Align Precinct Caucus Eligibility Deadlines

The act clarifies that any elector who has preregistered to vote, is 17 years of age on the date of a precinct caucus, and will be 18 years of age on the date of the next general election may either vote at any caucus, assembly, or convention or be elected as a delegate to any assembly or convention even though the elector has been affiliated with the political party for less than 22 days.

Under current law, no later than 21 days prior to the date of the precinct caucus, the county clerk and recorder is required to furnish, without charge to each major political party in the county, a list of the registered electors in the county who are affiliated with that political party. The act changes this deadline to 18 days prior to the date of the precinct caucus in a year in which a political party's precinct caucus is held on the first Saturday following the presidential primary election.

The act changes the period a candidate for precinct committeeperson must have been a resident of the precinct from 30 days to 22 days before the caucus. The act also changes the period during which such candidate must have been affiliated with the political party from 2 months to 22 days before the caucus. An exception to these requirements in current law specifies that any person who has attained the age of 18 years or who has become a naturalized citizen during the 2 months immediately preceding the precinct caucus may be a candidate for the office of precinct committeeperson even though the individual has been affiliated with the political party for less than 2 months. The act changes each of these 2-month deadlines to 22 days.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)