Source: https://scocal.stanford.edu/opinion/gooch-v-hendrix-31517
Timestamp: 2020-08-09 10:17:56
Document Index: 711084472

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 20024', '§ 1001', '§ 278', '§ 1006', '§ 20024', '§ 20021', '§ 1001', '§ 20024', '§ 20021', '§ 20021', '§ 29414', '§ 1', '§ 18', '§ 2', '§ 20021', '§ 7', '§ 251']

Gooch v. Hendrix - 5 Cal.4th 266 S028315 - Tue, 06/01/1993 | California Supreme Court Resources
Home > Opinions > Gooch v. Hendrix
Citation 5 Cal.4th 266
Gooch v. Hendrix (1993) 5 Cal.4th 266 , 19 Cal.Rptr.2d 712; 851 P.2d 1321
On November 5, 1991, consolidated elections were held in Fresno County for school board positions in one high school and four elementary school districts. Two positions were open on the Washington Union High School District Board, three positions were open on the Orange Center Elementary School District Board, two positions were open on the Pacific Union Elementary School District Board, three positions were open on the West Fresno Elementary School District Board, and two positions were open on the West Park Elementary School District Board. The four elementary schools are "feeder schools" for Washington Union High School; voters in each elementary school district received a ballot allowing them to vote for candidates for openings on their respective elementary school district boards, as well as for the Washington Union High School District Board. [5 Cal.4th 270]
[Tabular Material Omitted] [5 Cal.4th 271]
"Paragraph Three of the absentee ballot application form which called for the address to which the voter wants the ballot to be mailed by the Clerk, was with a few exceptions, never filled out by the voter. In some instances the paragraph was preaddressed and signed by the voter. In most instances, the application was left blank when the voter signed the application and [was] filled in by BAPAC later. [5 Cal.4th 272]
"During their meeting, Anderson and Logan sought some assurance from Revis that BAPAC was not a political organization and that the ballots would not come into the possession of any candidates. Revis assured them [5 Cal.4th 273] that candidates would not have access to ballots and that BAPAC was not sponsoring candidates.
On December 19, 1991, respondents, unsuccessful candidates in the consolidated elections, filed suit to contest the election results pursuant to section 20021. fn. 3 The complaint alleged: (1) appellants had given or offered bribes to electors; (2) appellants had committed offenses against the elective franchise; and (3) illegal votes were cast sufficient to change the results of the elections. [5 Cal.4th 274]
The trial court's written findings further noted the testimony of the manager of a local copy shop. BAPAC representatives had requested his [5 Cal.4th 275] shop to reproduce a large number of what were purportedly sample ballots; he in turn informed them he could not print the document, suggesting they instead "contact the State of California." fn. 5
The Fresno County Clerk Elections Department mailed a total of 1,292 absentee ballots to the BAPAC addresses. Of those, 269 were never returned to the elections department in any form, and BAPAC was unable to account with any degree of reliability for the disposition of those 269 nonreturned ballots. [5 Cal.4th 276]
The trial court determined there had been fraud and tampering with respect to the 93 ballots disqualified by clerk's challenge. It further found the remaining 930 absentee ballots from BAPAC were cast in violation of sections 1006 (address to which ballot is to be mailed must be "personally affixed" by voter and may not be a political campaign headquarters) and 1013 (requiring absentee voter to personally mail or return ballot to official from whom it came or precinct board at any polling place), were therefore illegal, and could not be counted. It recognized it could not determine with certainty how the illegal ballots were cast, and thus could not deduct the illegal votes from the defendants to see who received a majority of lawful votes for each office. (§§ 20024, 20087.) But the court, "after careful consideration of the competing factors," including "the wholesale violation of the mandatory requirements of the absentee voting laws in this case," concluded the evidence showed the great majority of illegal-but-counted BAPAC ballots were voted for the defendants, and had been sufficient to affect the election of many of them. It annulled the consolidated elections pursuant to section 20086 fn. 6 and ordered new elections held forthwith, concluding "[a]nything less, under these facts, would result in a loss of public respect for and diminution of the integrity of the absentee ballot process" and would "tend to encourage even greater abuse of the process in future elections." [5 Cal.4th 277]
