Chapter 4. Bond Elections of California Water Code >> Division 11. >> Part 4. >> Chapter 4.

After an order determining the amount of bonds which should be issued, the board shall call a bond election to submit to the voters a proposal of whether or not bonds in the amount determined in the order should be authorized when either:
  (a) The board so determines.
  (b) The board receives a petition requesting the election signed by either:
  (1) A majority in number of the holders of title to land who are also the holders of title to a majority in value of all of the land.
  (2) Five hundred or more persons, each of whom is either an elector or a holder of title to land and which petitioners include the holders of title to not less than 20 per cent in value of all of the land.

Notice of a bond election shall be given by publication of the notice, in some newspaper published in the office county, once a week for at least three successive weeks.

Notice of a bond election shall specify:
  (a) The day, hours, and polling places in each precinct for holding the election.
  (b) The amount of bonds proposed to be issued.

At a bond election several proposals as to the issuance of bonds may be submitted separately on the same ballot if:
  (a) Estimates of the cost of the respective projects have been made.
  (b) The commission has reported thereon.
  (c) The respective proposals have been stated in the notices of the election.

The ballots shall contain a general statement of the proposals to be voted on, including the amount of bonds proposed to be issued for each purpose, but no informality in the statement shall vitiate the election. Each proposal shall be followed by the words "Yes" and "No" on separate lines with a small inclosed space after each of the two words.

On bond election ballots there shall be printed under the heading "Instructions to voters": "To vote for a proposal, stamp a cross (+) in the voting space after the word " yes' following the proposal. To vote against a proposal, stamp a cross (+) in the voting space after the word " No' following the proposal."

The voters shall vote for or against any proposal at a bond election by stamping a cross (+) in the voting space after the word "Yes" or "No" respectively.

Bond elections shall be held and the result determined and declared as nearly as practicable in conformity with general district elections.

The issuance of bonds is authorized when, at a bond election, any of the following occurs:
  (a) Two-thirds of the votes cast on the proposal are "yes."
  (b) A majority of the votes cast on the proposal are "yes" when the election was called pursuant to a petition sufficient to require it to be called.
  (c) A majority of the votes cast on the proposal are "Yes" when the bonds to be issued are payable both as to principal and interest solely from revenue and not directly or indirectly from assessments and the board finds that in its judgment the proposed revenues will each year, after deducting a reasonable allowance for the cost of operation and maintenance, if any, which must be paid from the revenues, be at least one and one-tenth times the debt service requirements for that year for principal, interest, sinking funds and reserve funds of all the bonds, including the bonds to be issued, payable from the revenues.

If the number of votes for any bond proposal is less than the number required to authorize the issuance of the bonds, the result of the vote shall be entered of record. The proposal may be again submitted at a bond election upon the presentation to the board of a petition for the subsequent election signed as required for the calling of the previous election.

No informalities in the conduct of the election shall invalidate the election if fairly conducted.