Elections: central committees.

Existing law requires that each member of a county central committee for the Democratic, Republican, and American Independent Parties take and subscribe to an oath or affirmation, as specified. Existing law provides that the oath or affirmation may be taken before any officer authorized to administer oaths. This bill would, instead, provide that the oath or affirmation may be taken before the chairperson of the county central committee, the immediate predecessor of the chairperson, or a designee of the chairperson or his or her immediate predecessor. Existing law entitles a member elected to central committees for the Democratic, Republican, American Independent, and Peace and Freedom Parties to receive a certificate of election. This bill would eliminate the above-described entitlement to receive a certificate of election and make other conforming changes. Existing law provides how members are elected to county central committees. The method by which members are elected varies from county to county depending upon certain factors, such as the number of Assembly districts that exist within the county. This bill would provide that, for the Democratic Party, in the County of Sacramento, the elected members of the county central committee shall be elected by supervisor districts with 6 members elected from each supervisor district, as specified. This bill would provide that, for the Democratic Party, in the County of Alameda, the elected members of the county central committee shall be elected by Assembly districts and that the committee shall contain at least a certain number of members from each district, as specified. This bill would provide that, for the Democratic and Republican Parties, in the City and County of San Francisco, the elected members of the county central committee shall be elected by Assembly districts, as specified. This bill would provide that, for the June 5, 2012, statewide primary election for the Democratic Party, in the County of Sacramento, and for the Democratic and Republican Parties, in the City and County of San Francisco, signers of nomination papers for candidates for county central committees shall be limited to voters who disclosed a preference for the respective parties and who are residents of the respective counties. Under existing law, for the Democratic Party, in each county containing less than 5 Assembly districts, the county central committee is required to reapportion itself at least every 10 years, prior to the June primary election of that year, as specified. This bill would eliminate the above-described reapportionment requirement. Existing law requires that each county central committee of the American Independent Party meet in the courthouse at its county seat, upon call, which shall be given by the elections official of the county and in quarters to be arranged or provided for by the elections official of the county, as specified. This bill would, instead, require the committee to meet at its county seat, upon call, which shall be given by the chairperson of the county central committee or the immediate predecessor of the chairperson. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.