HB2440

THE CONTEXT: The governing board of a county must meet and canvass the results of a primary election no later than the second Monday after the election or the third Thursday after the general election. The secretary of state must conduct their election canvass no later than the third Thursday after the primary election or the third Monday after the general election ( A.

WHAT THE BILL DID: The final vetoed version would prohibit the Attorney General from bringing criminal or civil actions against a County Board of Supervisors member based on their vote against the certification of an election canvass if they do so in a good faith belief or if they have been presented documentation or evidence showing irregularities or errors in the election process, specifies the measure does not preclude the Attorney General from investigating or prosecuting other election-related offenses not directly tied to a member of the County Board of Supervisors voting against an election canvass certification, and define good faith belief and documentation or other evidence.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to set a clear legal boundary for attorney general instead of leaving the conduct unaddressed. It would prohibit the Attorney General from bringing criminal or civil actions against a County Board of Supervisors member based on their vote against the certification of an election canvass if they do so in a good faith belief or if they have been presented documentation or evidence showing irregularities or errors in the election process, and would also specifies the measure does not preclude the Attorney General from investigating or prosecuting other election-related offenses not directly tied to a member of the County Board of Supervisors voting against an election canvass certification, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.