January 18, 2011
Pursuant to Elections Code Section 9005, we have reviewed
the proposed statutory initiative related to presidential electors (A.G. File
No. 10‑0024).
Major Provisions
Under the Electoral College system to select the U.S.
President, each state is assigned a certain number of electors who determine the
state's presidential choice. California currently receives 55 electors. The
electors of the political party that receives the highest number of votes
statewide are certified as the state's presidential electors.
Current Law. Under existing law, each
political party selects its slate of presidential electors in accordance with
procedures that differ by party. Existing law provides that electors be given
$10 as compensation for their services and reimbursed for mileage incurred from
traveling between their home and the State Capitol at a rate of $0.05 per mile.
Proposed Law. This initiative repeals
existing procedures for selection of presidential electors, and instead requires
that political parties nominate an elector in each congressional district and
two electors on a statewide basis. Each political party could set its own rules
for determining how to choose the electors, subject to a number of requirements
in the measure. Specifically, an elector must sign a pledge that he or she shall
cast his or her ballot for the candidates for President and Vice-President who
receive the plurality of votes in the congressional district in which the
elector is nominated (or who receive the plurality of votes in the state for
those electors selected on a statewide basis). The initiative also eliminates
the authorization for compensation to electors or reimbursement of their travel
expenses.
Fiscal Effect
This measure would eliminate state costs for compensation
to electors and reimbursement of their travel expenses every four years. The
amount of state savings would be less than $10,000.
Summary. This measure would have the
following fiscal effect:
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