Strict rules embodied in the Elections Code govern a court's review of a properly contested election. [1] " 'It is a primary principle of law as applied to election contests that it is the duty of the court to validate the election if possible. That is to say, the election must be held valid unless plainly illegal. [Citations.]' " (Wilks v. Mouton (1986) 42 Cal.3d 400, 404 [229 Cal.Rptr. 1, 722 P.2d 187], quoting Rideout v. City of Los Angeles (1921) 185 Cal. 426, 430 [197 P. 74].) There is an express legislative policy requiring liberal construction of absentee ballot provisions in favor of the absentee voter. (§ 1001; Wilks v. Mouton, supra, 42 Cal.3d at p. 404.) [5 Cal.4th 278]
Of competing importance, however, is the principle that, "preservation of the integrity of the election process is far more important in the long run than the resolution of any one particular election." (Fair v. Hernandez (1981) 116 Cal.App.3d 868, 881 [172 Cal.Rptr. 379].) To this end, we have observed that, "The policy in favor of upholding elections appears in the cases in conjunction with the rule that '[t]echnical errors or irregularities arising in carrying out directory provisions which do not affect the result will not [void] the election.' (Davis v. County of Los Angeles [(1938)] 12 Cal.2d [412,] 426 [84 P.2d 1034] (italics added); Rideout v. City of Los Angeles, supra, 185 Cal. at p. 430; People v. Prewett [(1899)] 124 Cal. [7,] 10 [56 P. 619].) Both the policy and the rule manifest the fact that '[c]ourts are reluctant to defeat the fair expression of popular will in elections. ...' (Simpson v. City of Los Angeles [(1953)] 40 Cal.2d [271,] 277 [253 P.2d 464]); neither has been invoked to uphold an election in the face of illegalities which affected the result-a situation in which the will of the people may be thwarted by upholding an election." (Canales v. City of Alviso (1970) 3 Cal.3d 118, 127 [89 Cal.Rptr. 601, 474 P.2d 417].) fn. 7
[2] " 'The scope of review in an election contest is not different from other cases. Where the evidence is in conflict, [the appellate court] will defer to the trial court where events at trial and demeanor of the witnesses play an important part in the decision.' " (Escalante v. City of Hermosa Beach (1987) [5 Cal.4th 279] 195 Cal.App.3d 1009, 1014 [241 Cal.Rptr. 199], quoting Fair v. Hernandez, supra, 116 Cal.App.3d at p. 874; see also Hardeman v. Thomas (1989) 208 Cal.App.3d 153, 166 [256 Cal.Rptr. 158].) "The contestant has the burden of proving the defect in the election by clear and convincing evidence. (Smith v. Thomas (1898) 121 Cal. 533, 536 [54 P. 71]; Hawkins v. Sanguinetti (1950) 98 Cal.App.2d 278, 283 [220 P.2d 58]; Wilburn v. Wixson [(1974)] 37 Cal.App.3d [730,] 737 [112 Cal.Rptr. 620].)" (Wilks v. Mouton, supra, 42 Cal.3d at p. 404.) "[W]e must consider the evidence in the light most favorable to the prevailing party, giving such party the benefit of every reasonable inference, and resolving all conflicts in support of the judgment. [Citation.]" (Wilks v. Mouton, supra, 42 Cal.3d at p. 408, fn. 7.) And "[w]e are ... bound by the trial court's determination of the facts except to the extent that they are not supported by substantial evidence. (Wilburn v. Wixson, supra, 37 Cal.App.3d 730, 737; 9 Witkin, Cal. Procedure (3d ed. 1985) Appeal, § 278, p. 289.)" (Wilks v. Mouton, supra, 42 Cal.3d at p. 404.)
[3] Illegal votes are votes which have not been cast in the manner provided by law. (Bush v. Head (1908) 154 Cal. 277, 281-282 [97 P. 512].) Illegal votes include votes by persons receiving their absentee ballots in a manner that violates election laws governing absentee balloting. (Hardeman v. Thomas, supra, 208 Cal.App.3d 153, at p. 168.)
