(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if, in a district subject to this article, by 5 p.m. on the 83rd day prior to the day fixed for the general election, no one or only one person has filed a declaration of candidacy for a particular ward, the county elections official shall submit a certificate of these facts to the district board and inform the board that it may, at a regular or special meeting held on or before the 76th day prior to the election, adopt one of the following courses of action:
(1) If only one person has filed a declaration of candidacy for a ward, appoint that person to the office.
(2) If no one has filed a declaration of candidacy for a ward, appoint a person to the office who would be qualified on the date the election would have been held.
(3) If either no one or only one person has filed a declaration of candidacy for a ward, hold the election.
(b) If the board makes an appointment pursuant to subdivision (a), the elections official shall not accept for filing any statement of write-in candidacy that is submitted after the appointment is made. The person appointed, if any, shall qualify and take office and serve exactly as if elected at an election for the office.
(c) If by the 76th day prior to the day fixed for the election, the district board has not appointed the sole candidate to the office pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) or has not adopted a process to appoint, or appointed, a qualified person to the office pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), the election shall be held.
(d) A district board may adopt a process to appoint a qualified person to the office pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a). Upon adoption of this process, the district board shall appoint a qualified person to office no later than the day fixed for the election.
(e) This section shall apply to all elections held in any district subject to this article that takes place on or after January 1, 2014.
(Added by Stats. 2013, Ch. 108, Sec. 1. (AB 408) Effective January 1, 2014.)