LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomeElections CodeDiv. 10Pt. 6Ch. 1§ 10706 Special Election Runoff Rules

§ 10706 Special Election Runoff Rules

Elections Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 10706 Special Election Runoff Rules

If nobody gets more than half the votes in a special primary, the two candidates with the most votes move on to the special general election.

Key Takeaways

  • •A candidate must win more than half the votes to win outright in a special primary.
  • •If no one does, the two candidates with the highest vote totals go to the special general election.
  • •If there’s a tie for the top spots, another rule (Section 8142(b)) decides what happens.

Example

A town holds a special primary to pick a new mayor. No candidate gets over 50% of the votes, but Candidate A gets 40% and Candidate B gets 35%. Both names are then put on the special general election ballot.

Because no one got a majority, the law says the top two vote‑getters (Candidate A and Candidate B) must appear on the next ballot for the final election.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 10706 Special Election Runoff Rules

If no candidate receives a majority of votes cast, the names of the candidates who receive the highest or second highest number of votes cast at the special primary election shall be placed on the special general election ballot. In the case of a tie vote, subdivision (b) of Section 8142 shall apply. (Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 3, Sec. 33. (AB 1413) Effective February 10, 2012.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

majority of votesspecial primary electionspecial general election ballottie votesubdivision (b) of Section 8142

Related Statutes

  • § 10704 Special Primary Election Timing
  • § 10707 Special Election Ballot Order
  • § 1 Elections Code Title
  • § 10 Secretary Voter Registration Duties
  • § 10.5 Elections Cybersecurity And Misinformation

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Elections Code. Section 10706.
View Official Source