BILL NUMBER: AB 593 CHAPTERED 10/11/03 CHAPTER 819 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE OCTOBER 11, 2003 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR OCTOBER 10, 2003 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 5, 2003 PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 3, 2003 AMENDED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 2, 2003 AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 17, 2003 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 27, 2003 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Ridley-Thomas FEBRUARY 18, 2003 An act to amend Section 3206 of, and to add Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 2145) to Chapter 2 of Division 2 of, the Elections Code, and to amend Section 12950 of, and to add Section 12950.5 to, the Vehicle Code, relating to voter registration. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 593, Ridley-Thomas. Voter registration. The Secretary of State has certain administrative duties under existing law concerning the provision of voter registration materials. This bill would additionally require the Secretary of State to provide voter registration forms and information to students in all high schools, community colleges, and campuses of the California State University or University of California. The bill would also state the Legislature's intent that high schools and colleges provide students with voter registration forms. Under existing law, a voter's name is deleted from the permanent absent voter list if he or she fails to return an absentee ballot for any statewide primary or general election. This bill would provide instead that a voter's name would be deleted only if he or she fails to return an absentee ballot for any statewide general election. Under existing law, the Department of Motor Vehicles requires licensed persons to provide a signature. This bill would provide that the signature must be a digitized signature, as defined, and would require the department to forward the digitized signature to the Secretary of State if the person wishes to register to vote and to forward change-of-address information to the Secretary of State if the person wishes to change his or her address for voting purposes. This bill would incorporate additional changes in Section 3206 of the Elections Code, proposed by AB 188, to be operative only if AB 188 and this bill are both chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2004, and this bill is chaptered last. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 2145) is added to Chapter 2 of Division 2 of the Elections Code, to read: Article 3.5. Student Voter Registration 2145. This article shall be known and may be cited as the Student Voter Registration Act of 2003. 2146. (a) The Secretary of State shall annually provide every high school, community college, and California State University and University of California campus with voter registration forms. The number of forms shall be consistent with the number of students enrolled at each school. (b) The Secretary of State shall provide a written notice with each registration form describing eligibility requirements and informing each student that he or she may return the completed form in person or by mail to the elections official of the county in which the student resides. (c) It is the intent of the Legislature that every high school and college student receive a voter registration card with his or her diploma. It is also the intent of the Legislature that every school do all in its power to ensure that students are provided the opportunity and means to register to vote. This may include providing voter registration forms at the start of the school year, including voter registration forms with orientation materials, placing voter registration forms at central locations, and including voter registration forms with graduation materials. SEC. 2. Section 3206 of the Elections Code is amended to read: 3206. A voter whose name appears on the permanent absent voter list shall remain on the list and shall be mailed an absentee ballot for each election conducted within his or her precinct. If the voter fails to return an executed absent voter ballot for any statewide general election in accordance with Section 3017 the voter's name shall be deleted from the list. SEC. 2.5. Section 3206 of the Elections Code is amended to read: 3206. A voter whose name appears on the permanent absent voter list shall remain on the list and shall be mailed an absentee ballot for each election conducted within his or her precinct for which he or she is eligible to vote. If the voter fails to return an executed absent voter ballot for any statewide general election in accordance with Section 3017 the voter's name shall be deleted from the list. SEC. 3. Section 12950 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read: 12950. (a) Every person licensed under this code shall write his or her usual signature with pen and ink in the space provided for that purpose on the license issued to him or her, immediately on receipt thereof, and the license is not valid until so signed, except that if the department issues a form of license which bears the facsimile signature of the applicant as shown upon the application, the license is valid even though not so signed. (b) For purposes of subdivision (a), signature includes a digitized signature. SEC. 4. Section 12950.5 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read: 12950.5. (a) The department shall require digitized signatures on each driver's license. A digitized signature is an electronic representation of a handwritten signature. (b) The department shall provide to the Secretary of State the digitized signature of every person who registers to vote on the voter registration card provided by the department. (c) The department shall provide the Secretary of State with change-of-address information for every voter who indicates that he or she desires to have his or her address changed for voter registration purposes. SEC. 5. Section 2.5 of this bill incorporates amendments to Section 3206 of the Elections Code proposed by both this bill and AB 188. It shall only become operative if (1) both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2004, (2) each bill amends Section 3206 of the Elections Code, and (3) this bill is enacted after AB 188, in which case Section 2 of this bill shall not become operative.