Terms Used In California Codes > Civil Code > Division 3 > Part 4 > Title 9 > Chapter 1 - Agency in General

• AANHPI: means Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander. See California Education Code 89297
• action taken: means a collective decision made by a majority of the members of a legislative body, a collective commitment or promise by a majority of the members of a legislative body to make a positive or a negative decision, or an actual vote by a majority of the members of a legislative body when sitting as a body or entity, upon a motion, proposal, report, resolution, order, or recommendation. See California Education Code 89305.4
• Affected county: means a county in which any land of the district or agency is situated. See California Elections Code 10500
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
• agency: means any district or agency of the type designated by and formed pursuant to the provisions of any principal act that incorporates this part. See California Elections Code 10500
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appeals board: means the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. See California Education Code 89529.15
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• At-large method of election: means any of the following methods of electing members to the governing body of a political subdivision:

  California Elections Code 14026

• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Authorized user: means either of the following:

  California Elections Code 354.5

• auxiliary organization: includes the following entities:

  California Education Code 89901

• Ballot card: means a card or a number of cards upon which are printed, or identified by reference to the ballot, the names of candidates for nomination or election to one or more offices or the ballot titles of one or more measures. See California Elections Code 302
• Ballot on demand system: means a self-contained system that allows users to do both of the following on an as-needed basis:

  California Elections Code 303.4

• Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
• Baseline: Projection of the receipts, outlays, and other budget amounts that would ensue in the future without any change in existing policy. Baseline projections are used to gauge the extent to which proposed legislation, if enacted into law, would alter current spending and revenue levels.
• Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. ^{Source: OCC}
• Bequest: Property gifted by will.
• board: means any entity listed in Section 101, the entities referred to in Sections 1000 and 3600, the State Bar, the Department of Real Estate, and any other state agency that issues a license, certificate, or registration authorizing a person to engage in a business or profession. See California Business and Professions Code 31
• Board: means the Trustees of the California State University. See California Education Code 90011
• Board: means the Respiratory Care Board of California. See California Business and Professions Code 3704
• candidate: includes any officeholder who is subject to a recall election. See California Elections Code 305
• Charity: An agency, institution, or organization in existence and operating for the benefit of an indefinite number of persons and conducted for educational, religious, scientific, medical, or other beneficent purposes.
• Circulating title and summary: means the text that is required to be placed on a petition for signatures that is either one of the following:

  California Elections Code 303.5

• City: includes city and county. See California Business and Professions Code 18
• Clerk: means the county elections official, registrar of voters, city clerk, or other officer or board charged with the duty of conducting any election. See California Elections Code 307
• consumer: means a natural individual who has made application to a person for employment purposes, for insurance for personal, family, or household purposes, or the hiring of a dwelling unit, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 1940. See California Civil Code 1786.2
• contestant: means any person initiating an election contest. See California Elections Code 16002
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• County: includes city and county. See California Business and Professions Code 17
• County: includes city and county. See California Food and Agricultural Code 29
• County office: means the office filled by any county officer. See California Elections Code 313
• County officer: means any elected officer enumerated in Division 2 (commencing with Section 24000) of Title 3 of . See California Elections Code 314
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Defendant: means that person whose election or nomination is contested or those persons receiving an equal and highest number of votes, other than the contestant, where, in other than primary elections, the body canvassing the returns declares that no one person has received the highest number of votes for the contested office. See California Elections Code 16002
• Department: means the Department of Consumer Affairs. See California Business and Professions Code 3704
• Department: means the Department of Food and Agriculture. See California Food and Agricultural Code 32
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Director: means a member of the governing body. See California Elections Code 10500
• Disability: means a medical condition, mental disability, or physical disability, as those terms are defined in subdivisions (i), (j), and (l) of §. See California Elections Code 354.5
• disabled: includes mental or physical illness and mental or physical injury including any illness or injury resulting from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition. See California Education Code 89529.15
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Dismissal: means dismissal for cause. See California Education Code 89530
• District-based elections: means a method of electing members to the governing body of a political subdivision in which the candidate must reside within an election district that is a divisible part of the political subdivision and is elected only by voters residing within that election district. See California Elections Code 14026
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• Election: means any election including a primary that is provided for under this code. See California Elections Code 318
• Elections official: means any of the following:

  California Elections Code 320

• Elective office: means any office that may, under the principal act of the district or agency, be filled by way of an election. See California Elections Code 10500
• Elective officer: means "elective officer" as defined by the principal act of each district or agency or if not defined, any officer of a district or agency holding an office that can be filled by election. See California Elections Code 10500
• Elector: means a person who is a United States citizen 18 years of age or older and, except as specified in subdivision (b), is a resident of an election precinct in this state on or before the day of an election. See California Elections Code 321
• Embezzlement: In most states, embezzlement is defined as theft/larceny of assets (money or property) by a person in a position of trust or responsibility over those assets. Embezzlement typically occurs in the employment and corporate settings. ^{Source: OCC}
• Employee: means any of the following:

