California SB 321

The Political Reform Act of 1974 provides for the comprehensive regulation of campaign financing, including requiring the filing of reports of contributions and expenditures. Existing law requires a committee that makes an independent expenditure for or against a specific candidate or measure during the 90-day period preceding the date of the election or on the date of the election to report the independent expenditure within 24 hours of the time it is made, as specified. Existing law requires an elections official, upon receiving a vote by mail ballot, to compare the signature on the identification envelope with the voter's signature appearing on specified voter registration records. Existing law requires the elections official to notify a voter whose signature does not match or who failed to sign the envelope of the opportunity to verify the signature or provide a signature, as applicable. This bill would require a committee that makes a late signature curing expenditure, as defined, to report the late signature curing expenditure within 24 hours of the time it is made. The bill would define "late signature curing expenditure" to mean an expenditure made by a committee related to ballot curing activities that occurs after the date of the election and before the certification of the election, as specified. The bill would provide that this late signature curing expenditure report is in addition to any other campaign statement required under the act. The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act's purposes upon a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.