Amends TCA Title 2.

Present law provides that a candidate's request to withdraw must be filed no later than noon prevailing time on the seventh day after the qualifying deadline for the election. However, a candidate who qualifies pursuant to provisions allowing additional candidates to qualify after a qualifying deadline due to circumstances under which there are no candidates left for nomination, or who is nominated pursuant to the chair of the party's state executive committee filing with the county election commission a written statement of the name of the new nominee, must file a request to withdraw no later than noon prevailing time on the third day after the qualifying deadline. <br /> <br /> Present law also provides that an executive committee that determines that a candidate is not qualified under law must file the committee's determination with the coordinator of elections no later than noon, prevailing time, on the seventh day after the qualifying deadline for the election. The coordinator of elections must notify each county election commission on whose ballots the candidate's name would otherwise appear prior to the election commission printing the ballot. <br /> <br /> If an executive committee submits a candidate's name to be excluded from the ballot, then the executive committee must provide the candidate written notice of the exclusion within two days after submission. The executive committee must mail the notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, or any form of expedited mail that requires a signature at receipt, to the residential address or the business address of the candidate as listed on the candidate's nominating petition. The executive committee must retain the return receipts, or other documentation of timely notification, for a period of not less than one year from the date the notification was sent. The candidate may appeal the determination in writing and must file the original appeal with the executive committee and a copy of the appeal with the coordinator of elections within two days of receipt of the notice from the executive committee. Unless the coordinator of elections receives a letter from the executive committee withdrawing the committee's determination of the candidate's disqualification no later than the close of business seven days after the original withdrawal deadline, the candidate's name must be excluded from the ballot.<br /> <br /> This bill adds that a candidate who is excluded from a primary ballot pursuant to an executive committee's decision and who exhausts the appeals process described above may qualify as an independent candidate if the nominating petition is filed within seven days of the final determination of the appeal. <br />