SACRAMENTO, CA – AB 666, authored by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) and co-authored by Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa), was signed into law by Governor Brown earlier this week. AB 666 is inspired by the confusion that everyone who represents multiple counties experience when filing for every election.
AB 666 will allow candidates running in multi-county districts to submit the candidate statement form from their home county to all the other counties in the district. It would also require county elections officials to accept this form electronically.
“Deciding to run for the Assembly was one greatest decisions of my life, but the confusion that came with filing was overwhelming. Six counties, six different candidate statement forms to fill out and submit, and six different ways to submit all of that paperwork. Not only is this filing process a challenge for incumbents, more-experienced candidates, but it can be an insurmountable barrier to first-time candidates. That is why AB 666 is so important to me. Now, those who are interested in seeking an elected office, or considering stepping into the process for the first time, have access to a more attainable process,” said Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry.
“This new law will remove unnecessary bureaucracy and ballot access barriers, and I was glad to join with Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry in co-authoring the measure,” said Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa).
“The passage of AB 666 marks an important step towards creating a statewide submission standard for candidate statements,” said Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry. “The Governor’s signature on AB 666 represents a critical step forward in the long road toward eliminating barriers to candidacy. I look forward to continuing my work towards this goal in the years to come.”
Now law, AB 666 will take effect beginning January 1, 2019.
Aguiar-Curry represents the 4th Assembly District, which includes all of Lake and Napa Counties, all of Yolo County except West Sacramento, and parts of Colusa County, Solano County, and Sonoma County. www.asm.ca.gov/aguiar-curry