  California Education Code 89529.15

• employment purposes: when used in connection with an investigative consumer report, means a report used for the purpose of evaluating a consumer for employment, promotion, reassignment, or retention as an employee. See California Civil Code 1786.2
• Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Fair Credit Reporting Act: A federal law, established in 1971 and revised in 1997, that gives consumers the right to see their credit records and correct any mistakes. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fair Debt Collection Practices Act: The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is a set of United States statutes added as Title VIII of the Consumer Credit Protection Act. Its purpose is to ensure ethical practices in the collection of consumer debts and to provide consumers with an avenue for disputing and obtaining validation of debt information in order to ensure the information's accuracy. It is often used in conjunction with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• Federal election: means any presidential election, general election, primary election, or special election held solely or in part for the purpose of selecting, nominating, or electing any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, presidential elector, Member of the United States Senate, or Member of the United States House of Representatives. See California Elections Code 323
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• Forgery: The fraudulent signing or alteration of another's name to an instrument such as a deed, mortgage, or check. The intent of the forgery is to deceive or defraud. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Full pay: means the gross base pay earnable by the employee and subject to retirement contribution if he or she had not vacated his or her position. See California Education Code 89529.02
• Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
• General district election: means an election held pursuant to the provisions of this part. See California Elections Code 10500
• General election: means either of the following:

  California Elections Code 324

• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Governing body: means the board of directors of a district or agency or the board or body which governs the activities of the district or agency. See California Elections Code 10500
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• health care facility: means a facility, other than a facility licensed under Division 2 (commencing with Section 1200) of the Health and Safety Code, that is owned or operated by a health care service plan licensed pursuant to Chapter 2. See California Business and Professions Code 4027
• Indenture: means an agreement entered into by the board pursuant to which revenue bonds are issued, regardless of whether the agreement is expressed in the form of a resolution of the board or by other instrument. See California Education Code 90011
• Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
• Industrial disability leave: means temporary disability as defined in Divisions 4 (commencing with Section 3200) and 4. See California Education Code 89529.02
• Inspector: means the supervisor of the precinct board of which he or she is a member. See California Elections Code 325
• Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. ^{Source: OCC}
• investigative consumer report: means a consumer report in which information on a consumer's character, general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living is obtained through any means. See California Civil Code 1786.2
• investigative consumer reporting agency: means any person who, for monetary fees or dues, engages in whole or in part in the practice of collecting, assembling, evaluating, compiling, reporting, transmitting, transferring, or communicating information concerning consumers for the purposes of furnishing investigative consumer reports to third parties, but does not include any governmental agency whose records are maintained primarily for traffic safety, law enforcement, or licensing purposes, or any licensed insurance agent, insurance broker, or solicitor, insurer, or life insurance agent. See California Civil Code 1786.2
• Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
• Judicial office: means the office filled by any judicial officer. See California Elections Code 326
• Judicial officer: means any Justice of the Supreme Court, justice of a court of appeal, or judge of the superior court. See California Elections Code 327
• Jurisprudence: The study of law and the structure of the legal system.
• Landowner voting district: means a district whose principal act requires an elector to be an owner of land located within the district. See California Elections Code 10500
• Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff.
• Layoff: means separation from a position for lack of funds or lack of work. See California Education Code 89530
• Legislative body: means any or all of the following:

