2007 California Elections Code Article 2. Precinct Formation

CA Codes (elec:12220-12225)

12220.  The elections official shall divide the jurisdiction into
precincts and prepare detail maps or exterior descriptions thereof,
or both, and as many copies as the elections official may determine.
The county surveyor, if requested by an elections official, shall
provide assistance to the elections official in the preparation of
these maps or exterior descriptions.



12221.  In any order establishing precincts, their boundaries shall
be defined by reference to exterior descriptions or delineation
thereof on a map or maps.


12222.  (a) No precinct shall be established so that its boundary
crosses the boundary of any supervisorial district, congressional
district, senatorial district, Assembly district, board of
equalization district, judicial district, incorporated city, ward, or
city council district.  To the extent possible, without subjecting
the voter to significant inconvenience, precinct boundaries should
not cross census tract or enumeration district lines.
   (b) If, at any election, any precinct contains an insufficient
number of qualified persons to make up a precinct board, the precinct
may be consolidated with an adjoining precinct.



12223.  (a) Whenever a jurisdiction is divided into election
precincts or whenever the boundary of an established precinct is
changed or a new precinct is created, the precinct boundary shall be
fixed in a manner so that the number of voters in the precinct does
not exceed 1,000 on the 88th day prior to the day of election, unless
otherwise provided by law.
   (b) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2005.



12224.  At the discretion of the elections official, the voters of
the precinct may be divided into two or more groups, as nearly equal
as possible, and one precinct board appointed to serve each group.
When the voters of a precinct are so divided, there may be one or
more polling places, but there shall be a ballot box for and a set of
returns from each group.



12225.  Whenever a precinct is entirely owned or controlled by the
United States, and no permission is granted by the federal
authorities for the establishment of precinct boards and polling
places, precinct boards need not be appointed nor polling places
designated, but in lieu thereof the elections official shall, not
less than 88 days prior to election day, establish the precinct as a
mail ballot precinct and conduct the election for that precinct in
accordance with Section 3005.