Election procedures: certified mail and superior courts.

The California Assembly Committee on Elections proposes modernizing election procedures through modifications to mail delivery requirements and judicial terminology in the state's Elections Code. The legislation allows certified mail and electronic delivery to replace registered mail for specified election communications between local officials and the Secretary of State, while also updating references from trial courts to superior courts throughout recall provisions.

The bill establishes new protocols for election-related notifications, including requirements for electronic delivery confirmation between officials and specific timelines for randomized alphabet drawings that determine candidate ballot order. For local elections occurring outside standard election dates, officials must notify the Secretary of State electronically about filing deadlines and election dates. The Secretary must then conduct and communicate randomized alphabet drawings to determine candidate name ordering on ballots.

Local agencies implementing these changes may receive state reimbursement for additional costs, pending determination by the Commission on State Mandates. The legislation maintains existing requirements for public access to randomized drawings and preserves signature thresholds for recall petitions, while standardizing terminology around superior courts' role in election proceedings.