SB 568

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
September 27, 2017 
Contact: 
Jesse Melgar or Sam Mahood 

Governor Brown Signs Prime Time Primary Act to Move Up California’s Primary

SACRAMENTO – Governor Brown has approved a plan to move California’s primary election from one of the last, to one of the first in the nation. Senate Bill 568, The Prime Time Primary Act received bipartisan support in the State Legislature.

The Prime Time Primary Act moves the statewide primary to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March for presidential and non-presidential election years. The California primary has traditionally been held in June, at the tail end of the presidential primary schedule. The late timing dilutes California’s impact and influence in the Presidential Primary nomination process. Last year only the District of Columbia held a primary election after California.

California voters have a unique stake in shaping the national discourse and the selection of presidential nominees. 19.4 million Californians are registered to vote, far exceeding every other state in the nation.

“The Golden State will no longer be relegated to last place in the presidential nominating process,” Secretary of State Padilla said. “California’s primary will officially be in prime time. Candidates will not be able to ignore the largest, most diverse state in the nation as they seek our country’s highest office. California has been a leader time and time again on the most important issues facing our country—including immigration, education, and the environment. The Prime Time Primary Act will help ensure that issues important to Californians are prioritized by presidential candidates from all political parties.

“The Prime Time Primary puts California voters in the front seat in choosing our next president and will change our elections for the better,” Senator Ricardo Lara said. “We have a responsibility to drive a different agenda at the national level and promote inclusion and consensus not the politics of division.”

“Governor Brown’s signature on SB 568 gives all Californians a more powerful voice in presidential primary elections,” said the bill’s Principal Co-Author, Assembly Speaker pro Tem Kevin Mullin. “Given California is the sixth largest economy in the world, that one out of every eight U.S. voters lives in California, and  that we have one of largest and most diverse populations in America, it is only right that our primary election date makes “California Count” when choosing our presidential candidates."​

In 2008, California moved up its Presidential Primary to February resulting in the highest voter turnout for a primary election since 1980. The goal of Senate Bill 568 is to put California’s presidential primary election in the top tier of states after Iowa and New Hampshire. 

Senate Bill 568 also consolidates the state and presidential primary votes and moves up the primary election to March in non-presidential years to boost voter engagement, reduce costs for local elections and limit voter confusion.

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State Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens)
September 27, 2017

Governor Brown Signs ‘Prime Time Primary’ Law Moving California’s 2020 Presidential Vote from Last to First Tier

SACRAMENTO – Governor Brown has approved a plan to move California’s primary election from one of the last, to one of the first in the nation. Senate Bill 568, The Prime Time Primary Act received bipartisan support in the State Legislature.

The Prime Time Primary Act moves the statewide primary to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March for presidential and non-presidential election years. The California primary has traditionally been held in June, at the tail end of the presidential primary schedule. The late timing dilutes California’s impact and influence in the Presidential Primary nomination process. Last year only the District of Columbia held a primary election after California.

California voters have a unique stake in shaping the national discourse and the selection of presidential nominees. 19.4 million Californians are registered to vote, far exceeding every other state in the nation.

“The Prime Time Primary puts California voters in the front seat in choosing our next president and will change our elections for the better,” Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) said. “We have a responsibility to drive a different agenda at the national level and promote inclusion and consensus not the politics of division.”

“The Golden State will no longer be relegated to last place in the presidential nominating process,” Secretary of State Padilla said. “California’s primary will officially be in prime time. Candidates will not be able to ignore the largest, most diverse state in the nation as they seek our country’s highest office. California has been a leader time and time again on the most important issues facing our country—including immigration, education, and the environment. The Prime Time Primary Act will help ensure that issues important to Californians are prioritized by presidential candidates from all political parties.

“Governor Brown’s signature on SB 568 gives all Californians a more powerful voice in presidential primary elections,” said the bill’s Principal Co-Author, Assembly Speaker pro Tem Kevin Mullin. “Given California is the sixth largest economy in the world, that one out of every eight U.S. voters lives in California, and  that we have one of largest and most diverse populations in America, it is only right that our primary election date makes “California Count” when choosing our presidential candidates."​

In 2008, California moved up its Presidential Primary to February resulting in the highest voter turnout for a primary election since 1980. The goal of Senate Bill 568 is to put California’s presidential primary election in the top tier of states after Iowa and New Hampshire.

