---
type: "Bill"
title: "Write-in candidates."
description: "Existing law regulates the processing of write-in votes, including requiring that a ballot for a qualified write-in candidate be counted if, on specified voting systems, the candidate's name is written on the ballot in the blank space provided and the voting space next to the write-in space, if provided, is marked according to voting instructions. It further requires that, for other voting systems, a ballot for a write-in candidate, if otherwise qualified, be counted if the name is written in the manner described in the voting instructions."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ca"
legislature: "California Legislature"
session: "20112012"
identifier: "AB 461"
citation: "California AB 461 (20112012)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Write-in candidates."]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bonilla"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 21
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2011-02-15"
last_action: "2011-08-08"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/318f9560-13e8-4613-b4aa-26de6270dec2"
source_url: "http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201120120AB461"
source_hash: "42fa13a0ff408bae2da2299f00a0c7568e579deb707184a51ae31c3a933d3555"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ca"]
---

# California AB 461 (20112012) — Write-in candidates.

Existing law regulates the processing of write-in votes, including requiring that a ballot for a qualified write-in candidate be counted if, on specified voting systems, the candidate's name is written on the ballot in the blank space provided and the voting space next to the write-in space, if provided, is marked according to voting instructions. It further requires that, for other voting systems, a ballot for a write-in candidate, if otherwise qualified, be counted if the name is written in the manner described in the voting instructions.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **02/15/11 - Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120AB461&version=20110AB46199INT)
2. **03/24/11 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120AB461&version=20110AB46198AMD)
3. **04/05/11 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120AB461&version=20110AB46197AMD)
4. **08/08/11 - Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120AB461&version=20110AB46195CHP)
5. **AB461** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201120120AB461)
6. **07/18/11 - Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120AB461&version=20110AB46196ENR)

## Votes

- Do pass. — **3–2** (pass) · upper
- Do pass. — **5–2** (pass) · lower
- AB 461 BONILLA Assembly Third Reading — **51–21** (pass) · lower
- 3rd Reading AB461 Bonilla By Correa — **24–14** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Bonilla — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2011-02-15** Read first time. To print. `reading-1`
- **2011-02-16** From printer. May be heard in committee March 18.
- **2011-03-03** Referred to Com. on E. & R. `referral-committee`
- **2011-03-24** From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on E. & R. Read second time and amended. `reading-2, amendment-introduction, reading-1, amendment-passage`
- **2011-03-25** Re-referred to Com. on E. & R. `referral-committee`
- **2011-03-29** In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
- **2011-04-05** From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on E. & R. Read second time and amended. `reading-2, amendment-introduction, reading-1, amendment-passage`
- **2011-04-06** Re-referred to Com. on E. & R. `referral-committee`
- **2011-04-13** From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (April 12). `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2011-04-14** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2011-05-05** Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 51. Noes 21. Page 1232.) `reading-3, reading-1, passage`
- **2011-05-05** In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. `reading-1`
- **2011-05-19** Referred to Com. on E. & C.A. `referral-committee`
- **2011-06-06** In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
- **2011-06-08** From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 3. Noes 2.) (June 8). `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2011-06-09** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2011-07-14** Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 24. Noes 14. Page 1847.). `reading-3, reading-1, passage`
- **2011-07-14** In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling. `committee-passage`
- **2011-07-25** Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 1:30 p.m.
- **2011-08-08** Approved by the Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2011-08-08** Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 189, Statutes of 2011.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/318f9560-13e8-4613-b4aa-26de6270dec2`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).