[4] In the present case, the 930 absentee ballots at issue were collected from the absentee voters by BAPAC and returned to the county clerk by [5 Cal.4th 280] BAPAC, a clear violation of section 1013. The fact that BAPAC may have been given permission by the absentee voters to return the ballots on behalf of them does not satisfy section 1013; in such instance the voter has not delivered the ballot to the official from whom it came or to a precinct board either personally, directly to such official by mail, or by one of the family members designated in the statute as authorized to hand- deliver the ballot when the voter is unable to do so because of illness or other physical disability. fn. 9
Accordingly, the 930 ballots delivered in violation of section 1013 are clearly illegal and cannot be counted. (Rideout v. City of Los Angeles, supra, 185 Cal. at p. 430; Escalante v. City of Hermosa Beach, supra, 195 Cal.App.3d 1009 [absentee referendum ballot returned by third party to city clerk's office at absentee voter's request, could not be counted]; Fair v. Hernandez (1982) 138 Cal.App.3d 578 [188 Cal.Rptr. 45] [ballots must be returned personally by voter without use of another person or agent].)
An application for an absentee ballot must provide a space for the address to which the ballot is to be sent. (§ 1006, subd. (a)(2).) Section 1006, subdivision (b)(1) requires that this information "shall be personally affixed by the voter." Section 1006, subdivision (b)(2) prohibits an applicant from entering the address of a political campaign headquarters as the address to which the absentee ballot is to be sent. [5 Cal.4th 281]
The trial court nevertheless concluded, "in light of the wholesale violation" of the absentee voting laws in this case-including (i) the section 1013 and section 1006 violations, (ii) the improper involvement of BAPAC "solicitors" and candidates themselves in soliciting absentee votes (at least 4 of the 12 defendant-candidates were members of BAPAC; 11 of the 12 had been given BAPAC absentee ballots for delivery to the voters), (iii) BAPAC's inability to account for 269 mailed absentee ballots which were never returned to the elections department in any form, and (iv) the fraud, tampering, and overreaching established with respect to the 93 ballots disqualified by clerk's challenge-that the evidence showed the great majority of illegal-but-counted BAPAC ballots were voted for the defendant- candidates, and were sufficient to affect the election of many of them. The [5 Cal.4th 282] trial court therefore annulled the consolidated election results and ordered new elections.
[7] Fundamentally, the objective of statutory interpretation is to ascertain and effectuate legislative intent. (People v. Woodhead (1987) 43 Cal.3d 1002, 1007 [239 Cal.Rptr. 656, 741 P.2d 154]; People v. Overstreet (1986) 42 Cal.3d 891, 895 [231 Cal.Rptr. 213, 726 P.2d 1288].) In determining intent, we look first to the words of the statute themselves. (Woodhead, supra, 43 Cal.3d at p. 1007; Overstreet, supra, 42 Cal.3d at p. 895; People ex rel. Younger v. Superior Court (1976) 16 Cal.3d 30, 40 [127 Cal.Rptr. 122, 544 P.2d 1322].)
[6b] Section 20024 states an election shall not be set aside on account of illegal votes unless "it appears" a number of illegal votes were given to the [5 Cal.4th 283] election winner. In utilizing the phrase "it appears," we think the Legislature contemplated circumstances, such as those at hand, in which illegal votes cannot be attributed to any one candidate, but nevertheless "appear" sufficient in number or effect to have altered the outcome of the election. In contrast, the Court of Appeal's construction of section 20024 reads the phrase "it appears" right out of the statutory language.
Our interpretation of section 20024 is further supported by our decision in Canales v. City of Alviso, supra, 3 Cal.3d 118. In Canales, several electors of the City of Alviso brought an action to contest an election held to determine whether that city should be consolidated with the City of San Jose. The electors complained that the vote to consolidate passed only because (i) the election board committed various acts of misconduct under section 20021, (ii) Alvisans were thereby induced to vote in favor of consolidation, and (iii) several illegal votes were cast for consolidation.
The trial court upheld the election after finding that "of the 21 challenged voters, 10 were disqualified by nonresidence in Alviso and one by virtue of a felony conviction; that of these 11 illegal votes, one was cast for and one against consolidation." (Canales v. City of Alviso, supra, 3 Cal.3d at p. 125.) The court could not, however, determine how the remaining nine illegal votes were cast. It therefore concluded the remaining nine votes should be apportioned by "tak[ing] half from each side-leaving a final tally of 183 1/2 [5 Cal.4th 284] votes in favor and 174 1/2 votes opposed to consolidation." (Ibid.) Based on this conclusion, the trial court confirmed the election results.
