Passed 10/6/2014
WHEREAS, recent events have shown that the California recount process is flawed because it does not assure that the candidate or position on a proposition with the most votes prevails; and voters must be confident that every vote is counted; and
WHEREAS, California, unlike other states, does not provide for publicly financed automatic recounts in close races; candidates are required as a result to request and pay for a recount; California allows the requesting candidate to cherry pick the areas in which there will be a recount; and California allows candidates to end a recount at an arbitrary point favorable to themselves; and
WHEREAS, any democracy has a duty to ensure an accurate count without imposing the cost on candidates and favoring the candidate with the highest funding; local registrars charge disparate amounts to candidates; the California process may result in a flawed result due to candidates cherry picking the counties or precincts to be recounted; the final result may not represent the true intent of the voters without a full and complete count; and the process may not result in a final determination by the necessary procedural deadline;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley supports reforming the California recount procedure by providing an automatic publicly financed recount of all votes cast in the election whenever the initial result is close enough to be statistically likely to be overturned by a recount, based on criteria to be determined by the legislature; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley will send this resolution to Governor Jerry Brown, Secretary of State Debra Bowen, Chair of the Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee Paul Fong, and Chair of the Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee Alex Padilla.