California Assembly Members May Explain Their Votes

Pursuant to the Rules of the California State Assembly, Members may submit an explanation of their vote to the Chief Clerk of the Assembly for entry in the Assembly Daily Journal. This explanation is set forth in two different Assembly Rules.

This written explanation may not exceed fifty words in length and does not need to be submitted on the same day that the vote was taken. The following are the two Assembly Rules providing Members with this authority:

Assembly Rule 58.5

A member may submit a written explanation of the member’s vote, absence, or failure to vote on any bill or resolution, and that explanation shall be printed in the appendix to the Journal in the appropriate place, provided that no explanation may exceed 50 words in length.

Assembly Rule 104

Any Member who refuses so to vote may, if the Member so desires, and immediately after the announcement of the vote, submit a written explanation of the failure to vote and that explanation shall be printed in the Journal, provided that no explanation may exceed 50 words in length.

In addition, AR 104 provides the following:

A Member may submit a written explanation of the Member’s vote on any bill or house resolution, and that explanation shall be printed in the Journal immediately following the vote, provided that no explanation may exceed 50 words in length.