West Covina Municipal Code § 2-602 Reimbursement for recount costs

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Editor's note— Ord. No. 2295, § 1, adopted Apr. 19, 2016, amended Art. XI in its entirety to read as herein set out. Former Art. XI, §§ 2-700—2-702, pertained to similar subject matter. For prior history, see Code Comparative Table.

The purpose of this article is to encourage citizens of West Covina to run for city elected positions and to minimize the risk that vote counting errors will go uncorrected due to lack of funds for candidates or citizens to pay the costs of a recount in very close elections. Actions taken by the city council and payments made pursuant to this article shall not be considered a contribution to any candidate who may be involved in a vote recount authorized by the city council as provided herein.

(Ord. No. 2295, § 1, 4-19-16)

This article shall only apply to elective offices of the city.

(Ord. No. 2295, § 1, 4-19-16)

Whenever the margin of victory between two (2) candidates for an elective city office is one-quarter (¼) of one (1) percent or less of the ballots cast after completion of the official canvass, and one (1) of the candidates would be considered elected and the other would not be elected as a result, and a voter has timely requested a manual recount pursuant to California Elections Code section 15620, and requests in writing that the city reimburse the costs of the recount, the city shall reimburse the voter for the total cost of the full recount within fifteen (15) days of submission of documentation of the recount cost. To qualify for reimbursement, the manual recount shall be a complete manual recount of all ballots cast, conducted in the most cost efficient way possible. No reimbursement may be made where the recount changes the election result and the voter is required to be reimbursed by the county for the costs. No reimbursement shall be made for any amount which is refunded to the voter by the county because it exceeds the actual cost of the recount. No reimbursement may be made to any voter who has violated the city's campaign contribution ordinance (West Covina Municipal Code section 2-400 et seq.) in connection with the election in question.

(Ord. No. 2295, § 1, 4-19-16)