California Election Law

Provides legal resources and election-related news to California election officials and the attorneys who represent them.

Author: Randy Riddle, former chief counsel to the California Secretary of State, practices election and government law with the San Francisco law firm of Renne Sloan Holtzman & Sakai.

Blawg Related Categories: Election Law • States • California

Recent Posts from California Election Law

Cal Chief Justice: Initiatives make California dysfunctional
From Chief Justice George's op-ed in the Chronicle: "The Legislature (by a two-thirds vote of each house) shares the power to place proposed amendments before the electorate. California, however, is unique among American jurisdictions in…
California Considers Decertifying Premier (formerly Diebold) Software
"California Secretary of State Debra Bowen is considering withdrawing the state's approval of the flawed Premier Elections Solutions software that resulted in almost 200 ballots disappearing from Humboldt County's final November election results. Bowen's office…
"Prison guards move to recall Schwarzenegger"
Here is the Chronicle story....
Court: SOS Electronic Voting Conditions Subject to APA
Here is the summary of the holding from the Court of Appeal's decision: "As part of a program intended to ensure the integrity of California elections, Debra Bowen, in her official capacity as the California…
Judge rejects challenge to AG summary of gay marriage ban measure
From the San Jose Mercury News: "A Sacramento judge on Friday said state officials do not have to rewrite the ballot summary describing Proposition 8, the gay marriage ban voters will consider in November. The…
Ninth Circuit Upholds VA Prohibition on Voter Registration
The opinion is here. The court reversed the district court's holding that the plaintiff lacked standing, but concluded that the challenged VA regulation did not violate the First Amendment. The court held that the building…
Ohio Secretary of State sues Diebold company
"Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner wants Premier Election Solutions to pay for voting machine problems in 11 of 44 counties that use the company's equipment. In a filing in Franklin County Common Pleas Court…
"Backers of same-sex marriage ban to challenge rewording of Proposition 8"
From the Sacramento Bee: "Proponents of a ballot measure to ban same-sex marriages in California plan to appear in court today to challenge state Attorney General Jerry Brown's rewording of the measure's ballot summary. On…
"Voters to decide: Bush memorial sewage plant?"
From the San Francisco Chronicle: "San Francisco voters will be asked to decide whether to name a city sewage plant in honor of President Bush, after a satiric measure qualified for the November ballot today.…
"Redone pot initiative headed to court"
"A ballot proposal aimed at reinstating Mendocino County's liberal pot-growing guidelines, repealed by voters last month, is headed to court. County officials have asked the Superior Court to uphold their refusal to process the petitions,…