(a) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the charter of the County of San Diego may be amended as provided in Section 23720 to require that candidates for county office be elected at the general election and to make conforming changes to election procedures to implement the charter amendment, including allowing the County of San Diego to establish rules governing qualification and filing dates for write-in candidates. Only the candidates who receive the highest or second highest number of votes cast at the primary election shall appear on the ballot as candidates for county office at the ensuing general election. In the event there are two or less candidates for county office, the names of the candidates shall not appear on the primary election ballot and the candidate for county office with the highest number of votes cast shall be elected at the general election.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 23722, when an elections official has determined that a petition for an initiative charter amendment authorized by this section has been signed by 10 percent of the qualified electors of the county, computed upon the total number of votes cast in the county for all candidates for Governor at the last general election at which a Governor was elected, the elections official shall submit the measure to the voters of the county at the next general election occurring not less than 88 days from the date of the elections official’s determination. The elections official may set forth a public examination period that is less than 10 calendar days if the elections official determines that an abbreviated examination period is necessary, or that time does not permit a public examination period, to ensure the timely printing of ballots or is otherwise necessary for the efficient administration of elections.
(c) For purposes of this section, “county office” means any of the following offices:
(1) County supervisor.
(2) District attorney.
(3) Sheriff.
(4) Assessor, recorder, and county clerk.
(5) Treasurer and tax collector.
(6) Member of the county board of education.
(d) The amendments made by the act adding this section shall be effective on and after January 1, 2018.
(Repealed and added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 451, Sec. 4. (SB 869) Effective September 17, 2018.)