  California Education Code 89305.1

• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• license: means license, certificate, registration, or other means to engage in a business or profession regulated by this code or referred to in Section 1000 or 3600. See California Business and Professions Code 23.7
• licensed clinic: means a clinic licensed pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 1200) of Chapter 1 of Division 2 of . See California Business and Professions Code 4027
• licensed health care facility: means a facility licensed pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 1250) of Chapter 2 of Division 2 of . See California Business and Professions Code 4027
• licensed home health agency: means a private or public organization licensed by the State Department of Public Health pursuant to Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 1725) of Division 2 of . See California Business and Professions Code 4027
• Licensee: means any person authorized by a license, certificate, registration, or other means to engage in a business or profession regulated by this code or referred to in Sections 1000 and 3600. See California Business and Professions Code 23.8
• Local election: is a municipal, county, or district election. See California Elections Code 328
• Measure: means any constitutional amendment or other proposition submitted to a popular vote at any election. See California Elections Code 329
• Meeting: includes any congregation of a majority of the membership of a legislative body at the same time and place to hear, discuss, or deliberate upon any item that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the legislative body to which it pertains. See California Education Code 89305.1
• milk plant: as used in this article , means any place, structure, or building where a handler receives market milk and weighs, tests, standardizes, pasteurizes, homogenizes, separates, bottles or packages such milk. See California Food and Agricultural Code 62143
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Municipal election: means elections in general law cities and where applicable in chartered cities. See California Elections Code 330
• National Credit Union Administration: The federal regulatory agency that charters and supervises federal credit unions. (NCUA also administers the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, which insures the deposits of federal credit unions.) ^{Source: OCC}
• New resident: means a person who meets all requirements of an elector of the State of California except that his or her residency was established subsequent to the 15th day prior to the election. See California Elections Code 332
• Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
• Nominate: means the selection, at a state-conducted primary election, of candidates who are entitled by law to participate in the general election for that office, but does not mean any other lawful mechanism that a political party may adopt for the purposes of choosing the candidate who is preferred by the party for a nonpartisan or voter-nominated office. See California Elections Code 332.5
• Nomination documents: means declaration of candidacy and nomination papers. See California Elections Code 333
• Nonpartisan office: means an office, except for a voter-nominated office, for which no party may nominate a candidate. See California Elections Code 334
• Oath: includes affirmation. See California Elections Code 335
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Oral argument: An opportunity for lawyers to summarize their position before the court and also to answer the judges' questions.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Party: means a political party or organization that has qualified for participation in any primary or presidential general election. See California Elections Code 338
• Permanent: means that the employee has a right to continued employment unless dismissed or laid off. See California Education Code 89530
• person: as used in this title shall not be construed to require duplicative reporting by any individual, corporation, trust, estate, cooperative, association, government, or governmental subdivision or agency, or other entity involved in the same transaction. See California Civil Code 1786.2
• Person: includes any individual, firm, corporation, association, copartnership, trust, business trust, receiver, trustee, or conservator for any thereof, but does not include this state or any public corporation, political subdivision, city, county, district, or any agency thereof or of this state. See California Education Code 90011
• Person: means any individual, partnership, association, corporation, limited liability company, or any organized group of persons whether incorporated or not. See California Food and Agricultural Code 38
• Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
• Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
• Political subdivision: means a geographic area of representation created for the provision of government services, including, but not limited to, a general law city, general law county, charter city, charter county, charter city and county, school district, community college district, or other district organized pursuant to state law. See California Elections Code 14026
• Political subdivision: means a geographic area of representation created for the provision of government services, including, but not limited to, a city, a school district, a community college district, or other district organized pursuant to state law. See California Elections Code 14051
• Polling place: means a location where a voter casts a ballot and includes the following terms, as applicable: poll, polling location, and vote center. See California Elections Code 338.5
• Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
• Precinct: means a geographical area within a county that is made up of voters and is formed pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 12200) of Division 12. See California Elections Code 338.6
• precinct board: means the board appointed by the elections official to serve at a vote center. See California Elections Code 339
• Precinct board member: is a member of the precinct board and includes an election officer. See California Elections Code 339
• Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
• Primary election: includes all primary nominating elections provided for by this code. See California Elections Code 341
• Principal act: means the law providing for the creation of a particular district or agency or type of district or agency. See California Elections Code 10500
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Probate: Proving a will
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Program: means the AANHPI Student Achievement Program established pursuant to this article. See California Education Code 89297
• Project: means any one or more dormitories or other housing facilities, boarding facilities, student union or activity facilities, vehicle parking facilities, alternative transportation programs, or any other auxiliary or supplementary facilities for individual or group accommodation, owned or operated or authorized to be acquired, constructed, furnished, equipped, and operated by the board for use by students, faculty members, or other employees of any one or more campuses of the California State University, or a combination of those facilities, which may include facilities already completed and facilities authorized for future completion, or any other facilities designated by the board as a project in providing for the issuance of revenue bonds or notes. See California Education Code 90011
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Protected class: means a class of voters who are members of a race, color, or language minority group, as this class is referenced and defined in the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U. See California Elections Code 14026
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• Punching: includes marking a ballot card to record a vote. See California Elections Code 345
• Racially polarized voting: means voting in which there is a difference, as defined in case law regarding enforcement of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U. See California Elections Code 14026
• Regents of the University of California: means any of the following:

