(a) (1) Any city ordinance requiring its general municipal election to be held on a day specified in subdivision (b) of Section 1301 shall be approved by the board of supervisors unless the ballot style, voting equipment, or computer capability is such that additional elections or materials cannot be handled. Prior to adoption of a resolution to either approve or deny a consolidation request, the board or boards of supervisors shall each obtain from the elections official a report on the cost-effectiveness of the proposed action.

(2) A city, by itself or in concert with other cities, may purchase or otherwise contribute to the purchase of elections equipment, including, but not limited to, a computer for the purposes of conducting a consolidated election when the equipment shall be owned by the county.

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(b) As a result of the adoption of an ordinance pursuant to this section, no term of office shall be increased or decreased by more than 12 months. As used in this subdivision, “12 months” means the period between the day upon which the term of office would otherwise have commenced and the first Tuesday after the second Monday in the 12th month before or after that day, inclusive.

(c) If an election is held on a day specified in subdivision (b) of Section 1301, and the election is consolidated with another election this part, except Section 10403, shall govern the consolidation and, if the county elections official is requested to conduct the municipal election, Section 10002 shall be applicable to that election.

(d) If a general municipal election is held on the same day as a statewide election, those city officers whose terms of office would have, prior to the adoption of the ordinance, expired no later than the next regularly scheduled city council meeting after receipt of the certification of the results from the elections official shall, instead, continue in their offices until not later than that meeting.

(e) Within 30 days after the ordinance becomes operative, the city elections official shall cause a notice to be mailed to all registered voters informing the voters of the change in the election date. The notice shall also inform the voters that as a result in the change in the election date, the terms of office of the elected city officeholders will be changed.

(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 785, Sec. 9. Effective January 1, 2005.)