(a) The elections official shall make a copy of the materials referred to in Sections 9500, 9501, and 9504 available for public examination in his or her office for a period of 10 calendar days immediately following the filing deadline for submission of those documents. Any person may obtain a copy of the materials from the elections official for use outside of the elections official’s office. The elections official may charge a fee to any person obtaining a copy of the material. The fee may not exceed the actual cost incurred by the elections official in providing the copy.

(b) (1) During the 10-calendar-day public examination period provided by this section, any voter of the jurisdiction in which the election is being held, or the elections official, himself or herself, may seek a writ of mandate or an injunction requiring any or all of the materials to be amended or deleted. The writ of mandate or injunction request shall be filed no later than the end of the 10-calendar-day public examination period.

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Terms Used In California Elections Code 9509

  • Election: means any election including a primary that is provided for under this code. See California Elections Code 318
  • Elections official: means any of the following:

    California Elections Code 320

  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Party: means a political party or organization that has qualified for participation in any primary or presidential general election. See California Elections Code 338
  • Voter: means any elector who is registered under this code. See California Elections Code 359
  • Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.

(2) A peremptory writ of mandate or an injunction shall be issued only upon clear and convincing proof that the material in question is false, misleading, or inconsistent with this chapter, and that issuance of the writ or injunction will not substantially interfere with the printing or distribution of official election materials as provided by law.

(3) The elections official shall be named as respondent and the person or official who authored the material in question shall be named as real parties in interest. In the case of the elections official bringing the mandamus or injunctive action, the board of supervisors of the county shall be named as the respondent and the person or official who authored the material in question shall be named as the real party in interest.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 191, Sec. 2. (AB 1626) Effective January 1, 2013.)