  California Education Code 92020

• Regular election: is a n election, the specific time for the holding of which is prescribed by law. See California Elections Code 348
• Remote accessible vote by mail system: means a mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic system and its software that is used for the sole purpose of marking an electronic vote by mail ballot for a voter who shall print the paper cast vote record to be submitted to the elections official. See California Elections Code 303.3
• Resident voting district: means any district other than a landowner voting district. See California Elections Code 10500
• Respiratory care: includes "respiratory therapy" or "inhalation therapy" where those terms mean respiratory care. See California Business and Professions Code 3704
• revenue bonds: means the written evidence of any obligation, other than revenue bond anticipation notes, issued by the board, payment of which is secured by a pledge of revenues or any part of revenues, as provided in this article, in order to obtain funds with which to carry out the purposes of this article, irrespective of the form of the obligations. See California Education Code 90011
• Revolving credit: A credit agreement (typically a credit card) that allows a customer to borrow against a preapproved credit line when purchasing goods and services. The borrower is only billed for the amount that is actually borrowed plus any interest due. (Also called a charge account or open-end credit.) ^{Source: OCC}
• Roster: means the official list of voters for an election, which may be in paper or electronic form. See California Elections Code 349.5
• School officer: means the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the superintendent of schools of a county. See California Elections Code 352
• Secretary: means the secretary of the governing body or a person designated by him or her to perform a duty of the secretary. See California Elections Code 10500
• Secretary: means the Secretary of Food and Agriculture. See California Food and Agricultural Code 35
• Sell: includes offer for sale, expose for sale, possess for sale, exchange, barter, or trade. See California Food and Agricultural Code 44
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• Signature: includes either of the following:

  California Elections Code 354.5

• Signature stamp: means a stamp that contains the impression of any of the following:

  California Elections Code 354.5

• Significant decrease in voter turnout: means the voter turnout for a regularly scheduled election in a political subdivision is at least 25 percent less than the average voter turnout within that political subdivision for the previous four statewide general elections. See California Elections Code 14051
• Software: includes all programs, voting devices, cards, ballot cards or papers, operating manuals or instructions, test procedures, printouts, and other nonmechanical or nonelectrical items necessary to the operation of a voting system. See California Elections Code 355
• Special election: is a n election, the specific time for the holding of which is not prescribed by law. See California Elections Code 356
• Special sessions: as used in this division , means self-supporting instructional programs conducted by the California State University. See California Education Code 89708
• spouse: includes a registered domestic partner, as required by §. See California Civil Code 14
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Business and Professions Code 21
• State agency: includes every state office, officer, department, division, bureau, board, authority, and commission. See California Business and Professions Code 3704
• Statewide election: is a n election held throughout the state. See California Elections Code 357
• Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs, unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Business and Professions Code 15
• Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Food and Agricultural Code 49
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Supervising authority: means the board of supervisors of the county in which is situated all or most of the land of a district. See California Elections Code 10500
• teleconference: means a meeting of a legislative body, the members of which are in different locations, connected by electronic means, through either audio or video, or both. See California Education Code 89305.1
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Trust account: A general term that covers all types of accounts in a trust department, such as estates, guardianships, and agencies. ^{Source: OCC}
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• trustees: means the Trustees of the California State University, created under Section 66600. See California Education Code 89000
• User fees: Fees charged to users of goods or services provided by the government. In levying or authorizing these fees, the legislature determines whether the revenue should go into the treasury or should be available to the agency providing the goods or services.
• Variable Rate: Having a "variable" rate means that the APR changes from time to time based on fluctuations in an external rate, normally the Prime Rate. This external rate is known as the "index." If the index changes, the variable rate normally changes. Also see Fixed Rate.
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
• Veterinary food-animal drugs: as used in this chapter shall include the following:

  California Business and Professions Code 4042

• Vote center: means a location established for holding elections that offers the services described in Sections 2170 and 4005. See California Elections Code 357.5
• Voter: means any elector who is registered under this code. See California Elections Code 359
• Voter: means a voter or elector as respectively defined in the principal act of each district or agency. See California Elections Code 10500
• Voter list: means the list of registered voters in a single or consolidated precinct or in an entire county. See California Elections Code 359.2
• Voter turnout: means the percentage of voters who are eligible to cast ballots within a given political subdivision who voted. See California Elections Code 14051
• Voter-nominated office: means a congressional or state elective office for which a candidate may choose to have his or her party preference or lack of party preference indicated upon the ballot. See California Elections Code 359.5
• Voting machine: means any electronic device, including, but not limited to, a precinct optical scanner and a direct recording voting system, into which a voter may enter his or her votes, and which, by means of electronic tabulation and generation of printouts or other tangible, human-readable records, furnishes a total of the number of votes cast for each candidate and for or against each measure. See California Elections Code 361
• Voting system: means a mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic system and its software, or any combination of these used for casting a ballot, tabulating votes, or both. See California Elections Code 362
• Will: includes codicil. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
• Writ: means an order or precept in writing, issued in the name of the people, or of a court or judicial officer. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17