CHAPTER 2. Preelection Notices [12101. - 12113.]

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC 2.

in effect

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 12101. Section 12101.

(a) Not earlier than the 127th nor later than the 113th day before any municipal election to fill offices, the city elections official shall publish a notice of the election in the city pursuant to Section 6061 of the Government Code. The notice shall be headed “Notice of Election,” and shall contain a statement of: (1) The time of the election. (2) The offices to be filled, specifying full term or short term, as the case may be. (b) With respect to a special election to fill a vacancy in office, unless the city has enacted an ordinance as referred to in subdivision (d) of Section 10229, and the ordinance does not allow for appointment to fill the vacancy and requires the vacancy to be filled in the special election, the notice shall also state that if no one or only one person is nominated for an elected office, appointment to the elective office may be made as prescribed by Section 10229. If there is no newspaper of general circulation published and circulated in the city, the notice shall be typewritten and copies shall be posted conspicuously within the time prescribed in at least three public places in the city.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 12102. Section 12102.

The notice of the municipal election shall be substantially in the following form: Notice is hereby given that a ____ (general or special) municipal election will be held in the ____ of ____ on ____, the ____ day of ____, 20__, for the following officers: (name them). The polls will be open between the hours of __ m. and __ m. City Elections Official Dated, _______, ___.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 12103. Section 12103.

At least 158 days before the direct primary, the Secretary of State shall prepare and transmit to each county elections official a notice designating all the offices, except those of county officers and judges, for which candidates are to be nominated. At least 125 days before the direct primary election, the Secretary of State shall prepare and transmit to each county elections official a notice designating the political parties qualified to participate in the primary.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 12104. Section 12104.

(a) A notice designating the offices for which candidates are to be nominated shall be in substantially the following form: NOTICE BY SECRETARY OF STATE OF OFFICES FOR WHICH CANDIDATES ARE TO BE NOMINATED AT THE DIRECT PRIMARY Secretary of State Sacramento,__. 20 __. To the County Elections Official of the County of ____: Notice is hereby given that the offices for which candidates are to be nominated at the primary election to be held on the ____ day of___, 20__, together with the names of the political parties qualified to participate in the election, are as follows: STATE AND DISTRICT OFFICES CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES LEGISLATIVE OFFICES Notice is also hereby given that at the primary election, candi– dates are to be nominated for the following office: SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION Notice is also hereby given that at the primary election, in the county first above mentioned, candidates are to be nominated for any county offices or judicial offices to which candidates are to be elected at the ensuing general election; And notice is also hereby given that at the primary election there shall be elected in each county a county central committee for each political party above named pursuant to Division 7 (commencing with Section 7000) of the Elections Code. (seal) Secretary of State (b) The notice designating the political parties qualified to participate in this election for nomination of candidates shall be in substantially the following form: NOTICE BY SECRETARY OF STATE OF POLITICAL PARTIES QUALIFIED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DIRECT PRIMARY ELECTION Secretary of State Sacramento, __. 20__. To the County Elections Official of the County of ____: Notice is hereby given that the political parties qualified to participate in this election for nomination of candidates to partisan offices are as follows: (seal) Secretary of State

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 12105. Section 12105.

(a) The elections official shall, not less than one week before the election, publish the list of the polling places designated for each election precinct. (b) Publication shall be pursuant to Section 6061 of the Government Code in the jurisdiction where the election is to be held and in any newspaper of general circulation designated by the elections official. If there is no newspaper of general circulation published and circulated in the jurisdiction, the list shall be typewritten and copies shall be posted conspicuously within the time prescribed in at least three public places within the city.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 12105.5. Section 12105.5.

(a) Not less than one week before the election, the elections official shall post a list of all current polling places in each precinct and a list of political party preference of precinct board members appointed by the 15th day before the election. This list shall not include the names of the precinct board members. Not later than 28 days after the election, the elections official shall post an updated list of the political party preferences of precinct board members who actually served on election day. The election official shall post these lists in their office and on their official website, if any. (b) In each jurisdiction in which the election official determines that the public interest, convenience, and necessity requires the local posting of polling places, the elections official shall divide and distribute the lists for posting in any city clerk’s office within the jurisdiction having the election. (c) Each list required by this section shall remain posted for 30 days after completion of the canvass, shall then be archived by the elections official, and shall remain available for public inspection as long as election materials are required to be retained. Copies shall be made available upon request for a price not to exceed the cost of reproduction and mailing. (d) This section does not apply to elections conducted using vote centers.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 12106. Section 12106.