In reversing the judgment, we acknowledged that section 20024 requires a showing that "illegal votes were sufficient in number to account for the result but also that illegal votes were cast in such a manner as in fact to determine the result." (Canales v. City of Alviso, supra, 3 Cal.3d at p. 126.) Nonetheless, after noting that the only evidence as to how the remaining nine illegal votes were cast were the signatures of the voters on the "petition by virtue of which the election was held," we concluded such evidence, albeit circumstantial, was admissible on the question (citing Robinson v. McAbee (1923) 64 Cal.App. 709, 718 [222 P. 871]), that "[the] contestants met their burden as to the crucial nine votes," and that "in the absence of any contrary evidence, the trial court erred in refusing to so find." (Canales, supra, 3 Cal.3d at p. 126.)
We rejected the respondents' claim that the election contestants' evidentiary showing, which was largely circumstantial (illegal voters had signed a petition to put the consolidation measure on the ballot), was insufficient to establish that the election had in fact been affected by the illegal votes. Opining that "a voter's signature on a petition urging that an issue be put on the ballot so that a certain result may be obtained is circumstantial evidence which is admissible to show that he in fact voted in favor of that result [Citation]," we concluded that the "[r]espondents had the same ... opportunity to ask voters how they voted, but did not cross-examine the witnesses who testified that they signed the petition or favored consolidation to attempt to rebut [contestants'] circumstantial showing that the witnesses voted in accord with their signatures on the petition. [¶] Although an elector who signed the petition may subsequently have changed his mind, respondents made no effort to show that this ever occurred in fact. As a result the record clearly contains substantial evidence tending to show that all nine illegal votes were cast in favor of consolidation, and absolutely no evidence to the contrary. Accordingly, this judgment [confirming the election] must be reversed for lack of any evidentiary support. [Citation.]" (Canales v. City of Alviso, supra, 3 Cal.3d at p. 128.) [5 Cal.4th 285]
We are of the opinion that here, the election contestants made a much stronger circumstantial evidentiary showing that illegal votes affected the outcome of these consolidated elections than was made in Canales, supra, 3 Cal.3d 118. The widespread illegal voting practices that permeated this election-including fraud and tampering, the clearly established violations of sections 1006 and 1013, BAPAC's "loss" of 269 absentee ballots mailed to it by the Fresno County Clerk, the fact that nearly all of the candidates themselves, knowingly or otherwise, took part in the malconduct of "soliciting" absentee votes in violation of specific Elections Code provisions, the large percentages (40 percent to 72 percent) of illegal BAPAC absentee ballots cast and counted in each election, and the fact that all BAPAC-supported candidates won handily in each and every one of the election contests-together furnished sufficient, essentially uncontroverted circumstantial evidence in support of the conclusion that "it appear[ed]" the illegal votes affected the outcomes of the consolidated elections. (§ 20024.) fn. 10
I disagree. In my view, the law permits an election to be set aside because of illegal votes only if the person challenging the election can show that a [5 Cal.4th 286] large enough number of illegal votes were cast for the winning candidate(s) so that, if the illegal votes for both the winning and the losing candidates were set aside and the remaining votes were tabulated, the outcome of the election would be different. Here, plaintiffs have not made such a showing, and the majority's conclusion that the election should be invalidated because of illegal votes is therefore erroneous. But, as I shall explain, plaintiffs may be entitled to prevail on the ground that the successful candidates engaged in "offense(s) against the elective franchise." (§ 20021, subd. (c).) I would direct the Court of Appeal to remand the matter to the trial court with directions to determine whether such a violation occurred.
The absentee ballots that were mailed to BAPAC were then brought to voters' homes by VEP workers, BAPAC members, and candidates in the [5 Cal.4th 287] school board elections. The voters were encouraged to vote in the presence of the persons who had delivered the ballots; in some cases, those persons gave information regarding candidates or issues. After voting, the voters placed their ballots in envelopes, signed and dated the envelopes, and gave them to the persons who had hand-delivered the ballots. These persons then took the ballots to BAPAC headquarters, from which they were mailed to the Fresno County Elections Department.
