ARTICLE 1. Calling the Election [34400. - 34403.]

Cal. Water Code - WAT 1.

in effect

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 34400. Section 34400.

After making and entering the order establishing and describing the boundaries of, and naming, the proposed district, the board shall forthwith call and give notice of an election to be held in the proposed district for the purposes of determining whether or not it shall be formed and electing persons to fill the offices of the proposed district if it is formed.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 34401. Section 34401.

The notice of the election shall contain: (a) Date and hours of election. (b) Place of polls. (c) Description of the boundaries of the proposed district. (d) Name of the proposed district. (e) Offices for which candidates shall be elected at the election. (f) A statement that all voters and legal representatives of voters may vote either in person or by proxy at the election.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 34402. Section 34402.

Notice of the election shall be published once a week for at least three weeks previous to the election in a newspaper of general circulation published in each affected county.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 34402.1. Section 34402.1.

Within five days after the district formation election has been called, the legislative body which has called the election shall transmit, by registered mail, a written notification of the election call to the executive officer of the local agency formation commission of the county or principal county in which the territory or major portion of the territory of the proposed district is located. Such written notice shall include the name and a description of the proposed district, and may be in the form of a certified copy of the resolution adopted by the legislative body calling the district formation election. The executive officer, within five days after being notified that a district formation election has been called, shall submit to the commission, for its approval or modification, an impartial analysis of the proposed district formation. The impartial analysis shall not exceed 500 words in length and shall include a specific description of the boundaries of the district proposed to be formed. The local agency formation commission, within five days after the receipt of the executive officer’s analysis, shall approve or modify the analysis and submit it to the officials in charge of conducting the district formation election.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 34402.2. Section 34402.2.

The board of supervisors or any member or members of the board authorized by the board, or any individual voter or bona fide association of citizens entitled to vote on the district formation proposition, or any combination of such voters and associations of citizens, may file a written argument for or a written argument against the proposed district formation. Arguments shall not exceed 300 words in length and shall be filed with the officials in charge of conducting the election not less than 54 days prior to the date of the district formation election.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 34402.3. Section 34402.3.

If more than one argument for or more than one argument against the proposed district formation is filed with the election officials within the time prescribed, such election officials shall select one of the arguments for printing and distribution to the voters. In selecting the arguments, the election officials shall give preference and priority in the order named to the arguments of the following: (a) The board of supervisors or any member or members of the board authorized by the board. (b) Individual voters or bona fide associations of citizens or a combination of such voters and associations.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 34402.4. Section 34402.4.

The officials in charge of conducting the election shall cause a ballot pamphlet concerning the district formation proposition to be voted on to be printed and mailed to each voter entitled to vote on the district formation question. The ballot pamphlet shall contain the following in the order prescribed: (a) The complete text of the proposition. (b) The impartial analysis of the proposition prepared by the local agency formation commission. (c) The argument for the proposed district formation. (d) The argument against the proposed district formation. The elections officials shall mail a ballot pamphlet to each voter entitled to vote in the district formation election at least 10 days prior to the date of the election. The ballot pamphlet is “official matter” within the meaning of Section 13303 of the Elections Code.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 34403. Section 34403.

The board shall at the time of calling the formation election for the proposed district, prescribe the procedure for nominating candidates for the offices to be filled at that election.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026