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HomeGovernment CodeDiv. 3Pt. 4Ch. 6§ 57141 Voter Ballot Rights In Mergers

§ 57141 Voter Ballot Rights In Mergers

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

§ 57141 Voter Ballot Rights In Mergers

Key Takeaways

  • •If there's a special vote to merge or create a new district, people who live or own land in the area can vote.
  • •In a 'registered-voter district,' each registered voter gets one vote.
  • •In a 'landowner-voter district,' landowners get votes based on how much land they own.
  • •If the vote happens in both the district and the city outside it, they use different colored ballots and count them separately.

Example

Imagine your town wants to merge with another town to share schools and parks. They call for a special vote.

If you live in the town or own land there, you can vote. If it's a 'registered-voter' town, you get one vote. If it's a 'landowner-voter' town, you might get more votes if you own more land. If the vote also includes people outside the town, they use different colored ballots to keep the votes separate.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 57141 Voter Ballot Rights In Mergers

Where a special election or elections are called upon the question of confirming an order for a merger or the establishment of a subsidiary district, or both, each person entitled to vote as a result of residing or owning land within the territory within which the election is called shall be entitled to ballots and votes as follows: (a) Where the election is called only within the district: (1) In the case of a registered-voter district, each registered voter shall be entitled to one ballot and one vote. (2) In the case of a landowner-voter district, each landowner-voter shall be entitled to the number of ballots and votes authorized by the principal act of the district. (b) Where one election is called within the district and another election is called within the territory of the city outside the boundaries of the agency: (1) In the case of the city, each registered voter within the territory of the city outside the boundaries of the district shall be entitled to one city ballot and one vote on the question. (2) In the case of the district, each person entitled to vote as a result of residing or owning land within the district shall be entitled to the number of district ballots and votes authorized by the principal act of the district. Where separate elections are called within both the district and the territory of the city outside the boundaries of the district, separate forms of city and district ballots, printed on different colors of paper, shall be provided. The city and district ballots shall be separately canvassed. (Added by Stats. 1985, Ch. 541, Sec. 3. Effective September 9, 1985. Operative January 1, 1986, by Sec. 5 of Ch. 541.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

electionregistered-voter district,landowner-voter district,mergerquestioneffective septemberoperative januaryestablishment

Related Statutes

  • § 57127.5 Landowner-Voter Election Rules
  • § 57128 Overlapping Territory Election Rules
  • § 57137 Ballot Yes/No Format
  • § 57140 Special Election Voting Rules
  • § 57142 Special Election Voting Rules

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Government Code. Section 57141.
View Official Source