An "illegal" vote is simply a ballot cast in violation of the procedures established by the Elections Code. A ballot may be illegally cast even [5 Cal.4th 288] though the voter, or the persons assisting the voter, did not intend to subvert the elections process. Thus a well-meaning voter may cast an illegal vote through ignorance or inadvertence rather than a conscious attempt to circumvent elections laws or to give any candidate an unfair advantage. Assume, for example, that a major civic organization such as the League of Women Voters, in a well-intended but misguided attempt to increase voter turnout, agreed to mail in the absentee ballots of a number of voters. The ballots mailed in this fashion would be "illegal," even though neither the League of Women Voters nor the voters themselves intended to undermine the electoral process.
Because a successful election challenge based on illegal votes may thus lead to the election of a candidate receiving a minority of the votes cast (but a plurality of the legally cast ballots), the Legislature has stated that absentee ballot provisions "shall be liberally construed in favor of the absent voter" (§ 1001) and this court has said that "[e]ven mandatory provisions [of the election laws] must be liberally construed to avoid thwarting the fair expression of popular will." (Wilks v. Mouton (1986) 42 Cal.3d 400, 404 [229 Cal.Rptr. 1, 722 P.2d 187].) To prevail, a contestant must show a defect in the election by "clear and convincing evidence." (Ibid.; see also Smith v. Thomas (1898) 121 Cal. 533, 536 [54 P. 71].)
Here, plaintiffs' challenge to the election was twofold: illegally cast votes under section 20021(d), and the candidates' commission of offenses against the elective franchise under section 20021(c). Because the trial court ordered a new election on the ground that illegal votes were cast, it did not resolve plaintiffs' challenge under section 20021(c). The majority upholds the trial court's ruling. I do not agree, as I shall explain. [5 Cal.4th 289]
In other words, under section 20024 an election challenge on the basis of illegal votes may be sustained only if the challenger shows "not only that illegal votes were sufficient in number to account for the result but also that illegal votes were cast in such a manner as in fact to determine the result." (Canales v. City of Alviso (1970) 3 Cal.3d 118, 126 [89 Cal.Rptr. 601, 474 P.2d 417], italics added.) The trial court may not simply assume that all illegal votes were cast for the prevailing candidate; rather, the challenging party must present evidence showing how the illegal votes were cast.
Plaintiffs could have called as witnesses each of the persons who had submitted illegal ballots, or, more realistically, a representative sample of those persons, and asked them how they voted. fn. 4 Alternative, plaintiffs could have used other circumstantial evidence to show for whom the individuals cast their illegal votes. (See Canales v. City of Alviso, supra, 3 Cal.3d [5 Cal.4th 290] at pp. 127-128.) Because plaintiffs did not do so, they failed to discharge their burden, imposed by section 20024, of showing that the number of illegal votes actually cast for the prevailing candidate was so great that the outcome of the election was altered.
The trial court recognized the problem in its findings of fact and conclusions of law: "This court cannot determine with certainty how the illegal ballots were cast. Thus, it cannot deduct the illegal votes directly from a defendant to see if he or she received a majority of the lawful votes for the office. (§§ 20024, 20087.)" The court nevertheless concluded that, because of the "wholesale violation of the mandatory requirements of the absentee voting laws in this case," there should be a remedy to prevent "a loss of [5 Cal.4th 291] public respect for and diminution of the integrity of the absentee ballot process" and to deter "greater abuse of the process in future elections." Because the trial court was convinced that the illegal votes cast were sufficient to affect the election of "many" of the defendants, it invalidated the election of all of the candidates in each of the five school districts.
I cannot agree with the majority's analysis. Section 20024's use of the word "appear" certainly indicates a legislative conclusion that the trial court need not determine with absolute certainty for whom the illegal votes were cast before it may invalidate the election; nevertheless, the trial court must still decide, based on evidence presented, how the votes were cast. Such evidence was not offered here. The majority accuses the Court of Appeal of reading the words "it appears" out of section 20024; the majority, however, uses those very words to obliterate the remainder of the statute, which requires the trial court to determine how many illegal votes were cast for each candidate, and to subtract those votes from their totals. [5 Cal.4th 292]
The majority also attempts to find support for its holding by relying on Canales v. City of Alviso, supra, 3 Cal.3d 118. This reliance is misplaced. In Canales, an election was held to determine whether the City of Alviso should be annexed by the City of San Jose. There were 189 votes cast in favor of consolidation and 180 against. The contestants challenged 21 votes as illegal; with respect to 9 of those votes, the contestants attempted to show how they were cast by producing evidence that the 9 voters had signed a petition to place the measure proposing consolidation on the ballot. Based on that evidence, this court concluded, the trial court should have found that those 9 voters had cast their votes in favor of consolidation.
