California Nonpartisan Secretary of State Amendment (2014)
| Not on Ballot |
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| This measure was not put on an election ballot |
The California Nonpartisan Secretary of State Amendment will not be on the November 4, 2014 ballot in California as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment. The measure would have designated the Office of the Secretary of State as a nonpartisan office and required that initiative or referendum petitions be submitted to the Secretary of State instead of the Attorney General.[1]
The amendment was proposed in the California Legislature by State Assemblyman Jeff Gorell (R-44) as Assembly Constitutional Amendment 12.
Support
Supporters
- Asm. Jeff Gorell (R-44)[2]
- Former Asm. Fred Keeley (D-27)
- Former Secretary of State Bruce McPherson (I)
- David Curtis (G), candidate for Secretary of State in 2014
- Dan Schnur (I), candidate for Secretary of State in 2014
Arguments
- Asm. Jeff Gorell (R-44) said, "People go into the booth to elect the secretary of State they believe will divorce themselves from politics, divorce themselves from partisanship, and be honest, trustworthy and objective in not only counting the votes, certifying the election, but enfranchising voters throughout the state of California regardless of party."[2]
Opposition
Arguments
- Joel Fox, President of the Small Business Action Committee and Editor of Fox & Hounds, said that the proposed amendment was recognizing a serious problem, but would not solve the problem. He stated, "Even a nonpartisan elected office will draw partisan candidates for the job. Most would probably want to seek other elected offices once they complete their term. How an elected Secretary of State writes a ballot measure synopsis would still matter to fervent partisans. The Legislative Analyst’s Office or an independent panel should write the title and summary of ballot measures."[3]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the California Constitution
A two-thirds vote was required in both chambers of the California Legislature to place an amendment on the ballot.
The timeline for Assembly Constitutional Amendment #12 was:[1]
- March 5, 2014: Introduced into the California State Assembly
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 California Legislature, "ACA-12 Elections: Secretary of State," accessed March 27, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Los Angeles Times, "Lawmaker proposes making California secretary of State post nonpartisan," March 6, 2014
- ↑ Fox & Hounds, "A Non-Partisan Secretary of State Not the Answer for Ballot Summaries," March 7, 2014
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