ARTICLE 2. Referendum [9140. - 9147.]

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC 2.

in effect

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9140. Section 9140.

The board of supervisors may submit to the voters, without a petition, an ordinance for the repeal, amendment, or enactment of any ordinance. The ordinance shall be voted upon at any succeeding regular or special election and, if it receives a majority of the votes cast, the ordinance shall be repealed, amended, or enacted accordingly.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9141. Section 9141.

(a) Except an ordinance granting a franchise, the following ordinances shall take effect immediately: (1) Those calling or otherwise relating to an election. (2) Those specifically required by law to take immediate effect. (3) Those fixing the amount of money to be raised by taxation or the rate of taxes to be levied. (4) Those for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety. The ordinances referred to in this subdivision shall contain a declaration of the facts constituting the necessity and shall be passed by a four-fifths vote of the board of supervisors. (b) All other ordinances, including ordinances granting a franchise, shall become effective 30 days from and after the date of final passage.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9142. Section 9142.

(a) Notwithstanding Section 9141, ordinances authorizing the issuance of revenue bonds by a county as part of a joint powers entity pursuant to Section 6547 of the Government Code shall not take effect for 60 days. (b) When the number of votes cast for all candidates for Governor at the last gubernatorial election within the boundaries of the county described in subdivision (a) exceeds 500,000, the ordinance is subject to referendum upon presentation of a petition bearing signatures of at least 5 percent of the entire vote cast within the boundaries of the county for all candidates for Governor at the last gubernatorial election. When the number of votes cast for all candidates for Governor at the last gubernatorial election within the boundaries of the county is less than 500,000, the ordinance is subject to referendum upon presentation of a petition bearing signatures of at least 10 percent of the entire vote cast within the boundaries of the county for all candidates for Governor at the last gubernatorial election. (c) For the purpose of submitting the question to the voters pursuant to subdivision (b), the ballot wording shall approximate the following: “Shall the (county name) , as a member of the (joint powers entity name) , authorize the issuance of revenue bonds by the joint powers entity in the amount of $____ pursuant to ordinance number ____, dated ____, the bonds to be used for the following purposes and to be redeemed in the following manner: ________?”

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9143. Section 9143.

Notwithstanding Section 9141, that portion of any ordinance that changes supervisorial salaries shall become effective 60 days from the date of its final passage.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9144. Section 9144.

If a petition protesting the adoption of an ordinance is submitted to the county elections official before the effective date of the ordinance, the ordinance shall be suspended and the board of supervisors shall reconsider the ordinance. The petition shall be signed by voters of the county equal in number to at least 10 percent of the entire vote cast within the county for all candidates for Governor at the last gubernatorial election.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9144.5. Section 9144.5.

The proponent of a referendum may withdraw the referendum at any time before the 88th day before the election, whether or not the petition has already been found sufficient by the elections official.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9145. Section 9145.

If the board of supervisors does not entirely repeal the ordinance against which a petition is filed, the board shall submit the ordinance to the voters either at the next regularly scheduled county election occurring not less than 88 days after the date of the order, or at a special election called for that purpose not less than 88 days after the date of the order. The ordinance shall not become effective unless and until a majority of the voters voting on the ordinance vote in favor of it.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9146. Section 9146.

The provisions of this code relating to the form of petitions, the duties of the county elections official, and the manner of holding elections, when an ordinance is proposed by initiative petition, govern the procedure on ordinances against which a protest is filed.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9147. Section 9147.

(a) The heading of a proposed referendum measure shall be in substantially the following form: Referendum Against an Ordinance Passed by the Board of Supervisors. (b) Each section of the referendum petition shall contain the title and text of the ordinance or the portion of the ordinance which is the subject of the referendum.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026