Assemblyman Gorell Intros New Bill To Fix 2010 Election Law Mistake [1]
State Assemblyman Jeff Gorell (R-Camarillo) has introduced legislation to correct a problem with the way primary election write-in candidates qualify for general elections in California.
Under the current “Top Two” election system, anyone could qualify for the second spot in a general election, even by simply voting for themselves in the primary. The new bill would require a primary candidate to achieve a minimum 1% vote to earn a spot on the general election ballot.
“The 1% minimum established a degree of legitimacy for write-in votes,” said Gorell. “It makes sense that we would want to continue that requirement under the new system of state elections.”
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The proposed change would fix an unintended flaw in Proposition 14, passed by California voters in 2010, that allows the two candidates who receive the most votes in a primary to face each other in the general election, regardless of party affiliation. The language necessary to maintain a 1% threshold for write-in votes was inadvertently left out of Prop 14. AB 141 would correct that oversight by reestablishing the 1% requirement.
- Article: New Bill To Fix 2010 Election Law Mistake
- Source: Santa Clarita News [5]
- Author: Kevin Kelton