Berman Bill to Deliver Fast and Accurate Election Results Passes the Legislature

SACRAMENTO, CA - The Legislature passed Assembly Bill 5, by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), that will create statewide standards for the prompt tallying and release of election results.

"California has one of the most accessible, secure, and transparent voting systems in the country. This is something to be proud of, but a lot of these policies also lead to slower counts than other states that restrict voting rights," said Assemblymember Marc Berman. "Unfortunately, we have seen Republicans in California and throughout the country use this to sow doubt about election results they don't like, continuing their efforts to undermine our democracy."

"Counties must do everything they can to count votes both quickly and accurately, and we need to make sure they have adequate resources and guidance to do that. AB 5 sets achievable deadlines for our counties and will provide all voters with more faith in our election process."

AB 5, which passed with near-unanimous, bipartisan support, will require election officials to count and release the vote totals for the vast majority of ballots on or before the 13th day following the election. If counties are unable to meet the 13-day deadline, counties are allowed to go past the deadline if they provide a public notice and the reason to the Secretary of State.

AB 5 will expedite the ballot counting process and reaffirm public trust in elections, while maintaining California's accessible, secure and transparent voting systems.

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