Senate Bill 568 also consolidates the state and presidential primary votes and moves up the primary election to March in non-presidential years to boost voter engagement, reduce costs for local elections and limit voter confusion.

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Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens)
August 31, 2017

Senator Lara, Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Mullin and Secretary of State Padilla Make Unified Call for Prime Time Primary Bill

Senate Bill 568 will move presidential primary to first Tuesday in March to make California voters count

SACRAMENTO, California – Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens), Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Kevin Mullin (D-San Mateo) and Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced they are joining forces behind the Prime Time Primary (Senate Bill 568), which will advance California’s presidential primary from one of the last in the nation to one of the first.

In amendments being introduced today, Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Mullin, the author of related measure Assembly Bill 84, will be a principal coauthor of the Prime Time Primary bill, and will join Senator Lara in the effort to pass SB 568 to Governor Brown’s desk. Senate Bill 568 is sponsored by Secretary of State Alex Padilla.

The Prime Time Primary would move the statewide primary to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March during a presidential election year. The California primary has traditionally been held in June, at the tail end of the primary schedule. Last year only the District of Columbia held a later election.

SB 568 passed the Senate floor with bipartisan support and will be eligible for a vote by the full Assembly as soon as this week.

“California is leading the nation on creating jobs, fighting pollution and protecting the rights of all who live here, and our voters need to be front and center in the presidential election,” said Senator Ricardo Lara. “The Prime Time Primary is a bipartisan idea that will engage voters and force candidates in both parties to do more than pay lip service and extract campaign cash from Californians.”

“Both Senator Lara and I agree that it’s time to make California count when it comes to presidential primaries,” said Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Kevin Mullin. “By combining our efforts on SB 568, we have a great opportunity to make sure that our voters have a more prominent voice at a time when candidates are first being tested for national strength and viability.”

“Moving our state’s primary to primetime is good for all Californians,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. “SB 568, our plan to move up California’s primary, has received bipartisan support in the legislature. I am proud that Senator Lara and Assemblymember Mullin are united behind SB 568 to strengthen California’s impact and influence in the presidential nominating process. The most populous and most diverse state in the nation should not be an afterthought.”

In 2008, California moved up its Presidential Primary to February resulting in the highest voter turnout since 1980. The goal of Senate Bill 568 is to put California’s presidential primary election in the top tier of states after Iowa and New Hampshire. Last year 10 states including Texas and Virginia held their primary on March 1, known as Super Tuesday.

Senate Bill 568 also consolidates the state and presidential primary votes and moves up the primary election to March in non-presidential years to boost voter engagement, reduce costs for local elections and limit voter confusion.

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California Secretary of State Alex Padilla

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
May 4, 2017 
Contact: 
Jesse Melgar or Sam Mahood 

California Senate Approves Prime Time Primary Bill to Move Presidential Vote from Near Last to Top Tier of States

Senate Bill 568 will give Californians a “louder voice”

SACRAMENTO, CA – Today the California State Senate overwhelmingly approved the Prime Time Primary Act, authored by Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) and sponsored by Secretary of State Alex Padilla, to shift the state's presidential primary from near last to one of the first in the nation. The bill received bipartisan support, passing on a 32-6 vote.

Secretary Padilla and Senator Lara (D-Bell Gardens) introduced the Prime Time Primary, Senate Bill 568, to give the nation’s largest state a louder voice in the presidential selection.

“The largest and most diverse state in the union should not be an afterthought," said Secretary Padilla. "Moving our primary earlier will give Californians a greater say in nominating a President and will also increase voter engagement and turnout in down ballot races."

“California is first in the nation on clean energy, on farming, on job growth, and in the diversity of our people,” said Senator Lara. “The Prime Time Primary bill would make us one of the first states to hold a presidential primary and ensure our state’s voters are heard in the national debate.”

In 2008, California moved up its Presidential Primary to February resulting in the highest voter turnout since 1980. The goal of Senate Bill 568 is to put California’s presidential primary election in the top tier of states after Iowa and New Hampshire.

Specifically, SB 568 calls for the California presidential primary to be held on the third Tuesday in March and authorizes the Governor to move it even earlier if other states move up their primary elections.

Senate Bill 568 also consolidates the state and presidential primary votes to boost voter engagement in statewide and legislative races that fall during a presidential election year. 
Senate Bill 568 will go to the Assembly, where Assembly Speaker pro Tempore Kevin Mullin has introduced a similar bill.

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