---
type: "Bill"
title: "Elections: names of candidates."
description: "Existing law requires the translation of ballots and ballot materials into languages other than English when specified circumstances exist."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ca"
legislature: "California Legislature"
session: "20192020"
identifier: "AB 57"
citation: "California AB 57 (20192020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Elections: names of candidates."]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Low"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 18
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2018-12-03"
last_action: "2019-07-12"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/77c280a4-0996-4d95-ad18-1d5f0a215d6e"
source_url: "http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB57"
source_hash: "38783a4d6c7673def9df4da0c18fd789dac5343eba14f83afa1545ad18694ed5"
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 57 (20192020) — Elections: names of candidates.

Existing law requires the translation of ballots and ballot materials into languages other than English when specified circumstances exist.

## Version chain

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

1. **12/03/18 - Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB57&version=20190AB5799INT)
2. **03/21/19 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB57&version=20190AB5798AMD)
3. **07/12/19 - Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB57&version=20190AB5796CHP)
4. **AB57** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB57)
5. **07/03/19 - Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB57&version=20190AB5797ENR)

## Votes

- Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar — **7–0** (pass) · lower
- Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar — **5–0** (pass) · upper
- Consent Calendar AB57 — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- AB 57 Low Consent Calendar Second Day — **72–0** (pass) · lower
- Do pass as amended. To Consent Calendar. — **13–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Low — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2018-12-03** Read first time. To print. `reading-1`
- **2018-12-04** From printer. May be heard in committee January 3.
- **2019-01-17** Referred to Com. on E. & R. `referral-committee`
- **2019-03-13** From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (March 13). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2019-03-20** From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (March 20). `amendment-passage, committee-passage, amendment-introduction`
- **2019-03-21** Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading. `amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2`
- **2019-03-25** Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar. `reading-1, reading-2`
- **2019-03-28** Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 72. Noes 0. Page 918.) `passage, reading-3, reading-1`
- **2019-03-28** In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. `reading-1`
- **2019-04-24** Referred to Com. on E. & C.A. `referral-committee`
- **2019-05-07** From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (May 7). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2019-06-24** From committee: Be ordered to second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to Consent Calendar. `committee-passage, reading-2`
- **2019-06-25** Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar. `reading-1, reading-2`
- **2019-07-01** Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 1876.). `passage, reading-3, reading-1`
- **2019-07-01** In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling. `committee-passage`
- **2019-07-08** Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.
- **2019-07-12** Approved by the Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2019-07-12** Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 82, Statutes of 2019.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/77c280a4-0996-4d95-ad18-1d5f0a215d6e`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).