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HomeElections CodeDiv. 15Ch. 9Art. 3§ 15620 Recount Request Deadlines

§ 15620 Recount Request Deadlines

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

§ 15620 Recount Request Deadlines

This law lets any voter ask for a recount of local election results if they do it within five days after the official results are certified, and it tells exactly how and where to file the request.

Key Takeaways

  • •A written recount request must be filed within five days after the official canvass is completed, no later than 5 p.m. on the fifth day.
  • •The request must state which candidate, slate of electors, or measure position (yes or no) the recount is for.
  • •If the election involves more than one county, the request can be filed with any affected county’s elections official, and the recount can be done in any of those counties.

Example

A voter in County A sees that the race for the county sheriff was decided by just a few votes and wants a recount.

The voter writes a request naming the sheriff candidate, sends it to the county elections official, and makes sure it arrives before 5 p.m. on the fifth day after the official canvass was finished. If the sheriff race covered several counties, the voter could send the request to any of those counties and the recount could be done in any of them.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 15620 Recount Request Deadlines

(a) Following completion of the official canvass, any voter may, within five days thereafter but not later than 5 p.m. on the fifth day, file with the elections official responsible for conducting an election in the county wherein the recount is sought a written request for a recount of the votes cast for candidates for any office, for slates of presidential electors, or for or against any measure, if the office, slate, or measure is not voted on statewide. The request shall specify on behalf of which candidate, slate of electors, or position on a measure (affirmative or negative) it is filed. (b) If an election is conducted in more than one county, the request for the recount may be filed by any voter within five days but not later than 5 p.m. on the fifth day, beginning on the 31st day after the election, with the elections official of, and the recount may be conducted within, any or all of the affected counties. (c) For the purposes of this section, “completion of the official canvass” shall be presumed to be that time when the elections official signs the certified statement of the results of the election except that, in the case of a city election, if a city council canvasses the returns itself and does not order the elections official to conduct the canvass, “completion of the official canvass” shall be presumed to be that time when the governing body declares the persons elected or the measures approved or defeated. (Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 370, Sec. 112. (SB 1371) Effective January 1, 2021.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

electioncompletionany voterstatementposition

Related Statutes

  • § 15624 Recount Cost Deposit Rules
  • § 15621 Statewide Election Recount Requests
  • § 15621.5 Manual Recount Consolidation
  • § 15622 Recount Precinct Order
  • § 15623 Recount Request Expansion

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Elections Code. Section 15620.
View Official Source