Plain English Breakdown
The phrase 'except as specified' appears in the source but the specific exceptions are not detailed in the provided text.
AB-868: Top Two Candidates in County Nonpartisan Elections
This law changes how voters choose people for nonpartisan county offices by requiring a general election between the top two candidates from the primary, instead of letting someone win immediately if they get more than half the votes.
What This Bill Does
- Removes the rule that lets a candidate win in the primary election just by getting over half the votes for nonpartisan county offices.
- Requires that only the two candidates with the most votes from the primary appear on the general election ballot.
- Applies to all counties, including those with special charters, but does not apply to cities and counties combined under one charter.
Who It Names or Affects
- Candidates running for nonpartisan offices at the county level
- Voters who cast ballots in primary and general elections for these offices
- County governments and their election officials
Terms To Know
- Nonpartisan office
- A government job where candidates do not run as members of a political party.
- Primary election
- An early vote held to narrow down the list of candidates before the main general election.
- Charter county
- A county that has its own special set of rules written in a charter document instead of following standard state laws for everything.
Limits and Unknowns
- The bill mentions exceptions ('except as specified') but does not list what those specific situations are.
- Reimbursement to counties depends on whether the Commission on State Mandates determines that costs were mandated by the state.