SECTIONS 23720-23724 - California Statutes

GOVERNMENT CODE

SECTION 23720-23724

23720. (a) A county charter may be amended by proposals submitted
by the governing body or by a petition signed by 10 percent of the
qualified electors of the county, computed upon the total number of
votes cast in the county for all candidates for Governor at the last
general election at which a Governor was elected, filed in the office
of the county elections official, petitioning the governing body to
submit a proposed amendment or amendments to the charter of the
county to the qualified electors of the county, which amendment or
amendments are set forth in full in the petition.
(b) A county charter may be repealed by proposals submitted by the
governing body or by a petition signed by 10 percent of the
qualified electors of the county computed upon the total number of
votes cast in the county for all candidates for Governor at the last
general election at which a Governor was elected. The petition,
petitioning the governing body to submit the question of charter
repeal to the qualified electors of the county, shall be filed in the
office of the county elections official.
(c) Petitions to amend or repeal a county charter shall be subject
to Article 1 (commencing with Section 9100) of Chapter 2 of Division
9 of the Elections Code.

23721. The petition shall forthwith be examined and certified by
the county elections official as provided in Article 1 (commencing
with Section 9100) of Chapter 2 of Division 9 of the Elections Code.

23722. Upon the presentation of a petition, or upon its own
submission of a proposal to amend or repeal the charter, the
governing body shall submit the amendment or amendments proposed or
the question of the repeal of the charter to the eligible registered
voters of the county at a special election held on the next
established election date not less than 88 days after the
presentation of the petition, or submission of the proposal. In
submitting the question of charter repeal or amendment, any
alternative article or proposition may be presented for the choice of
the voters, and may be voted on separately without prejudice to
others.
The county elections official shall cause the complete text of the
proposed amendment or amendments to be printed. A copy of the
proposed amendment or amendments shall be made available to any voter
upon request.
The impartial analysis prepared pursuant to Section 9160 of the
Elections Code shall include a statement notifying voters that they
may call the county elections official's office and request that a
copy of the proposed amendment or amendments to the charter be mailed
to them at no cost.

23723. If the majority of electors voting, at a general or special
election, shall vote in favor of the proposed amendment or amendments
or in favor of charter repeal, the amendment or amendments or
charter repeal shall be deemed to be ratified but shall not take
effect until accepted and filed by the Secretary of State pursuant to
the provisions of Section 23724.

23724. Two copies of the amendment or amendments shall be
authenticated, certified, recorded, submitted, filed and published in
the same manner as provided in Sections 23713 and 23714 for the
charter, and with like force and effect.