(a) The elections official shall publish, as provided in this section and Section 12105, the list of polling places designated for each election precinct in each jurisdiction where the elections official determines that the public interest, convenience, and necessity require the local publication of the list to afford adequate notice of this subject to the electorate. (b) After making a determination pursuant to subdivision (a), the elections official shall divide and distribute the list of polling places and cause the same to be published at least one week before the election in newspapers of general circulation published in different places in the jurisdiction. (c) Divisions of the list of polling places may be published in that daily newspaper of general circulation published or circulated in one or more cities in the county, with the exception of the county seat, that is determined will give to the electorate in each city adequate notice of the election. If there is no daily newspaper, publication may be made in a semiweekly newspaper, a biweekly newspaper, or a weekly newspaper of general circulation that is determined will give the electorate in the city adequate notice of the election. (d) The list of polling places designated for various portions of the unincorporated area of the county and of the county seat may be published in those daily, semiweekly, biweekly, or weekly newspapers of general circulation published or circulated within the various portions of the unincorporated area and the county seat, deemed by the county elections official to be those newspapers that will give adequate notice of the election to the voters of the respective portions of the unincorporated area and the county seat. (e) This section does not apply to elections conducted using vote centers.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 12107. Section 12107.

(a) The elections official shall let the contracts for publication, pursuant to Section 12106, of the list of polling places designated for each election precinct, and shall determine the rate to be paid for the publication of the list or any portion of the list. (b) The publication rate shall be based on a common denominator of measurement for all newspapers and may be graduated according to circulation. Contracts for the publication shall include the publication of the proper portion of the list of polling places and all other items relating to that portion required by law to be published. (c) This section does not apply to elections conducted using vote centers.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 12108. Section 12108.

(a) The elections official shall ascertain the name of the political party, if any, for which each precinct board member has expressed a preference, as shown in the affidavit of registration of that person. The elections official shall post a list of the board member’s party preference or an abbreviation of the name of each precinct board member. The list required under this section shall not include the names of the precinct board members. If a precinct board member has not expressed a preference for a political party, the word “None” shall be printed in place of the party name. (b) This section does not apply to elections conducted using vote centers.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 12109. Section 12109.

Whenever the ballots at any election or from any precincts are to be tallied at a central place and not at the precincts, the elections official or secretary of the jurisdiction conducting the election shall specify the public place to be used and give notice thereof as follows: (a) By at least one publication in a newspaper of general circulation published in the jurisdiction where the election is to be held, provided that the publication is made at least 10 days before the day of the election. (b) If a newspaper of general circulation is not published in that jurisdiction, then by prominently posting the notice in the office of the elections official for at least 10 days before the day of the election.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 12110. Section 12110.

In case of a municipal election to fill offices, the city elections official shall not later than one week before the election publish a list of the names of the nominees, in the order in which they appear on the ballot, and the respective offices for which they have been nominated. Publication shall be in the city in a newspaper of general circulation. If there is no newspaper of general circulation published and circulated in the city, the notice shall be typewritten and copies shall be posted conspicuously within the time prescribed in at least three public places in the city. This list shall be headed, “Nominees for Public Office,” in conspicuous type, and shall be substantially in the following form: NOMINEES FOR PUBLIC OFFICE Notice is hereby given that the following persons have been nominated for the offices mentioned below to be filled at the general municipal election to be held in the ____ of ____on ____ the ____ day of ____, 20__. (Here follow with the list of nominees.) Dated, ____ City Elections Official

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 12111. Section 12111.

(a) In case of a municipal election on any measure, the city elections official shall publish a synopsis of the measure at least one time not later than one week before the election in a newspaper of general circulation in the city. If there is no newspaper of general circulation published and circulated in the city, the notice shall be typewritten and copies shall be posted conspicuously within the time prescribed in at least three public places in the city. The notice shall be headed “Measure To Be Voted On” in conspicuous type and shall be substantially in the following form: MEASURE TO BE VOTED ON Notice is hereby given that the following measure is to be voted on at the ____ (general or special) municipal election to be held in the City of ____, on Tuesday, the ____ day of ____, 2___. (Synopsis of measure or measures) Dated ____ City Elections Official City of ______________ (b) The city elections official shall consolidate the notice of election and the notice of measure to be voted on into one notice if the measure was placed on the ballot before the notice of election is published pursuant to Section 12101.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 12112. Section 12112.

(a) At least 90 days, and not more than 120 days, before the day fixed for the general district election, the elections official of the principal county shall publish a notice of the election once in a newspaper of general circulation published in the district or, if no such newspaper is published in the district, in a newspaper having general circulation in the district published in any affected county in the district. The notice shall contain the date of the general district election, name the offices for which candidates may file, and state the qualifications required by the principal act for each office. The notice shall state the location where official declarations of candidacy for eligible candidates desiring to file for any of the elective offices may be obtained, the office in which completed declarations of candidacy are required to be filed, and the date and time after which no declarations of candidacy may be accepted for filing. The notice shall state that appointment to each elective office will be made as prescribed by Section 10515 in the event there are no nominees or an insufficient number of nominees for the office and a petition for an election is not filed with the elections official within the time period prescribed by Section 10515. (b) In addition to the requirements of subdivision (a), the county elections official shall, by a general press release, set forth both of the following: (1) The elective offices of the district to be filled at the ensuing district election. (2) A telephone number that voters of the district may utilize in order to obtain information regarding filing for the elective district office.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 12113. Section 12113.

For each school or special district, the county elections official immediately shall deliver a copy of all published notices to the district secretary. Each notice shall be posted in the district office.

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