February 2022 As the June 7, 2022 election season heats up, candidates and consultants should keep in mind that the law allows campaigns to challenge false, misleading or improper information which will appear in the voter information pamphlet and/or on the ballot. These include candidate ballot designations, candidate statements, arguments for […]
The California Fair Political Practices Commission (“FPPC”) continues to focus on Limited Liability Companies (“LLCs”) as a potential source of “dark money” in California elections. As you may recall, last year the FPPC adopted new rules requiring that reports filed by political committees which receive contributions, as well as Major Donor […]
This is a reminder that, due to the upcoming February 15, 2022 special elections in San Francisco, a 24-hour reporting period for political contributions begins today, November 17, 2021. Any contributions or independent expenditures related to Assembly District 17 candidates, San Francisco Assessor-Recorder candidates or the San Francisco School Board recalls, […]
August 2021 Even though 2021 is supposedly an “off” election year, San Franciscans are likely to be asked to vote several times between now and the June 2022 regular statewide election. Voting for Governor on September 14. At Governor Newsom’s request, the State Legislature amended state law in order […]
August 2021 With Mayor Garcetti on his way to becoming Ambassador to India, a vacancy is expected to occur in the Mayor’s office and the political wrangling over a successor will officially begin. If the U.S. Senate confirms Mayor Garcetti’s ambassadorship: • Council President Nury Martinez will become Acting Mayor until […]
April 2021 A quick update on the legal wrangling over the vote requirement for citizens’ initiatives seeking to increase local parcel, gross receipts and other taxes – in short, special tax increases placed on the ballot by citizen initiative require approval of a majority (rather than two-thirds) of voters, subject […]
March 2021 As you certainly have heard, proponents of the effort to recall Governor Newsom claim to have submitted more than 2.1 million signatures as of last Wednesday’s deadline, well over the 1.5 million needed to qualify the recall for the ballot. Given these numbers, and that the validity rate of […]
March 2021 The San Francisco Ethics Commission has adopted a new “Streamlined Administrative Resolution Program,” which permits certain violations of the City’s lobbying law to be resolved through lower, fixed penalties – similar to the issuance of parking tickets. The new fines are $500, $700 or $900, and the reporting violations […]
December 2020 A new state law effective January 1, 2021 (but originally enacted in October 2019) creates “default” campaign contribution limits for all cities and counties which do not already have their own limits. The new law requires all cities and counties without their own contribution limits to adopt the current […]
Knowing Your Campaign’s Rights And Options Can Make All The Difference Every election, candidates and ballot measure campaigns find themselves in close races, where a few votes can make the difference between victory and defeat. Campaigns in these circumstances must navigate the ballot-counting process as the Registrar’s office finishes its official […]