments or taxes on your property. If an operation and maintenance assessment was levied, you get one vote per dollar of valuation of your property assessed. If there wasn’t such an assessment, but there was an installment payment or fee charged, your vote is based on those amounts. If no assessments, installments, or fees were levied, you get a vote per acre of land you own, rounded to the nearest acre. There's also a provision for special tax levies, where votes are based on the taxable value of land and improvements.
Each voter in the district may vote at any election in person or by proxy, and may cast his or her votes as follows:
(a)CA Water Code § 50704(a) If the district has, within the calendar year preceding that in which the election occurs, levied an operation and maintenance assessment pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 51320) of Chapter 2 of Part 7 of this division, then each voter shall be entitled to cast one vote for each dollar’s worth of assessment valuation as shown on that assessment roll for all parcels owned by the voter or his principal.
(b)CA Water Code § 50704(b) If the district has not levied an operation and maintenance assessment pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 51320) of Chapter 2 of Part 7 of this division during the calendar year preceding that in which the election occurs, but has during that year ordered payment of an installment on an original or additional assessment pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 51510) of Chapter 3 of Part 7 of this division, or levied fees and charges pursuant to Section 50902, then each voter shall be entitled to cast one vote for each dollar’s worth of installment or fee and charge levied in the preceding year upon all parcels owned by the voter or his principal.
(c)CA Water Code § 50704(c) If neither an operation and maintenance assessment nor an installment upon an original or additional assessment nor fee or charge was levied or ordered paid by the district during the calendar year preceding that
in which the election occurs, then each voter shall be entitled to cast one vote for each acre owned by the voter or his principal within the district, provided that if the voter or his principal owns less than one acre then the voter shall be entitled to one vote and any fraction shall be rounded to the nearest full acre.
(d)CA Water Code § 50704(d) When a district elects to have the board of supervisors levy a special tax on behalf of the district on all taxable land and improvements pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 51360) of Chapter 2 of Part 7 of this division, then each voter may vote at any district election in person or by proxy, and may cast one vote for each dollar’s worth of taxable land and improvements owned by him or his principal in the district, as determined from the last equalized tax roll of each county in which the lands of the district are situated.
(e)CA Water Code § 50704(e) The ownership and
number of acres owned for the purpose of this section shall be determined from the last equalized tax roll of each county in which the lands of the district are situated.
district elections voting by proxy operation and maintenance assessment
Section § 50704.5
If a property is shared as community property, joint tenancy, or tenancy in common, any co-owner can vote on behalf of all owners after they submit a certification to the election board. This certification must be signed under penalty of perjury and identify all the co-owners. Similarly, a legal representative can vote on behalf of their principal after submitting a similar certification.
When a parcel is held as community property or in joint tenancy or as tenants in common, any spouse or joint tenant or tenant in common shall be presumed to have authority to cast all votes for the parcel upon filing with the election board a certification under penalty of perjury identifying the spouse, joint tenants, or tenants in common for whom the votes are to be cast. A legal representative, upon filing with the election board a certification under penalty of perjury identifying the principal and the authority of the legal representative, shall be presumed to have authority to cast all votes for the principal identified in
the certification.
community property voting joint tenancy tenancy in common
Section § 50705
This section outlines the polling hours for district elections. Polls typically open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. However, if there are 500 or more different property owners, polls can be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. This must be mentioned in the election notice. If the election doesn't cost other local governments, polls can remain open until 8 p.m., and this extended time must also be included in the election notice.
The polls shall be kept open from 10 a.m. of the day of election until 4 p.m. Where the real property in the district is assessed to 500 or more different individual, joint, or corporate owners, the board may elect to keep the polls open from 7 a.m. of the day of election until 7 p.m. and in that event shall include the time of polling in the notice as provided in Section 50732. However, when the board holds an election which does not involve added costs to any other local governmental entity, the board may elect to keep the polls open from 7 a.m. of the day of election until 8 p.m. and in that event shall include the time of polling in the notice as
provided in Section 50732.
polling hours district elections property owners
Section § 50707
This law allows a district to hold elections using only mail-in ballots if the governing board passes a resolution to do so. It doesn't matter how many eligible voters are in the district. The election can be held on regular election dates as defined in another section, or on other dates except established ones.
(a)CA Water Code § 50707(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of 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) of the Elections Code.
(b)CA Water Code § 50707(b) An election conducted pursuant to this section shall be held on a date prescribed in Section 1500 of the Elections Code or on any other date other than an established election date.
mail-in ballots district elections governing board resolution