Finally, the majority points to "widespread illegal voting practices ... permeat[ing] this election-including fraud and tampering" and "nearly all of the candidates themselves, knowingly or otherwise, [taking] part in the malconduct ...." (Maj. opn., ante, p. 285.) These "illegal voting practices" may well independently require the invalidation of the election in this case. They do not, however, permit us to set aside the election because of illegally cast ballots. To do so requires, under section 20024, evidence showing for whom the illegal ballots were cast, and evidence that a sufficient number of them were cast for the prevailing candidate so that the outcome of the election would be affected. Such evidence was not presented here. fn. 6 [5 Cal.4th 293]
An election challenge based on illegally cast votes may be sustained only if it meets the standard set forth in section 20024. As I have explained, the evidence offered in this case is insufficient, under section 20024, to support the trial court's order setting aside the election. But a challenge to an election based on section 20021(c) is subject to no such limitation; indeed, the Elections Code contains no limitation whatsoever on a trial court's power to invalidate an election under section 20021(c). (Stebbins v. White (1987) 190 Cal.App.3d 769, 790 [235 Cal.Rptr. 656].)
I express no view on whether the election in this case should be set aside under section 20021(c). Such a conclusion would be premature in the absence of factual findings by the trial court on the issue. Each candidate's involvement in offenses against the elective franchise must be separately examined, because under section 20021(c) a challenge may be sustained only if "the defendant" (i.e., the successful candidate) engaged in such [5 Cal.4th 294] violations. fn. 7 It is thus possible that some of the elections should be set aside and others should not, depending on whether the particular candidate was a party to violations of the election laws. Accordingly, I would direct the Court of Appeal to remand the matter to the trial court with directions to determine which of the defendants, if any, committed offenses against the elective franchise that would warrant invalidating their election under section 20021(c).
­FN *. Retired Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Fifth District, sitting under assignment by the Chairperson of the Judicial Council.
­FN 2. Mel Sanders, himself a candidate for an open board position in the Washington Union High School District, received the highest number of votes in that election. Mary Bess, a BAPAC member, received the second highest number of votes in that contest. Hank Hendrix, an officer in the statewide BAPAC organization, and Oscar Robinson, also a BAPAC member, received the first and second highest number of votes in the contest for the West Fresno Elementary School District Board. All four are named in the election contest as defendants.
­FN 3. Section 20021 states:
­FN 4. Although the Court of Appeal focused on the illegal votes cast and the extent to which they impacted on the election results (§§ 20021, subd. (d), 20024), we note that various Elections Code violations were arguably established on this record.
Each of the aforesaid provisions of law was in full force and effect at the time of the consolidated elections herein concerned. Each constitutes an "offense against the elective franchise defined in Division 17" of the Elections Code, violations of which themselves can furnish independent statutory grounds for contesting and annulling the election, separate and apart from the effects of any illegal votes actually counted. (§ 20021, subd. (c); see Stebbins v. White (1987) 190 Cal.App.3d 769, 788-79 [235 Cal.Rptr. 656].)
­FN 5. The printing or duplication of simulated or sample ballots is strictly proscribed by statute, violations of which may be punishable as a misdemeanor. (§ 29414.)
­FN 6. Section 20086 states:
­FN 7. In Rideout v. City of Los Angeles, supra, 185 Cal. 426, this court stated, "[A] distinction has been developed between mandatory and directory provisions in election laws; a violation of a mandatory provision vitiates the election, whereas a departure from a directory provision does not render the election void if there is a substantial observance of the law and no showing that the result of the election has been changed or the rights of the voters injuriously affected by the deviation. [Citations.]" (185 Cal. at p. 430, italics added.)
