California Assembly Elections Committee advances several elections, ballot-measure and campaign finance bills; some measures placed on call

SACRAMENTO — The Assembly Elections Committee on April 30, 2025, advanced several election- and ballot-measure-related bills to the Committee on Appropriations, debated changes to the initiative-signature process, and considered a proposal to adjust local campaign contribution thresholds. Committee members approved new recount and vote-by-mail procedures and voted to require disclosure of top funders on statewide ballot measures; they left other measures on call or failed one after a motion to reconsider.

The committee heard 13 bills on its agenda and spent the morning and early afternoon taking testimony from authors, county election officials, labor and government groups, and good-government organizations. Chair Pellerin opened the hearing, explained witness rules and the committee’s online position-letter portal, and appointed a substitute member for the day before calling roll to establish a quorum.

AB 930 — recounts, vote-by-mail deadlines

Assemblymember Ward, the author of AB 930, said the bill updates California’s Elections Code to reflect current voting practices and to clarify recount procedures. The bill would: extend the acceptance window for vote-by-mail ballots that are postmarked by Election Day to arrive up to seven days after the election; require recount requesters to specify in writing the materials they wish to review before a recount begins; require counties to post recount results online; and strengthen protections for voter privacy during recounts. James Koosh, Fresno County Clerk and Registrar of Voters, testified in support on behalf of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials, saying the bill aligns code with modern processes and could reduce recount costs.

The committee voted to pass AB 930 as amended and re-refer it to Appropriations; the chair later reported the bill out of committee by a 5-to-2 margin.

AB 459 — electronic signatures for citizen initiatives

Assemblymember DeMio presented AB 459, which would allow electronic signatures for initiatives, referendums and recalls and create a state-managed process for collecting those signatures. DeMio argued the measure would modernize direct democracy and reduce the cost and burden of signature gathering for grassroots organizers. Opponents included a representative of Secretary of State Shirley Weber, who testified that the office lacks a ready, secure solution and estimated substantial implementation costs; and groups including the California Federation of Labor and California Association of…