General Guidance in Reading the Elections Code

California’s statutes are contained in 29 separate codes. The seventh alphabetically is the Elections Code. All 29 Codes have general provisions applicable to reading and interpreting that Code’s sections. The following are selected general provisions of the Elections Code:

Section 1 – This Act is known as the Elections Code.

Section 2 – The provisions of this Code, insofar as they are substantially the same as existing statutory provisions relating to the same subject matter, are to be construed as restatements and continuations, and not as new enactments.

Section 3 – If any provision of this Code or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the Code and the application of that provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

Section 4 – Unless the provision or the context otherwise requires, these general provisions, rules of construction, and definitions govern the construction of this Code.

Section 5 – Division, part, chapter, article, and section headings do not in any manner affect the scope, meaning, or intent of this Code.

Section 6 – Whenever a power is granted to, or a duty is imposed upon, a public officer, the power may be exercised or the duty may be performed by a deputy of the officer or by a person authorized, pursuant to law, by the officer, unless this Code expressly provides otherwise.

Section 7 – Writing includes any form of recorded message capable of comprehension by ordinary visual means. Whenever any notice, report, statement or record is required or authorized by this Code, the writing must be made in writing in the English language unless it is expressly provided otherwise.

Section 8 – As used in this Code, the present tense includes the past and future tenses, and the future tense includes the present tense; the masculine gender includes the feminine; and the singular includes the plural, and the plural includes the singular.