­FN 8. The Legislature amended section 1013 in response to Wilks v. Mouton, supra, 42 Cal.3d 400, which had held that the provisions of section 1013 were directory, not mandatory. The Legislature specifically announced that its purpose in amending section 1013 was "to clarify potential ambiguity in Wilks v. Mouton, and to declare that its intent 'is and always has been' that section 1013 be given mandatory effect." (Escalante v. City of Hermosa Beach, supra, 195 Cal.App.3d at p. 1020; Stats. 1987, ch. 22, § 1, pp. 59-60.)
­FN 9. Our interpretation of section 1013 is not governed by the holdings pertaining to that statute in Wilks v. Mouton, supra, 42 Cal.3d at pages 410-412, and Beatie v. Davila (1982) 132 Cal.App.3d 424, 429 [183 Cal.Rptr. 179]-viz., that third parties may mail or deliver completed absentee ballots to election on behalf of the absentee voter-because those cases construed section 1013 prior to its amendment in 1987. (See ante, at pp. 279-280, fn. 8.) Although the language of former section 1013 was susceptible of an interpretation that third parties could return completed absentee ballots to election officials on behalf of an absentee voter, the amended statutory language precludes any such construction now. (Cf. Stats. 1976, ch. 1275, § 18, with Stats. 1987, ch. 22, § 2.) If the current version of section 1013 were to be construed to permit any absentee voter to hand his or her completed ballot to any third party for mailing or delivery to election officials, then the language expressly authorizing ill or physically disabled absentee voters to enlist the assistance of certain specified close family members in returning their completed absentee ballots to the election officials would be rendered superfluous. Section 1013 in effect specifies the method that will best protect against any tampering with, or nondelivery of, the absentee ballot: the voter may either personally deliver or mail the ballot, or, in the case of "illness or other physical disability," direct a close family member to return the completed ballot.
­FN 10. In light of our conclusion that there is substantial, uncontroverted evidence that illegal absentee ballot voting appears to have affected the results of these consolidated elections within the meaning of sections 20021, subdivision (d) and 20024, we need not and do not determine whether the trial court's findings of fact and conclusions of law, and its judgment annulling and setting aside the consolidated elections, agreed with contestants' further claim, pleaded in the complaint, that evidence of "other offense[s] against the elective franchise" (§ 20021, subd. (c)) furnished a separate and independent basis for annulling the election results. (See ante, at pp. 274-275, and fn. 4.)
­FN 1. Unless otherwise stated, all subsequent statutory references are to this code.
­FN 2. This appeal should arguably have been dismissed because of the inadequacy of the appellate record. (See Kearl v. Board of Medical Quality Assurance (1986) 189 Cal.App.3d 1040, 1051 [236 Cal.Rptr. 526]; but see Cal. Rules of Court, rule 52.) As the Court of Appeal noted: "The reporter's transcript contains selected excerpts from the testimony of three out of approximately twenty- five witnesses. We have only a few of what appears to be approximately 60 exhibits." Nevertheless, neither the Court of Appeal nor the majority found the record to be inadequate. Accordingly, I shall attempt to analyze the issues on the limited record available.
­FN 3. As relevant, section 20021 provides: "Any elector of a county, city, or of any political subdivision of either may contest any election held therein, for any of the following causes:
­FN 4. The general rule that ballots must be kept secret (Cal. Const., art. II, § 7) does not apply to illegally cast votes. "[T]he rule is that one who votes illegally forfeits the privilege of secrecy." (Singletary v. Kelley (1966) 242 Cal.App.2d 611, 613 [51 Cal.Rptr. 682]; see also Patterson v. Hanley (1902) 136 Cal. 265, 276 [68 P. 82] [68 P. 975]; 28 Cal.Jur.3d (rev.), Elections, § 251, Testimony as to How Voter Voted, p. 759.) Thus, in this case the challengers could have called as witnesses the persons who had cast each of the 930 illegal ballots, and asked them how they cast their votes. (Canales v. City of Alviso, supra, 3 Cal.3d at p. 128.)
