AB 298

This bill authorizes each individual filing a state income tax return who has a

tax liability or is owed a refund to designate that $1 of general purpose revenue be

transferred to an election campaign fund administered by the Government

Accountability Board (GAB) and the state treasurer. Under the bill, any candidate

for a partisan state office, except district attorney, who receives at least 6 percent of

the total vote cast on all ballots for the office the candidate seeks at the partisan

primary and whose name is certified as a candidate in the general election is eligible

to receive a grant from the fund to finance campaign expenses. The bill places the

names of independent candidates on the partisan primary ballot in order to permit

these candidates to qualify to receive grants. However, as under current law, a voter

who votes for a party candidate for any office is not permitted to vote for any

candidates not representing that party, including independent candidates. The

independent candidates continue to appear on the general election ballot regardless

of the number of votes they receive at the primary. A candidate for state

superintendent of public instruction or justice of the supreme court who is nominated

at the primary may also qualify to receive grants. In addition, a candidate for a state

office at a special partisan election may qualify to receive a grant if he or she

represents a party whose candidate for the same office at the most recent general

election received at least 6 percent of the total vote cast for the office or if he or she

actually receives at least 6 percent of the total vote cast for the office at the special

election. A candidate whose name appears on the ballot at a special election for the

office of state superintendent may also qualify.

The moneys in the fund are apportioned as follows: 1) in those years in which

there is an election for supreme court justice, candidates for that office may receive

8 percent of the money in the fund which is divided equally among them; 2) in those

years in which there is an election for state superintendent, candidates for that office

may receive 8 percent of the money in the fund which is divided equally between

them; 3) the remainder is apportioned among the candidates for partisan state

executive offices, who may receive 25 percent of the remaining money in the fund,

and candidates for legislative office, who may receive 75 of the remaining money in

the fund. The fund is further apportioned among candidates for the executive offices

according to a specified formula. All eligible candidates for the same office may

receive equal grants. If a candidate for an office does not accept a grant, the amount

for which the candidate could have qualified is potentially payable to any opposing

candidates for the same office who accept grants. To complete his or her

qualification, a candidate must receive contributions of money from individuals

during a specified period in amounts of $100 or less cumulatively from each

individual. For a candidate for a statewide office or any candidate at a special

election, the contributions must equal at least 5 percent of the candidate's statutory

disbursement (expenditure) level. For other candidates, the contributions must