­FN 5. Although there was ample evidence that showed which candidates BAPAC wanted voters to elect, this, in my view, does not constitute evidence of the preferences of the voters themselves. If BAPAC had been running a "slate" of candidates in the election or if VEP workers had consistently told absentee voters whom to vote for, one could perhaps draw the inference that voters agreeing to have their ballots delivered to them by the VEP desired the election of BAPAC's candidates. As I have explained, however, BAPAC made no official endorsements of any candidates in the election, and the record only shows a few isolated instances in which VEP workers told absentee voters for whom to vote.
­FN 6. If, as the majority asserts, there is sufficient evidence to set aside the elections under section 20024, the majority should, at the same time, declare new winners rather than hold new elections. Section 20087 provides: "If in any election contest it appears that another person than the defendant has the highest number of legal votes, the court shall declare that person elected." If the majority is correct in concluding that it "appears" that the number of illegal votes cast for the prevailing candidates would reduce their vote totals below those of other candidates for the same office," then it should equally "appear" that those other candidates should be declared the winners under section 20087, at least in the districts in which the number of unsuccessful challengers equalled the number of seats available. In the West Park district, for example, there were two positions open, for which there were four candidates. If, as the majority apparently concludes, the prevailing candidates have fewer legally cast votes than the other two, the latter candidates should be declared elected.
­FN 7. In my view (I am unaware of any case that has addressed the issue) an election may also be set aside under section 20021(c) if a person whose actions are directed or ratified by a prevailing candidate engages in such violations.
Petition for review after the Court of Appeal reversed a judgment annulling election results. This case presents various issues concerning challenges to elections in which approximately half the ballots were cast illegally.
Tue, 06/01/1993 5 Cal.4th 266 S028315 Review - Civil Appeal closed; remittitur issued
1 Gooch, Charles (Respondent)
Represented by Rayma Church
2 Coito, Jim (Respondent)
3 Cederquist, Delbert (Respondent)
4 Santellano, Lilo (Respondent)
5 Randolph, Ed (Respondent)
6 Hendrix, Hank (Appellant)
Represented by Anthony P. Capozzi
1233 West Shaw Avenue
7 Taylor, Tony (Appellant)
8 Robinson, Oscar (Appellant)
9 Bess, Mary (Appellant)
10 Sanders, Mel (Appellant)
11 Cato, Lawrence (Appellant)
12 Garcia, Rosemary (Appellant)
13 Andrews, Linda (Appellant)
14 Hearnes, Sam (Appellant)
15 Sanders, Tim (Appellant)
16 Franklin, Steve (Appellant)
17 Schoals, Carrie (Appellant)
Jun 1 1993 Opinion: Reversed
Aug 17 1992 Petition for review filed
Resps Gooch, Et Al / Record Req (Diana) (filed in Fresno)
Sep 24 1992 Petition for review granted (civil case)
Votes: Lucas C.J., Mosk, Panelli, Kennard, Arabian & Baxter JJ.
Oct 22 1992 Opening brief on the merits filed
Applts Opening brief on the merits
Nov 23 1992 Answer brief on the merits filed
Dec 13 1992 Case Fully Briefed
Change of Address [Via Fax] Counsel for Appellants Hendrix, Etal
Jun 1 1993 Telephone conversation with:
Secy to Rayma Church, Atty for Respondents Advising Her to Send Formal change of Address [I have Already Changed the Atty Record]
Jun 1 1993 Opinion filed: Judgment reversed
Majority Opinion by Lucas, C.J. -- joined by Mosk, Panelli, Arabian, Baxter & George JJ. Dissenting Opinion by Kennard, J.
Jun 11 1993 Filed:
Secty of State Eu's request for Modification
Resps Hendrix Et Al
to 8-30-93
Jun 24 1993 Answer to rehearing petition filed
Respondents Gooch Et Al [filed in Fresno]
Jul 15 1993 Rehearing denied
Opinion Modified; no change in Judgment. Kennard,J Voted to grant
Jul 15 1993 Remittitur Issued
Jul 15 1993 Opinion modified - no change in judgment
Jul 22 1993 Received:
Anthony P. Capozzi (1233 West Shaw Avenue)
Rayma Church (Law Offices Of Edward B. Chatoian)
SCOCAL, Gooch v. Hendrix , 5 Cal.4th 266 available at: (https://scocal.stanford.edu/opinion/gooch-v-hendrix-31517) (last visited Sunday August 9, 2020).